THE WHOOPING CRANE. 197 



so much developed as in the old birds. The skin of the head is red; the bill 

 brownish-black, as are the feet. Chin and sides of the head greyish-white. 

 The plumage generally is bluish-grey, but the feathers are largely tipped and 

 margined with yellowish-brown; the primary quills and their coverts dark 

 brown towards the end, but with brownish-white shafts; the abdomen pure 

 greyish-blue. 



As the bird advances in age, the yellowish-brown disappears, and the 

 general colour of the plumage becomes pure bluish-grey, which ultimately 

 changes to white.^ 



The trachea, which is 13 inches long to its entrance between the crura of 

 the furcula, passes into a cavity in the sternum, where it curves so as to 

 describe two-thirds of a circle, returns on the right side, and enters the tho- 

 rax by curving backwards. The cavity in the sternum is 2 inches long, with 

 an equal depth, and a breadth off inch. The ridge of the keel is at its fore 

 part f in breadth, and contracts to ^ inch at its junction with the angle of 

 the furcula, which is continuous with it. The gizzard is of moderate size; 

 the intestine, which is thin and small, measures 5 feet in length. Boston 

 specimen. 



FAMILY XXXV. CHARADRIINiE. PLOVERS. 



Bill short, straight, subcylindrical, obtusely pointed; upper mandible with 

 its dorsal line straight for half its length, afterwards convex; nasal groove 

 bare, extended along two-thirds of the length of the bill. Head of moderate 

 size, rather compressed, rounded in front. Eyes large. Neck rather short; 

 body ovate, rather full. Plumage soft, blended, somewhat compact above; 

 wings long, pointed, with the first quill longest. Tail of moderate length, 

 somewhat rounded, or with the middle feathers projecting, of twelve feathers. 

 (Esophagus of moderate width; stomach roundish, compressed, very muscu- 

 lar, with the epithelium dense and rugous; intestine rather long, and of 

 moderate width, with rather long cosca. A single pair of inferior laryngeal 

 muscles. Nest on the ground, shallow; eggs generally four, large, pyriform, 

 spotted. Young densely covered with down, and able to walk immediately 

 after birth. 



Vol. V. 27 



