74 



AVES. 



Subgenus Gallinula., Briss. Water-Hen. 



Beak as in the Rail, but a frontal shield, and very long 

 toes furnished with a narrow border. 



Subgenus Porphyrio. 



Beak higher in proportion to its length ; toes very long 

 and almost without border. 



Subgenus Fulica. True Coot. 



Short beak and large frontal shield; toes greatly widened by 

 a festooned border, which renders them excellent swimmers. 



FAMILY VI. VAGINALIS, Lath. SHEATH-BILL. 



Legs short; tarsi scutellated; beak thick, and upon its base 

 a hard substance which the bird has the power of raising and 

 depressing. 



FAMILY VIL GLAREOLA. 



Beak short, conical, arcuated throughout and strongly 

 cleft; wings very long and pointed; tail often forked. Legs 

 of moderate height ; external toes somewhat palmated. 



FAMILY VIII. PHŒNICOPTERUS, Lin. FLAMINGO. 



Legs excessively long ; the three anterior toes palmated to 

 the ends, the hind one extremely short ; neck not less slim, 

 nor shorter than than the legs ; head small ; a beak whose 

 lower mandible is an oval, longitudinally grooved into a semi- 

 cylindrical canal, while the upper one, oblong and flat, is 

 bent crosswise in its middle so as to join the other exactly. 

 They live on Shellfish, Insects and Fish 



ORDER VI. PALMIPEDES. 



Feet formed for swimming, that is to say, placed far back 

 on the body, attached to short and compressed tarsi, and 

 palmated between the toes ; plumage dense, glossy, saturated 



