412 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



The group has a wide geographical range, occurring in Europe, Africa, Madagascar, South 

 Asia, the Indian Archipelago, and Australia. 



The Hoatzin 



This bird is one of the puzzles of the ornithologist. Its pedigree is still a mystery, 

 but it is generally belie\'cd to ha\'e some relation to the Game-birds. Its whole life 

 is passed in trees o\-crhanging water, and its flight restricted to short journeys from tree 

 to tree. In South America, its home, it is known by a variety of names, one of which means 

 SnxKiXG-PiiEA.s.vxT. This is in allusion to the peculiar odour of its flesh, which smells, 

 according to some, like musk, and to others like raw hides. Another remarkable feature of 

 this bird is the fact that it has turned its crop into a sort of gizzard, whilst the true gizzard, 

 ha\-ing been relieved of its functions, has diminished to the size of a hazel-nut. The unusual 

 purpose to which the crop has been put has brought about considerable modification in the 



form of the breast-bone, which is quite 

 I ■ different to that of any other bird. 



The young of these birds are quite as 

 ! remarkable as the parents, for almost as soon 



I ■ as they are hatched they crawl out of the 



?;, nest, along the boughs of the tree in which 



' ■ it rests, to meet the parents coming with 



food. In these crawling excursions they are 

 . : aided by the wings, which for a time serve 

 as fore feet. The thumb and first finger are 

 armed with strong claws, with which a firm 

 hold is gained on the bark of the tree. 

 To render these claws effective so long as 

 they are necessar)', the quill-fcathers of the 

 tip of the wing ha\'c their development 

 checked till the others ha\'e grown long 

 enough to serve the purposes of flight. 



The Rails 



The Rails are all water-loving birds, 



dwelling in swamps or on the borders of 



lakes and streams. Although all swim 



easily, none have webbed feet. The flight 



is weak; several species, indeed, have lost 



this power altogether. The body is nruch 



compressed, enabling them to pass readily 



through the narrow interspaces of dense aquatic foliage. The Rails appear to be related on 



the one hand to the Game-birds, and on the other to the Cranes. In size the)' var\' from 



a bird as large as a fowl to one as small as a lark. 



One of the commonest of the Rails is the Ci iRX-CRAKE, more commonl}-, perhaps, 

 known as the Laxd-R.ul. Its curious grating cr\' is one of the commonest sounds which the 

 sumnrer brings with it, and one possessing a charm of its own. But rarcl\' seen, it builds 

 its nest in hay-fields, and, when the grass is being cut, sits so closely on its' treasures that it 

 is sometimes beheaded by the swinging scythe. In the autumn it falls not infrequently to 

 the sportsmen when partridge-shooting. The corn-crake leaves in the winter for the more 

 congenial climate of Africa, a feat that seems wonderful when its feeble powers of flioht are 

 considered. Its near relative the Water-kail is rather a handsome bird, but of shy and 

 rctirinrr habits. 



rhtt, by 7. If. M, L 



HOATZIN 



Tliii h a native of the Aina-zotn I'dllcy, and li-ves entireh in the tiers 



The VVera-RAIL, a native of New Zealand, is one of the flio-htless for 



ms to which we 



