98 MANUAL 



The genus (European) Coturnyx, The Messina or Common European 

 Quail, is not a true native of North America but an introduced species, 

 and very different from Cyrtonyx as above which is a native of the South- 

 western United States. 



Regarding the family in general : The individuals among 

 the Quail also have changed genera somewhat, in former 

 years, but not to the same extent as the Grouse. Tetrao also 

 included some of the Quails. Perdix seemed to be the old 

 favorite, however, but it is seldom referred to now. 



The above characters for these two sub-families are to be 

 fully relied on ; the individuals themselves will furnish other 

 points of difference. The genera can be Abetter characterized 

 than the sub-families even, as each genera presents peculiar- 

 ities in itself which do not, as is so often the case, combine to 

 perplex the student with their similarity to each other in so 

 many of their essential feetures. The above genera of both 

 sub-families are stable and all we have at present. The gen- 

 eric names of the sub-families have changed but little in the 

 past .fifty years, and are all probably good and stable. 



II WATER BIRDS. 



The excellent diagnosis of the Limicol^e given by Profes- 

 sor Baird is so very useful in separating the different group- 

 ings of this division of the Obdeb — this sub-OBDEB, in fact 

 — that we copy it for the student, who can use it fearlessly 

 and freely to give him a comparative view of the families con- 

 tained therein and of their connection with each other. He 

 divides the sub-oedee into two portions, each of which con- 

 tains their respective families of which a brief outline is 

 given : 



" A. — Nostrils reaching usually to the end of the basal third 

 or half of the commissure ; oval, short. Bill contracted about 



