338 GfiUTDiE.— GEDIC^TIMID^. 



The Sandhill Crane {Gtus meodcana), notwithstanding its specific name, does not 

 appear to visit Mexico, and we have no evidence of its occurrence within our limits. 

 It is a larger bird than G. canadensis, with a tarsus about ten inches in length. 

 The range of G. onexicana is given in the ' A. O. U. Check-list ' as the " Southern 

 half of North America; now rare near the Atlantic coast, except in Georgia and 

 Florida." 



Order LIMICOLiE. 



This Order includes the Thick-knees or Stone-Plovers (CEdicnemidse), Jacanas 

 (Parridae), Plovers (Charadriidae), Sheath-bills (Chionididas), Seed-Snipes (Thino- 

 corythidae), and the true Snipes and Sandpipers (Scolopacidae). Of these six families 

 the Chionididse and Thinocorythidse are not represented within the limits of the present 

 work, the former having a subantarctic range, and the latter being purely South 

 American. The Jacanas are found in the tropical and subtropical areas of the Old 

 and Xew Worlds, and the remaining three families — the CEdicnemidas, Charadriidse, 

 and Scolopacidae — are practically cosmopolitan in their distribution. 



The Limicolae have a schizognathous palate and an aquintocubital wing, with the 

 fifth secondary wanting. The nostrils are schizorhinal, excepting in the CEdicnemidae, 

 and there are many other anatomical and osteological features which are characteristic 

 of the Order. The nestlings are covered with down, generally of a highly variegated 

 pattern, and are able to run alone and feed themselves a short time after being 

 hatched. 



Pam. (EDICNEMID^. 



The Stone-Plovers or Thick-knees have a schizognathous palate, but they differ from 

 all the other Limicote in having holorhinal- nostrils. In this respect these birds 

 exhibit an afl&nity with the Bustards (Otididae), a family restricted to the Old World. 

 They even show a certain likeness to the smaller Bustards in appearance, but are 

 inhabitants of the more open country, and they lay quite a different type of egg from 

 that of the Otididae, in this respect evincing a relationship with the Oyster-catchers. 



In addition to several well-marked osteological features which distinguish the 

 CEdicnemidae, they possess other external characters which render them easily 

 recognizable from ordinary Limicolae. Like the Bustards they have a very large head, 

 but the enormous yellow eye is also a distinguishing characteristic of the family. The 

 swollen joint of the tarso-metatarsus, whence the Stone-Plovers derive their popular 

 name of Thick-knees, is more in evidence in the young birds than in the adults. The 

 toes show no trace of an interdigital web, the hallux is absent, and the claw of the 

 middle toe is not pectinated. The tarsus is reticulated both before and behind. 



