448 



MANUAL OF ZOOLOGY. 



sometimes monogamous, and the young of the former are able 

 to run about as soon as they are hatched. 



Fig. 174. Grallatores. A, Leg and foot of the Curlew; B, Head of Snipe; 

 C, Beak of the Avocet. 



The most typical Waders those, namely, which are semi- 

 aquatic in their habits spend most of their time wading about 

 in shallow waters or marshes, feeding upon small fishes, worms, 

 shell-fish, or insects. Others, such as the Storks, live mostly 

 upon the land, and are more or less exclusively vegetable- 

 feeders. 



The Grallatores are divided by Owen into the four families 

 of the Macrodactyli) the Cultirostres, the Longirostres, and the 

 Pressirostres. 



Fam. i. MacrodactylL In this family the feet are furnished 

 with four elongated, sometimes lobate, toes, and the wings are 

 of moderate or less than average size. In many of their char- 

 acters a considerable number of the birds of this family ap- 

 proach the Rasorial birds, and differ from the true Waders. 

 The beak is mostly short, rarely longer than the head, and is 

 compressed from side to side, or wedge-shaped. The legs are 

 strong and not particularly lengthy ; but the toes are often of 

 great length, and are furnished with long claws. The neck is 

 not very long, and the tail is very short. Some of them are 

 strictly aquatic in their habits, and, like the Coots, approach 

 in many respects to the Natatores; others, again, are exclusively 

 terrestrial. The most familiar members of this family are the 

 Rails (Rallid(z\ Water-hens (Gallinulcz), the Coots (Fulled], 

 and the Jacana (Parra jacana). The Water-hens and Coots 

 are aquatic or semi-aquatic, swimming and diving with great 



