54 
INTRODUCTION. 
cidce, abounding in the forests, easily procured, and 
producing a savoury food ; and, towards the extre- 
mity, we meet with the Rhea or South American 
Ostrich. One continental island may be noticed in 
this short sketch. Australia is remarkable, not in 
possessing many rasorial forms, for they are very 
few if we except its pigeons, but as showing ano- 
ther peculiar analogue to the large Struthionidar, 
in the emu, and in possessing as its representing 
rasorial form, the Megapodince, composed of birds 
remarkable for the great developeinent of their 
feet. The various islands in the world possess their 
Rasores, according to their extent and the conti- 
nents to which they are related; those of Britain 
are now becoming too thickly inhabited to lay 
claim to many species, while these are even gradu- 
ally decreasing in numbers; two or three pigeons, 
a straggling bustard, the partridge in our cultivated 
fields, the grouse or black game in our wooded val- 
leys, are nearly all; themoorfowl of our heath-clad 
hills being our only peculiar boast, most remark- 
able, as continuing so restricted, and apparently 
still unknown elsewhere, either indigenously, or by 
the assistance of introduction. 
The next order, the Graixatores, leads us to 
those birds w hich are truly aquatic in their habits, 
or which are appropriated to, and hold their place 
in, that important element, “ the waters,” which 
cover so great a portion of the surface of our earth. 
The Waders, as the name implies, frequent the 
