GRUIDAE 251 



known, while the lobed toes are noticed above. The smaller F. 

 higuhris of Sumatra, Java, and Celebes is hardly distinct ; the North 

 American F. americana and the Australian F. ausfralis are very 

 similar ; the Andean F. gigantea is extremely large ; while the 

 red frontal caruncles of the Bolivian F. cornuta and of the African 

 and South-European F. cristata have already been mentioned. 



Of fossil Eallidae an extraordinary number are found, ranging 

 from the possibly toothed 2'elmatornis of the American Cretaceous 

 rocks, Gyjpsornis, Orthnocnemus, Flaphrocnemus, and Tapinoptis of 

 the French Upper Eocene, and Rallus of 'both Eocene and Miocene 

 of the same country, to Fulica minor of the Pliocene of Oregon. 

 Of more recently exterminated forms we have Tribonyx (?) roherti 

 from Central Madagascar, the long-billed flightless Aplutnapteryx 

 hroecki and Fulica neiotoni from the Mare aux Songes in Mauri- 

 tius, Porphyria caerulescens from Eeunion, and the " Poule Eouge " 

 {Erythromachus legtiati') from Eodriguez. In New Zealand are 

 found the large Aptornis defossor and A. otidiformis, with two 

 species of JVotornis ; in the Chatham Islands Diajohorapferyx 

 haivkinsi and Ocydromus insignia — all six flightless ; in the latter 

 islands, too, an extinct Fulica (Palaeolimnas) occurs, and in Norfolk 

 and Lord Howe Islands Notornis cdba, as above. Queensland fur- 

 nishes Porphyria mackintashi, P. repcrta, Trihanyx effluxus, Gallinula 

 strenuipes, G. peralata, and Fulica prior. The Sandwich Islands 

 may possibly yet contain Rallus sandvicerisis and Pennula ecau- 

 data, further instances of flightless species, but this is improbable. 



Fam. II. Gruidae. — The Cranes are very old forms, superficially 

 somewhat like Herons, and often confounded with them in local par- 

 lance — as is the case in Scotland and Ireland. They are among the 

 largest of Waders, and are scattered over most of the globe, except 

 the Malay islands, Papuasia, and Polynesia ; but in the Neotropical 

 Eegion they are mere migrants from the north, never found 

 south of Mexico. Their headqiiarters are in North-East Asia, 

 while America possesses only three species, and Australia one. 



These long-necked and long-legged birds have a moderate bill, 

 straight and rather compressed, which varies from slender to stout, 

 with a lateral groove on each side of the mandible and nasal furrows 

 about halfway down the maxilla ; in Bcdearica this feature is com- 

 paratively short. The metatarsus is scutellated in front, reticu- 

 lated behind ; the tibia is partly bare ; the toes are short and 

 stout, the anterior being more or less connected at the base by a 



