PREFACE. vii 



The bills of one family (the Herons) are strong, sharp pointed, and 

 of considerable length ; while the flexibility of the neck, the rapi* 

 dity of its action, and remarkable acuteness of sight, wonderfully 

 fit them for watching, striking and securing their prey. Those 

 whose food consists of more feeble and sluggish insects, that lie 

 concealed deeper in the mud, are provided with bills of still greater 

 extension, the rounded extremity of which possesses such nice sen- 

 sibility, as to enable its possessor to detect its prey the instant it 

 comes in contact with it, tho altogether beyond the reach of sight. 



Other families of this same order, formed for traversing the 

 sandy sea beach in search of small shell fish that lurk just below 

 the vNurface, have the bills and legs necessarily shorter; but their 

 necessities requiring them to be continually on the verge of the 

 flowing or retreating wave, the activity of their motions forms a 

 striking contrast with the patient habits of the Heron tribe, who 

 sometimes stand nxed and motionless, for hours together, by the 

 margin of the pool or stream, watching to surprize their scaly 

 prey. 



Some few again, whose favorite food lies at the soft oozy bot- 

 toms of shallow pools, have the bill so extremely slender and de- 

 licate, as to be altogether unfit for penetrating either the muddy 

 shores, or sandy sea beach; tho excellently adapted for its own 

 particular range, where lie the various kinds of food destined for 

 their subsistence. Of this kind are the Avosets of the present vo- 

 lume, who not only wade with great activity in considerably deep 

 water; but having the feet nearly half webbed, combine in one the 

 characters of both wader and swimmer. 



