Rasores. 315 



their flesh offers as for the sport which the pursuit of them entails, 

 they are very highly esteemed amongst us ; and consequently they 

 come more frequently under our notice, and their habits are more 

 observed and better known than is the case with any other 

 Order. 



On this account, it will manifestly be superfluous for me 

 to enlarge on their general habits, which are known to all ; I 

 propose, therefore; to confine my remarks in this chapter to facts 

 and occurrences not so universally acknowledged, touching 

 very lightly on the ordinary economy of the Order. 



Briefly, then, the characteristics of the Ground-birds are these : 

 they are all granivorous, though they vary this hard diet with 

 softer or more succulent food, as the seasons and opportunities 

 offer. Their beaks, adapted to the food on which they principally 

 subsist, are hard and horny, the upper mandible arched and the 

 tip blunt ; their heads are generally small, and their bodies large 

 and full ; their wings short and weak in proportion to their heavy 

 bodies ; and their legs large and strong. But the real distinguish- 

 ing characteristic of the Order, which indeed is, I believe, the 

 only general mark of distinction peculiar to this group, is an 

 anatomical one, and is derived from the digestive organs. It may 

 be described in plain terms as a very large widening of the 

 oesophagus or gullet, which thus forms a crop, and lies, when dis- 

 tended, equally on both sides of the neck. 



In regard to their habits, they live principally on the ground, 

 where they seek their food, where most of them nest and rear 

 their young ; from which they are often unwilling to rise, impeded 

 by the shortness of wing in proportion to the bulkiness of body, 

 but over which they can run with considerable swiftness and ease. 

 They will, however, on occasion take wing, and then their flight is 

 strong, rapid, and continued, though heavy and somewhat 

 laborious. In short, unless when startled, they for the most part 

 prefer to seek safety in running rather than in flying. To this 

 end we shall find in the more typical members of this Order a 

 development of limb and a strength of muscle well calculated for 

 speed and endurance ; while the feet are constructed upon a 



