116 GAME B1RD6 OF INDIA, 



At//, Laiitores. — Rails and Water-kens. 



B. — With the young helpless at birth. 



5th, Cultirostres. —Storks, Herons and Ibises. 



Tribe — Pressirostres, Cuvier. 



Cur sores, apucl Bonaparte (in part.) 



Tarsi elongated ; hind toe small or absent ; bill moderate or short, 

 thick, moderately depressed at the base, compressed on the sides. 



This tribe, as I recognise it, comprises Bustards, Plovers, and 

 Cranes ; in all the young run from the egg. The majority feed 

 chiefly on insects, a few on grain and vegetable diet. They may be 

 distinguished from the next tribe, the Longirostres, by their usually 

 shorter and thicker bill, more robust make, average greater size; and 

 in their habits they frequent the open dry plains more habitually 

 than banks of rivers, shores or marshes. A few are migratory, others 

 breed and remain here throughout the year. Several have a double 

 moult, and the change of plumage which takes place, sometimes 

 m the male only, in others in both sexes, is usually to black, in 

 a few cases only to rufous. They lay but few eggs, usually four, 

 sometimes two only, usually dark olive brown, blotched or plain. 

 The Cranes are usually classified next the Herons, by some, indeed, 

 in the same family, but their very different habits, the young 

 running as soon as hatched, and the similarity of their bills, and 

 general form to that of Bustards, all combine to remove them 

 far from the Herons and bring them close to Bustards. 



The Pressirostres may be distributed among the following 

 families, all of which, except the last, are represented in 

 India : — 



1. Otididce, Bustards and Floricans. 



2. Cursoridce, Courser-plovers. 



3. Giareolidce, Swallow-plovers. 



4. Cliaradridce, Plovers. 



5. Ilamatopodidce, Shore-plovers. 



G. Thinocorida, Game-plovers, a purely American group. 



7. Gruidce, Cranes. 



Gray, in his List of Genera, places TliinocoridcB among the 

 Ilasores, and considers the Swallow-plovers and Shore-plovers 

 simply as sub-families of the C/iaradridce. 



