Orders of Birds 149 



Sub-Order Charadrii. (Plovers and Snipes.) Nest, usually 

 none, or a slightly-lined depression in the grass. Eggs 

 four, pear-shaped, laid point to point, double-spotted, clay- 

 coloured, more or less marked with black spots or lines. 

 Cosmopolitan. 



Sub-Order CKdicniljMI. (Stone-Plovers or Thick-knees.) 

 Nest none. Eggs two, stone-culour, spotted or lined with 

 black. P^ntire Old World. South America. 



Sub-Order Otides. (Bustards.) Nest none, or a scantily-lined 

 depression in the ground. Eggs two to four, double- 

 spotted, olive with a little shading of brown or grey spots. 

 Africa, Southern and Central Europe, to Central Asia, India. 

 Order Gruiformes. 



Sub-Order Grues. (Cranes.) Nest on the ground in a 

 marsh. Eggs two or three, double-spotted, brown with 

 obscure reddish or grey spots. Cosmopolitan. (Absent 

 in South America.) 



Sub-Order Arami. (Limpkins.) Nest of rushes in a marsh. 

 Eggs numerous, double-spotted, \\'hite with pale brown 

 and purple spots. Southern United States to South 

 America. 



Sub-Order Rhinochetides. (Kagus.) Nest unknown. 

 Eggs reddish-buff, marked with brown and grey. New 

 Caledonia. 



Sub-Order Mesitides. (Madagascar Kagus.) Nest and 

 eggs unknown. Madagascar. 



Sub-Order Eurypyg.e. (Sun-Bitterns.) Nest of sticks in 

 trees. Eggs two, greyish with rufous spots. South 

 America. 



Sub-Order Psophi.'e. (Trumpeters.) Nest on the ground. 

 Eggs white. South America. 



Sub-Order Dicholophi. (Seriamas.) Nest in a low bush. 

 Eggs two, white with rufous spots. South America. 

 Order Ardeiformes. (Herons, Storks, and Ibises.) 



Sub-Order Arde^. (Herons.) Nest of sticks in a tree or 

 reed-bed. Eggs three to nine in number, blue or white. 

 Cosmopolitan. 



