18 
In the Ibises the face and chin are naked, the 
long sickle-shaped beak is curved downwards ; the 
upper mandible bears a furrow from the nostrils to the 
tip, and the lower jaw is furrowed for half its length. 
The legs are bare far above the feet, and the wings 
are large and broad. They live in warm countries, and 
frequent the banks of rivers, and lakes and marshes. 
The Sacred Ibis (Jézs religiosa) is a 
bird of historic interest. It was highly venerated 
by the ancient Egyptians, perhaps partly on 
account of the service which it renders in destroy- 
ing frogs, small snakes &c. after the inundations of 
the Nile. The beak, the naked part of the head 
and neck, the wing-plumes, the tail and the legs 
are black, and the rest of the body white. It is 
about the size of a common fowl, if the long legs 
are left out of consideration. 
Family Ill. Charadride. 
(Plate XXVI.) 
The legs are long and slender, and the hind 
toe is rudimentary. The birds frequent sandy shores, 
and live on molluscs, worms and insects. 
In the genus Vanel/us the hind toe is small, 
but fully developed, and the head is either tufted, 
or has bare folds of skin on the sides. 
Fig. h. The Lap- 
wing (Vanellus crista- 
tus) is about as large 
as a pigeon, and the 
back of its head is 
ornamented with a tuft 
of narrow — feathers. 
The back metallic fi 
green with a purple Egg of Lapwing, 
lustre, the throat and breast are black, the belly 
Figs ©: 
(Lapwings.) 


is 
white, and the legs red. It is very common in 
many parts of Europe. 
Family IV. Scolopacida#. (Snipes.) 
(Plate XXVI.) 
The head is laterally compressed, the forehead 
high and long, and the 
eyes placedrather highand 
back. The beak is ex- 
tremely long and narrow, 
with a soft tip, serving 
as an organ of taste. 
Thelegs are comparatively 
short, the wings broad, 
and moderately long, and 
the tail short and broad. 
The females are generally 
rather larger than the 
males. The birds are fond of damp woods and marshy 

Egg of Woodcock. 
Order IX. Palmipedes. 
These birds are distinguished from all others 
by a thick stiff plumage, which is constantly lubri- 
cated with oil from the well-developed oil-gland, and 
the body is thus kept raised above the water. The 
beak is either flattened, or convex, and generally 
toothed, in order to hold the water-animals on which 
these birds feed. The power of flight is better 
developed in some of these birds than others, but | 
the legs show more resemblance than the wings, 
always being feathered to the shank, and either | 
wholly or partly webbed between the toes. 
| 
{ 
| 
\ 



el A re, 
places, where they feed on worms and insects, They. 
are found in northern countries, and migrate south- 
wards in autumn. 
Fig. f. The Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) has 
an inconspicuous greyish-brown plumage, which ren- 
ders the bird difficult to see upon the ground. It 
is generally a migratory bird in Central Europe. 
Fig. g. The Common Snipe (Scolopax gallinago) 
is about the size of a blackbird, and its beak is 
flattened at the tip. All the Snipes have very similar 
habits, and are much sought after by sportsmen. 
(Plate XXVIL.) 
Fig. a. 
to the Snipes, as is shown by its soft beak, which 
is obtusely rounded in front. The male is one-third 
larger than the female, which is called a Reeve; 
and in spring he is adorned with a large collar of 
stiff feathers, and with small yellow warts on the face. 
At this time, the males, like many other birds during 
the pairing season, fight together furiously. 
Family V.- Fulicida. (Water Hens.) 
(Plate XXVIL.) 
The birds of this family have short legs and 
slightly developed wings, and large legs 
The strong toes are often very 
beak, 
like those of fowls. 
long, and in some species are entirely surrounded ~ 
with folds of skin, which enables them both to swim 
well, and to run easily and rapidly over the water- 
plants in the swamps and marshes which they inhabit. 
Fig. b. The Water Hen (Gallinula chloropus) 
is very common in the neighbourhood of streams and 
ponds in many parts of Europe. The back is olive- 
grey, and the belly slate-colour; there is a red pro- 
tuberance on the forehead, and the legs are green. 
Fig. c. The Corncrake 
(Ortygometra crex) is met 
with in large meadows and 
fields, where the harsh cry 
of the male is to be heard 
everywhere in summer-time. 
It is common throughout 
Central Europe and Asia. 
In the genus farra 
the beak is long and slender, and the legs are also 
very long. The toes are slender, and the claws 
extremely long; the wings are narrow and pointed, 
and the tail is short. They inhabit tropical countries 
and walk about over the large-leaved plants which 
grow there in the marshes. 
Fig. d. The Jacana (Parra Facana) is common 
in the swamps of South America wherever water- 
lilies grow. Our figure represents the bird of about 
two-thirds of the natural size. 

Egg of Corncrake 
(Swimming Birds.) 
Section I. Gavie. 
Family I. Larida. (Sea-Gulls.) 
(Plate XXVII.) 
The Gulls, Petrels and Albatrosses have pointed 
wings, and rarely come to land except to breed. 
In the Gulls, the beak is compressed, and larger 
in some species than in others, the legs are furnished 
with three webbed toes, and a hinder toe. They 
feed on fish, which they pounce upon in the water. 

The Ruff (A/achetes pugnax) belongs — 
