ORDER XIII. CURSITRICES. RUNNERS. 
The species of this Order which occur In Britain are 
so few, that, by examining them only, one cannot acquire 
a comprehensive or even a correct idea of the series ; which 
is composed of birds of all sizes, from the largest known, 
the Ostriches and Cassowary, to the Pratincole, not much 
larger than a Swift. The families which are considered as 
entering into it are the Struthionijos, Gruiioe, Otinae, 
and Pluvialin,®. Of the first there are no representatives 
in Europe, and therefore it is unnecessary to say more of 
them here, than that they are distinguished among the 
fissipede birds by having wings not adapted for flying, 
just as the Penguins are among the palmipedes. Setting 
aside these birds, then, we may consider the general cha- 
racters of the Cursitrices to be somewhat as follows 
Body ovate, more or less compressed ; neck generally 
long and slender ; head rather small, ovate, rounded above,. 
Bill of moderate length, straight, or nearly so, compressed 
toward the end, but rather wide at the base, and open- 
ing under the eyes ; the nasal sinus large. Mouth of 
moderate width ; tongue tapering, fleshy, acute ; oesopha- 
gus moderately wide, with its walls thick ; proventriculus 
! bulbiform ; stomach a gizzard of considerable power, hav- 
ing strong lateral muscles, dense and rugous epithelium ; 
intestine of moderate length and width, with large or mo- 
derate coeca ; the rectum with a globular dilatation. Nos- 
trils linear or oblong, subbasal or medial. Eyes rather 
! large. Aperture of ear moderate. Begs generally long 
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