xviii ?T0ETI1 AMERICAN BIRDS. 



liciiij;' iniicli iilibroviiitiMl. Tail sIidiI iind l'i'w-H';vt!i(>r(.'(1. Iloiid luii'row, co- 

 iiicii-ol.>ngato(l, <,'ra(liially coiitrat'tiiij; to tliu lai-go, stout l>asu ol' lliu Mil; the 

 loral and (.rbital iL'<,'ioii, nr the wliolo lii'ad, nuked. Gape of tlio bill (looply 

 fissured; lip usnaily acute ; toniia hard nnd euttiiij,', liiU eonieo-elonijate, 

 al\va_\f longer f'un the head, stout and llmi. Nosti'ils small pluei.Ml hiuli 

 up, with entirely buny and horny, ni- only slig! ly nieinbranons, surround- 

 ings. l'l<'rylosis nearly ])eeuliar in the prcsenee, almost throui;honl the 

 group, of powder-down tracts, raicly lound elsewhere; pterylic very narrow. 

 I'alate dcsmognathoirs Carotids double. Altricial. Comprising the Herons, 

 Storks, Ibi.ses, etc. (not Cranes). l>peeies usually of large stature, with com- 

 pressed body and very long S-bent neck; perching and nesting usually in 

 tri'es, bushes, or other high places near water; yoiuig hatching' weak, .scarcely 

 feathereil, and reared in the nest. 



I. ALECTORIDES ' Tibiiu naked below. Neck, legs, and feet iuuch as 

 ill the last group, l)ut hallux reduced and obviously elevate 1, with small 

 claw, the resulting foot cursorial (natatorial and lobate in Fulled). Wings 

 and tail commonly as in Ilerodloiien. Head lc>s nairowed and conic than in 

 the liust, fully feathered or with extensive baldness (not with definite ludvcd- 

 ne.ss of loral and orbital regions). JJill of various shape, usually leiigllicned 

 and obtuse, never extensively membranous. Rictus moderate. Nostrils 

 lower than in //froilloiici. Pterylosis not ])ccnliar. Palate schi/.ognathons. 

 Carotids do\ible. Nature ])riecocial and ptiloi)a'dic. Comprising the Cranes 

 and Rails and their allies; the former agreeing with the Ilemdhvies sujier- 

 licially ill stature, etc., lint lii.ghl}' diver.se in the schizognathous palate, 

 pia'corial nature. et(.'. 



J. LAMELLIROSTRES. Feet palmate; tiltia' feathered fexcept Phir- 

 iiicoji/erus). I<cgs near centre of equilibrium of the body, its axis horizontal 

 in walking; not lengthened except in J'l«riilc(ijitcriis. Kuei'-Joint rarely 

 cxserted beyond general skin of the body. Wings moderate, reaching when 

 folded to, but not bej'ond, the n.sually .short and rounded (exceptionally long 

 and cuneate) tail. Feet tetradactyle (except sometimes in Phauiicnptcrw) ; 

 hallux reduced, elevated and free, often inilepeudently lobate. Hill lamel- 

 late, i. e., furnished along each comini.ssural edge with a regular series of 

 nnitually adapted laniiuic or tooth-like processes, with which correspond 

 certain laciniate processes of the fleshy tongue, which ends in a horny tip. 

 Bill large, thick, high at ba.se, depressed towanls the end. membranous to 

 the broad obtuse tip, which is occupied by a horny '•nail" of various shape. 

 Nostrils patent, never tubular; nasal fo.s.sie slight. No gular pouch. Plu- 

 mage dense, to resist water. Eyes very .small. Head high, ecjin]iressed, 

 with lengthened, sloping frontal region. Palate desmognathous. Repro- 

 duction priccocial ; yomig ptilopa^dic. Eggs numerous. Carotids double. 

 Sternum single-notched. Comjirisiug Flamingoes and all the Anserine birds. 

 K. STEOANOPODES. Feet totipalmate; hallux lengthened, nearly in- 

 cumbent, scmilatc'ral, completely united with the sci'ond foe by a lull weti. 

 Til)iie feathered ; position of legs with refereitce to axis of body variable, 

 but generally far posterior ; knee-joint not (ree. Wings and tail variable. 

 Bill of very vai'ialile shape, never lamellate, wholly corneous; its toniia 

 often s(>rrate; ext<'rnal nan^s very small or finally abortive. A prominent 

 nakeil gular poni.'h. Tarsi rctii'ulafe. Sternum entire or nearly so; i'urcu- 



1 (!ion)is fl., TI., and I. arc respectively cipial to the CAovd/n'oidory/Ad', /'(/((rr/wwojvj/irt', and 

 Ocrnnotiwrphcc of Huxley. 



