546 



ZOOLOOT. 



Fig. 470.— Stilt.— Prom Coues' Key. 



sand, or forcing the vermian food out of their holes by 



stamping on the ground. 



Connecting in some degree 

 the waders and gallinaceous 

 fowl are the bustards of the 

 Old World, certain strange 

 exotic birds, especially the 

 horned screamers represented 

 by a very rare bird, the Pala- 

 medea cormda Linn., whicli 

 has sharp horns on the wings. 

 The form of the gallina- 

 ceous birds, formerly called 

 Rasores, from their peculiar 

 habit of scratching the ground 

 for food, is readily recalled 

 by a simple enumeration of 

 the partridge, Oreortyx {0. 



jnctus, Fig. 471), quail {Ortijx), ptarmigan (Lagopus, Fig. 



472), pinnated grouse or prairie hen {Ciqndonia cupido), 



sage-cock, Canada grouse 



or spruce partridge {Te- 



trao), and wild turkey 



(Meleagris) , as well as the 



exotic forms, the pheasant 



of the Old World, the use- 

 ful hen or barn-yard fowl, 



which is a descendant of 



Oallus Banhiva Tem- 



minck, of India. These are 



allied to the argus-pheasant 



and the peacock, the latter 



rivalling the humming- 

 birds in its gorgeous plum- 

 age. The guinea-hen is 



an African bird. To this 



group l:)elongs the curious 



mound-l)ird {Megapodms), 



of Australia and New Guinea. 



Fig. 471. — Plumed Partridge. — From Cones' 



Key. 



It heaps up a large mass of 



