68 



ELEMENTS OF OENITHOLO&T. 



was better known, to be regarded in a lump aa " Natatory- 

 Birds " or " Swimmers." 



The long-legged Flamingo next conducted us to the Herons, 

 Bitterns, Storks, Cranes, and Bustards, and thence to smaller 

 Birds, such as Coursers, Tinamous, Curlews, Snipes, Stints, 

 Godwits, Stilts, Plovers, Peewits, and Sails, most of which are 

 more or less long-legged, and have more or less a wading 

 habit, on which account they have been called "Stalkers," 

 " Waders," or " GraUatorial Birds." We were introduced to 

 this group from the Ducks through the Moor-hens, but we ended 



Kg. 70. 



The Common Kingfisher {Aloedo iapida). 



by affirming the greater resemblance between these last-named 

 and the Bails than between them and the Ducks. 



After noting certain species which have become extinct, we 

 enumerated other kinds, which are also eminently "Stalkers "or 

 " Cursorial Birds " — such as the Ostrich, Ehea, Cassowary, and 

 Emeu, all of which we mentioned after referring to the Apteryx. 



In days of loose classification these were regarded as forming 

 one group with the Wading Birds above referred to, the whole 

 being spoken of as Cursorial birds, or Ghallce. 



We must now pass to Birds which are very different from 



