I70 CHARACTERS OF VERTEBRATE ANIMALS 



Order 8. — Bustards and Cranes (Alectorides) 



This is a somewhat artificial assemblage of forms which 

 agree in many respects with the game-birds, differing, however, 

 in minor anatomical characters. The young are precocious. 



Bustards are thick-set birds common in the open parts of 



Fig. 117. — Skuas {Stercorarius), Phalarope {Phalaropiis), and Golden Plovers \Ckaradrius) (from left to right) 



the Old World, including Australia. The Great Bustard {Otis 

 tarda) was formerly abundant in Britain, but is now only an 

 occasional visitor. The male possesses curious white "whiskers" 

 made up of hair-like feathers. 



Cranes resemble herons and storks in their general appearance,, 

 but are distinguished from them by a number of characters, one 

 being that the short first toe is raised a little off the ground. 

 Further, the young are precocious instead of being helpless. 

 The Common Crane [Grus cinered) (fig. 118) is now only seen 

 wild in Britain as a rare visitor, but 300 years ago was common. 

 It ranges over most of Europe, North Africa, and Asia. 



