298 



VERTEBIiATE ANIMALS. 



e.aclx male having several mates. Tlie Doves, however, pair for life. 

 The males take no part in building the nest or in hatching the eggs ; 

 anil the young are generally ]irecocious, being able to run about and 

 ]jr(ivide themselves witli food from the moment they quit the egg. 

 The wings are usually weak, and the flight feelile, and accompanied 

 with a whirring souml ; but many of the Pigeons are powerful 

 fliers. 



The order Ranorcx is divided into two very well-marked sections 

 or sub-orders, called i-esjjectively the Ontlinacci and Cohimhacci. In 



the Onllituicei are all the 

 typical forms of the or- 

 der, and the characters 

 of this section are there- 

 fore the same as those of 

 the order itself. They 

 are distinguished from 

 the Colamharci mainly 

 by being less fully adapt- 

 ed for flight, their bodies 

 being much heavier, com- 

 ])aratively speaking, their 

 legs and feet stronger, 

 and their wings shorter. 

 The hind-toe (great toe) 

 is placed on a higher 

 level than the three 

 front toes (fig. l'12, A), 

 anil merely touches the 

 ground in walking. Tlie 

 foot is therefore sjiecially 

 adapted for living on the 

 ground rather than for 

 ]>ercliing on trees. They 

 are also polygamous ; and 

 the males may possess 

 "spurs," and are usually njore brilliantly coloured than the females. 

 The leading families oF the Gallinaceous Binls are : 1. The Titni- 

 (inid(E, or (irouse family, comprising the ti'ue Grouse and Black 

 Game {Tetra(i), the Ptarmigans {Lri<yopiis\ the RufTed Grouse (Doii- 

 (isii), &c, 2. The l'i-rd!<di.hv or Partridge f.-uuily, comprising the 

 Partridges {I'urji.i-), (Quails (('iitiinil.r), Yirginian and Mountain 

 (Juails {Orti/,r\ Crested (,)uails (Lop/imii/.i'), &c. .'). The Phioiianidw, 

 or Pheasant f.iniily, comjjrising the various Pheasants (Pkasianv^!), 

 the Doniislir ami Jiuigle Fowh (Oiif/iis), the Tm-keys (.l/e/rar/Ws), 



, 21-J.— A, Foot of lilai-kinuk CrHriir, I,lri3'\ B 

 ami C, U]i|i'T and under views of tlie foot of tl;e 

 Wood-pigeon (Columba ii"huti}ni'<). 



