OF GALLINACEOUS BIRDS AND TINAMOUS. 189 



Hemipodius varius .... 



Hemipodins ? .... 



Vanellus cristatus .... 

 Coturnix dactylisonans . . 

 Columba livia 



I have purposely omitted the Sandgrouse and Tinamou from the list, as they must 

 be spoken of hereafter. 



The proportions of the bones in the hinder limbs of the two species of Hemipodius 

 (PI. XXXV. fig. 5) are pretty much the same ; but in H. varius the toes are longer 

 relatively by nearly 2 lines. The Pluvialine type has a shorter thigh-bone by far than 

 the Galline, Columbine, or Hemipodiine types. Indeed all the bones of the hind limb 

 in the true " Grallse " are exquisitely constructed for running, stalking, or wading. 

 Where the limbs are very long, the motions are solemnly measured and slow ; if hurried, 

 they become odd and grotesque — the sublime soon passing into the ridiculous, as may 

 be seen in the Storks, Herons, Cranes, and Flamingos. When, however, the parts are 

 not over-long, as in the Plovers, Tattlers, Curlews, &c., the movements of the bird in 

 running, walking, or wading are very elegant. " Some on the ground walk firm, the 

 " Crested Cock," for instance ; and these birds differ as much in their manner, both of 

 walking and running, from the Long- and Short-billed PluviaUnes, as a dray-horse does 

 from a racer. The heavy-bodied Pigeon might almost be accused of waddling ; and the 

 gait of the Syrrhaptes is something between waddling and sliding. The Hemipodius is 

 intermediate between Pterocles arenarius and Syrrhaptes paradoxus in the structure of 

 its tarso-metatarse and toes (t.ms. 3, 4, 5) ; but the relative length of the main divisions 

 of the whole limb are much the same as in the Quail. The Hemipodii are evidently 

 good walkers and tolerable runners. The muscular crests on the hind limbs of Hemi- 

 podius are very moderately developed ; far inferior to the Lapwing in this respect, 

 especially in the epi-, ecto-, and entocnemial ridges (tb.) on the head of the tibia. 

 That very characteristic cavity at the base of the tibia in front, with its corresponding 

 knob on the head of the tarso-metatarse, which is so beautiful a feature in most 

 Grallatorial legs, is aborted, as is the knob also, in these Hemipodii. 



The same state of things occurs in the GalUnacese. There is a distinct rudiment of 

 this structure in Syrrhaptes. I see a large osseous " patella " (fig. 5) in Hemipodius 

 varius, and also in the small kind ; but no calcaneal sesamoid, as in Pterocles arenarius. 

 The fibula is scarcely a third the length of the tibia {fb., tb.). In the absence of the 

 heel or hallux, the Hemipodii seem to be separated widely from the Gallinacese ; but 

 the heel disappears in the genus Pterocles, and is absent from the little abortive foot of 

 Syrrhaptes, reminding one of the still weaker foot of the Swift. The nails of the toes 

 (3, 4, 5) are, as in Syrrhaptes, large and thick in Hemipodius ; they remind one in both 



