WADINO BIRDS. 



219 



it enters a cavity in tlie breast-bone, makes a tnrn and ter- 

 minates in the lungs, after forming a large coil. 



To this group, or next to it, also belong the flamingoes, 

 the American flamingo [Phwnicojiterus ruler) occurring on 

 the Florida and Gulf coast. Its featliers are scarlet, its bill 

 yellow, large and thick, while the legs and neck are of great 

 length. It connects the swimming with the wading birds. 

 The foregoing group forms a division called the Natatoros 

 or swimming birds. 



Order 5. Grallatores (Wading birds). — These have long, 



FiQ. 259. — Noioiiiis. From Liitkeu's Zoology. 



naked legs, and therefore long necks, with usually remark- 

 ably long bills. They are divided into cranes, rails, etc. 

 (Alectorides), the herons and their allies (Herodiones), and 

 the shore-birds, snipes and plovers, or LimicolcB. 



In the cranes, together with rails (Porsana Carolina. 

 Fig. 258), the toes are often long, and in some forms, such 

 as the coots and gallinules, which have lobate feet, there 

 is an approach to the ducks. The coot {Fuliva Americana) 

 connects the swimming with the wading birds. The bill 

 is much as in the gallinules, but the toes are lobate, having 

 large semicircular membranous flaps; hence they can swim 

 like the grebes. 



