ORDER GRALLiE. 327 



The Family of Cultirostres 



Are known by their thick, long, and strong bill, in 

 general trenchant and pointed ; and is composed 

 almost entirely of birds united by Linnasus under 

 the genus Ardea. A great number of these species 

 have the trachea differently folded in the males. 

 Their coeca are sho]t, and even the herons pro- 

 perly so called have but one. 



We subdivide them into three tribes. Those of 

 the 



Cranes. Grus, Cuv. 



Have the bill straight, and but little cleft. The 

 membranaceous fossae of the nostrils, which are large 

 and concave, occupy nearly one half of its length. 

 Their legs are shielded, the toes moderate, the ex- 

 ternal but little palmated, and the thumb scarcely 

 touches the ground. They have nearly all more or 

 less of the head and neck naked. Their habits are 

 more terrestrial, and their food more vegetable than 

 those of the following genera ; they have, therefore, 

 a muscular gizzard, and the coeca long. Their 

 lower larynx has only one muscle on each side. 



We may leave at the head of this genus, as Pallas 

 (Spic. Zool. iv. 3) has done, 



The Agami. Psophia, L. 

 Which have a shorter bill than the other species. 



