LIMICOLAE (SHORE BIRDS.) 



The Manitoban Limicolae are divided into five families, viz. : 



(a) Recur virostridae: Toes four, unlobed ; bill long and 

 slender ; tarsus over 3J inches. Includes stilts and avocets, 

 having only one species in Manitoba. 



(b) Phalaropodidae : Toes four, lobed, and semi-palmated ; 

 tarsus under 3| inches ; bill long and slender. Includes the 

 phalaropes, having only two species local. 



(c) Scolopacidae : Toes four, unlobed, sometimes semi- 

 palmate ; tarsus 3| inches ; bill long and slender. Includes 

 snipe, and sandpipers, with 24 species locally represented. 



(d) Charadriidae (Plovers) : Toes three, not lobed, some- 

 times semi-palmated ; no hind toe ; bill short and thick for 

 surface feeding ; tarsus under 3| inches. There are five local 

 species of this family. 



(e) Aphrizidae : Toes 4, unlobed and unw^ebbed ; bill as in 

 CharoAriidae ; tarsus under 3| inches. Turnstones, with only 

 one species, being more common on the coast. 



QALLINAE (GROUSE, Etc.) 



The divisions of Gallinae (local species) are fewer, on account 

 of fewer varieties being found on the prairies. The majority of 

 the Gallinae are inhabitants of more southern and wooded 

 districts. The whole . number of resident species are included 

 under one family : Tetraonidae, the more northern and feather 

 legged sub-family of the groose, quail and partridge. All our 

 local species are feather-legged. 



II. THE PHILOSOPHIC SIDE. 



The philosophic standpoint from which Ornithology may be 

 ti'eated, is that which deals with the whys and wherefores of 

 the Systematic. Herein we deal with the living specimen, and 

 reason out the cause of the diversity of form, coloration, etc., 

 shown by the systematic, by a careful observation of habit and 

 habitat or conditions and environment of the species. 



From this point of view, therefore, we will deal with : " The 

 origin of birds and their place in nature," " The migration of 



