DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSEUM. 



is too well known to be particularly noticed. 

 By the side of them are the snipes, which live 

 in marshes, and rise to a great height, uttering 

 a cry much like the bleat of a goat. On the last 

 shelves are the ruffs and reeves (machetes, Cuv.), 

 of which the Museum has twenty-three varieties. 

 These birds are famous in the north of Europe 

 for their combats to get possession of the females, 

 which are much less numerous than the males. 

 During the spring the head of the male is covered 

 with red caruncles, and the neck is ornamented 

 with a large ruffle which varies in form and co- 

 lour. The turn-stones (tringa interpres, Lath.) 

 fill the bottom of the case ; they live on the sea- 

 shore, where they turn up the stones with their 

 short conical bills, and eat the worms which 

 they find underneath. 



The sand-pipers occupy the top of the fortieth 

 case. The white- tail {tringa ochropus) , which is 

 very common on the borders of streams and 

 rivers, although it lives solitary, belongs to this 

 genus. This series is terminated by the avocets 

 (recicrvirostra), which are distinguished from all 

 other birds by the strong upward curve of their 

 bill. They run upon the mud, which they fur- 

 row with their bills in search of insects ; in 

 other respects they have the habits of the snipes. 

 At the bottom of this case is the boat-bill (can- 



