20 



THE GAME BIRDS OF INDIA, 

 BURMA AND CEYLON. 



BY 



E. 0. Stuart Baker, F.L.S., F.Z.S., M.B.O.U. 

 Part V. 



C Contivued from page 9^9 of Volume XX.) 



Sub-Order — Otides. 



The Bustards form a sub-order of birds connected with, yet 

 distinctly separated from, many others. In general superficial 

 appearance they are, perhaps, most like the Gallinaceous birds, 

 more especially in regard to their heads and wings. They are, 

 however, more closely allied in anatomy and other w'ays to many 

 other families, such as the Rails, Cranes, Plovers and, in the New 

 World, the Tinamus. 



They are schizognathous and holorhinal, the cervical vertebrsQ 

 are either 16 or 17 in number and the sternum has two small 

 notches on each side of the posterior border. There is no hallux 

 or hind toe and the two deep flexor tendons unite and again divide 

 into three. 



They possess ambiens, accessory femoro-caudal, semi-tendinosus 

 and accessory semi-tendinosus muscles, but the femoro-caudal is 

 absent. 



There is no oil-gland and the c£eca are long. 



The contour feathers possess an after-shaft and there is no 

 lateral bare tract on the side of the neck. 



Family— OTIDID^. 



The Family of Bustards, which is the only one in the Sub-order 

 Otides, contains birds ranging in size from that of a large partridge 

 to birds weighing as much, or more than, 40 lbs. They are gene- 

 rally of sturdy build with comparatively long necks and legs, the 

 lattei very strong and furnished with three toes only. These, the 

 toes, are remarkably broad and fleshy, but at the same time short in 

 comparison to the size of the bird they have to support. The 



