2 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING 
covered with feathers and in some cases there is a dis- 
tinct crest. 
The bill varies greatly, from short in some species to 
long in others. In one species it turns up, in another 
is bent to one side, often it is curved downward, and 
sometimes it is oddly expanded at the end, or it may 
be compressed to a knife shape. Usually it is covered 
with a soft skin, is often much swollen and in some 
cases is a very sensitive organ of touch. The nostrils 
open above in a groove. They are never feathered. 
The sexes are usually alike, though they differ in the 
phalaropes, the jacana and the European ruff. The 
breeding dress is often quite different from that of the 
autumn, and some species are extremely showy in their 
spring plumage. 
Within this order are found two great families that 
are peculiarly familiar to American gunners. These are 
the Charadriide, or plover family, with a dozen or 
fifteen species, and the Scolopacide, or snipe family, 
which contains more than forty species, and in which 
are found the only two here to be considered. Besides 
these two great families, there are other smaller ones, 
which include the oyster catchers and turnstones, the 
avocet and stilt, and the phalaropes. 
Not very distantly related to this group is the bustard 
family of the Old World, some of which reach a size 
near that of the American wild turkey. This bustard 
family, according to Coues, perfectly connects the shore 
birds with the Alectorides, or cranes, rails and their 
allies. 
