403 



Grall^. BIRDS. Otidtd.e. 



OiiDER VII.— GRALL^. 



The namo of tliis order refers to the sliltrd aiipearanco 

 of most of the birds composing it, they being mounted 

 upon long and slender legs which present no small 

 resemblance to stilts, and enable their possessors to 

 wade readily in shallow waters. Hence the birds of 

 this order are often called Waders, although this name 

 is by no moans applicable to the whole of them, a good 

 many being inhabitants of dry places. 



The characters of this order may be shortly given 

 as follows: — The feet are adapted for walking, and 

 furnished with three distinct toes, usually united by a 

 small membrane at the base, and sometimes bordered 

 with membranous lobes, but not completely united 

 as iu the swimming birds. The logs, and especially the 

 tarsi, are always rather long, and sometimes much 

 elongated, and the naked scaly skin of the feet is almost 

 always continued for a greater or less distance above 

 the articulation of the tarsus with the tibia. The whole 

 of tlie naked skin is usually reticulated, but in some 

 species the toes, and even the front of the tarsi, is 

 covered with scutella or plates. The posterior toe is 

 sometimes entirely wanting, and generally but little 

 developed. It varies also in its position, being either 

 placed on the same plane as the anterior toes, or 

 slightly elevated on the back of the tarsus. 



To compensate for the great elevation of the legs, 

 the neck is almost always considerably elongated, and, 

 as a general rule, the bill is likewise rather long. By 

 this means the bird, when stalking along upon the 

 ground, or wading in shallow water, is enabled to pick 

 up worms, mollusca, and insects, or to strike with ease 

 and rapidity at passing fishes. The wings are generally 

 well developed, and furnished with long quills. 



In habits, as in form, the Grallatorial birds present 

 many diversities. They are generally very active, 

 running and flying with equal ease and celerity. Some, 

 as already mentioned, frequent marshy places and the 

 borders of water, in which they seek their food, whilst 

 others haunt dry sandy heaths, and similar situations. 

 Even amongst the aquatic species we find a great 

 diversity — some wading in the shallow water oy means 

 of their long and slender legs ; others, which are provided 

 with very elongated toes, running over the floating 

 loaves of aquatic plants ; others, again, some of which 

 have their toes bordered with membranous lobes, 

 swimming about and diving with all the ease of the 

 most expert Natatorial bii-ds. Their food, however, 

 nearly always consists of animal substances. 



FAMrLY I.— OTIDID^"!. 



The first family of this order includes the Bustards, 

 which, as we have already stated, make the nearest 

 approach to the gallinaceous birds, whilst by some 

 ornithologists they have been regarded as forming a 



part of the order Cursores. They arc generally large 

 and rather heavy birds, willi a short, stout, compressed 

 bill, exhibiting some resemblance to that of the galli- 

 naceous birds. The nostrils are situated in grooves 

 near the base of the upper mandible, and the basal 

 portion of these grooves is clothed with short feathers ; 

 the legs are long and moderately slender ; the naked 

 skin of the tibise and feet is reticulated; the hinder 

 toe is entirely wanting, and the anterior toes are rather 

 short and stout, with blunt claws at their extremities. 

 The wings are of considerable size. The Bustards 

 are met with in dry places, where they feed chiefly 

 upon worms and insects, with a slight intermixture of 

 green herbage. They run with great rajiidity, and are 

 endowed with considerable powers of flight, although 

 they do not rise easily from the ground. They are 

 polygamous in their habits. 



THE GREAT BUSTARD {Otis tarda)— Vhte 22, fig. 

 84 — which was formerly abundant on the heaths and 

 downs in many parts of this country, is now nearly, if 

 not quite extinct in Britain. It occurs in Germany 

 and France, and more or less abundantly throughout 

 Southern Eiu'ope, always frequenting the wild and 

 open parts of the country. The male of this fine bird 

 measures nearly four feet in length, and the female 

 about three feet. The general colour of the plumage of 

 the upper surf;ioe is bull', with numerous delicate trans- 

 verse black bars; the lower surface is white, and the 

 head and neck are white with a grayish tinge ; from 

 each side of the chin in the male, and also, according 

 to some writers, in the adult female, there springs a tuft 

 of feathers about seven inches in length, which passes 

 backwards beneath the cheek. Bustards were formei'ly 

 hunted with dogs in this coimtry. On the continent 

 they are now frequently shot with the rifle, and, as 

 they are very shy and wild, the sportsmen often have 

 much difficulty in stalking them. The flesh of the 

 young birds especially is highly esteemed, and on the 

 continent they are often seen in the markets for sale. 

 The Bustard is polygamous, and the females lay two 

 or three eggs in a small hollow in the ground. Its 

 food consists partly of vegetable matters, and, in 

 addition to worms and insects, it is said to kill and 

 devour small quadrupeds and reptiles. 



THE LITTLE BUSTARD {Otis tctrcuv), another 

 European species, is much smaller than the preceding, 

 measuring only about seventeen inches in length. The 

 plumage of its upper surface is pale chestnut, delicately 

 marked with transverse undulated black lines ; the 

 lower parts of the body, the wing-coverts, and the 

 base of the primary quills are white, and the remainder 

 of the primaries gr.ayish-black. During the breeding 

 season the nock of the male exhibits a bluish-gi-ay tint 

 at its upper part; this is bounded beneath by a narrow 

 collar of black and another of wliite, and below the 



