THE OLASSinOATION OE BIEDS. 273 



FlatalddcB from the Spoonbill' ; and the fifth and last, Ibididce, 

 takes its denomination from the Sacred Bird of Egypt ". 



The riQxt oTder, Alectorides, contains at least 243 species, and 

 is divisible into two suborders — 1. Qruarice and 2. Fulicarice, 

 with the following characters : — 



Order X. ALECTOEIDBS. 



Spinal feather-tract forked on upper neck ; if a plantar 

 tendon goes to hallux, it is from the Jleieor Judlucis ; young born 

 covered with down and able to run in a few hours ; palate not 

 desmognathous ; basipterygoid processes present or absent ; 

 nasals sehizorhinal or holorhinal ; anJ>iens and femoro-caudal not 

 simultaneously absent; mandible not produced backwards 

 beyond quadrate ; dorsal vertebrae heterocoelous ; sternum not 

 perforated for coracoids.; 



Suborder 1. Qruarim. 

 Maxillo-palatines not coalescing together or with vomer ; 

 nasals sehizorhinal ; oil-gland present, nude or tufted. 



Suborder 2. Fulicarice. 

 Palate schizognathous ; nasals holorhinal j oil-gland present 

 or absent, nude or tuftedi 



There are nine families in this order, whereof four belong to 

 the first suborder. 



The first family is that of the Cranes, Qruidw, and the 

 second that of the Hemipodes ^, whence it is called Turnicidw. 

 The third iamilj, Bhinochetidce, contnina the Kagu*j and the 

 fourth, Eurypygidce, consists of the Sun-bittern " alone, which 

 is thus a very different bird from the true Bittern. The fifth 

 family, OtidoB, has its name from the Bustards ^ while the 

 sixth, GariamidcB, contains but two species, one of which is 

 that singular bird the Cariama'. Next follows the Heliomithidce, 

 named from the South-American bird before noticed ^ The 



