CRANES. 91 



sandy shores, where they are seen to folJow the waves in search 

 of marine insects. The Oyster- Catcher, — Hcematopus ostralegus, 

 — is common to the north of both continents, and is frequent on 

 the sea shore of New Jersey and the Southern States. 



FAMILY OF CULTRIROSTRES. 

 2S. All the Grallatoriae of this family have a long, thick, strong 

 beak, w^hich is frequently trenchant and pointed ; in general, they 

 have a well marked thumb. 



29. It may be divided into three tribes, namely : 



1st. The Cranes, which have a straight beak, slightly cleft, 

 and nearly one ha^f of it is occupied by the membranous fossas of 

 the nostrils. 



2nd. The Herons, whose beak is strong, cleft to beneath the 

 eyes, and grooved. 



Sd. The Storks, whose beak is very long, and very strong. 



30. The Cranes, — Gri/s, — have a straight beak which is but 

 slightly cleft ; the toes are moderate, the external ones being a 

 little palmate, and the thumb scarcely touches the ground. 

 Almost all of them have the head and neck, to a greater or less 

 extent, destitute of feathers ; their habits are more terrestrial 

 than those of the other Cultrirostres, and their food is more 

 vegetable. 



31. The Trumpeters, — Psopkia, — and Cranes properly so 

 called, are ranged under this division. Among the former are 

 the Crowned Crane, which comes from the western coast of 

 Africa, and the Numidian Crane ; and amongst the latter is the 

 Common Crane, which is more than four feet high ; and which 

 is celebrated for the migrations it makes every autumn from 

 north to south, and every spring in a contrary direction, in 

 numerous and well conducted troops. 



32. [The Whooping Crane, — Grus americana, — is white; 

 primaries black, and with black shafts ; the whole crown and 

 cheeks bald. This stately Crane, the largest of all the feathered 

 tribes in the United States, is met with in almost every part of 

 North America, dwelling amidst marshes, and dark and deso- 

 late swamps ; it retires to the West Indies to pass the winter, 

 though some have been known to linger, through the whole of 

 the inclement season, in the swamps of New Jersey, near Cape 

 May.] 



28. How are the Cultrirostres characterised ? 



29. Into what tribes is the family of Cultrirostres divided ? 



30. How are Cranes characterised ? 



31. For what is the common Crane celebrated? 



32. What are the characters of the Whooping Crane? 



