GRALLATORES: WADERS OR STILTED BIRDS. 15!) 



Dr G. Gray makes six subfamilies of these birds, but he includes 

 among them Phaleropodinae, which, on account of their peculiar feet 

 and specially aquatic habits, I think better regarded as the fifth or 

 Natatorial family in the order. The remaining five subfamilies are 

 probably best placed in the following order: 1. Totaninae, Long- 

 shanks ; 2. Tringinae, Sandpipers ; 3. Scolopacinae, Snipes and 

 Woodcocks ; 4. Limosinae, god-wits ; 5. Recurvirostrinae Avocets. 

 In the first of these subfamilies there are five species of Totanus and 

 two of Tringoides, belonging to North America and very possibly to 

 be found in Canada. Of the Sandpipers (Tringinae) thirteen species 

 belonging to four genera are North American, of which probably not 

 less than ten are found in Canada. Of the Snipes and Woodcocks 

 (Scolopacinae) six North American species are enumerated Isj Gray, 

 ranking in three genera. I have good authority for three of these 

 being Canadian. Of Limosinae three species of Numenius and two 

 of Limosa are North American, of which several certainly occur in 

 Canada; one of each genus is in Mr. Mcllwraith's Hamilton list. 

 The small subfamily of Recurvirostrinae gives us oue Recurvirostra, 

 the American Avocet, and one Himantopus. 



I need add nothing to what I have already said of the family 

 Pbaleropodidae, which, though very small, seems the true natatorial 

 representative among Grallatores, and one of the natural links between 

 the two orders. All the three species of Phaleropus recognised by 

 Gray are North American, and one of them is often seen in Canada. 



The purpose of this paper was to determine the true limits of the 

 Grallatorial Order, and the proper series and mutual relations of its 

 families and sub-families. I will not, however, conclude without a few 

 words on its characters, especially those which, whilst only occasional- 

 ly met with, seem to be always connected with this kind of structure, 

 and therefore, whether occurring in true Grallatores or in Grallatorial 

 representatives, in other orders or families, will, in doubtful cases, 

 assist the observer, by furnishing pleasing indications of analogies, 

 which are real, but not obvious to every eye. No Grallatorial charac- 

 ter is more striking and universal than elongation of the bill, neck and 

 legs ; it is indeed one of the commonest marks of the representation 

 of this structure in other orders and families, so that where the prin- 

 ciple of the existence of a certain set of tendencies repeating them- 

 selves under each distinct type, and thus producing relations of ana- 

 logy among forms otherwise remote, is not well understood, confusion 



