140 Animal Life 
back to the eye, which is large; the feet have the three front toes only, connected 
at the base by webs, and the shank is covered with small scales as in the Bustards. 
From these birds, in addition to thei usually smaller size, they may be distinguished 
by their large heads and comparatively short necks. 
The Coursers (Glareolide), with which are also grouped the Pratincoles or 
Swallow-Plovers, have much the appearance of ordinary Plovers, but the corner of the 
mouth extends to the eye or nearly so, and the bill is usually curved. The Pratincoles 
have long wings and forked tails, and feed mostly on the wing lke swallows. 
The Sheath-Bills (Chionidide) are white birds with a short stout bill and the 
nostrils with an overhanging sheath; the feet have three toes before and a short 
useless hind-toe. 
The Jacganas (Parride) have pigeon-like bills and long legs with excessively long 
toes, the hinder being well developed as well as the three front, and all devoid of 
webs and provided with remarkably long straight claws. 
The Kagu (Rhinochetus jubatus) is the sole member of its family and has a stout, 
rather long bill, with the nostrils overhung by a scrolled 
membrane, the hind-toe small, the head and eyes large, and 
the wings short and broad. 
The Trumpeters (Psophiide) have pheasant-like heads, 
and long legs with a small hind-toe; the wings are short 
and rounded and the tail not noticeable. 
The Mesites (Mesitide) is a curious Madagascar bird 
with short wings and bill, ample rounded tail, and rather 
long legs with three toes in front and a smaller hind-toe. 
It looks much like a Passerine bird. 
GROUND-BIRDS. 
With strong feet formed for running, which seldom or never 
enter water, even to wash 
The Pheasant family (Phasianide), including Fowls, 
Peacocks, Partridges, Quail, Turkeys, and Guinea-Fowls. 
These have three toes before, united at the base by short 
webs, and a small hind-toe raised above the rest. The 
shank has two rows of large scales in front, meeting in 
a zigzag seam. The beak is always short, with nostrils 
arched over on the inner side by a eristly scale, and the 
profile curved; the corner of the mouth comes nearly below the front of the eye. The 
wings are always short and rounded. Many of these birds go up in trees to roost. (Fig. 11.) 
The Grouse (Tetraonide) much resemble the above, but the covering of the nostril 
is feathered, and usually the shanks also. When they are not, the grouse may be 
distinguished by the fringe of narrow scales along the edge of each toe. The wings 
are short. Their separation as a distinct family is hardly justifiable. 
The Mound-Builders (Megapodiid@) have a large hind-toe set on at the same level as 
the others, and open nostrils. The wings are short, and the tail either very short or 
of medium length and folded like a fowl’s. 
The Hemipodes or Button-Quails (Twrnicide) look much like Quails, but have no 
webs at the base of the toes and only one row of scales down the shank. Except the 
Australian Plain-Wanderer (Pedionomus torquatus) they have no hind-toe. Their wings 
are short. 
The Tinamous (Zinamide) much resemble Partridges, but differ by having the 
covering of the bill in sections and the corner of the mouth reaching to the middle of 
Fig. 11. PHEASANT. 
