I ON THE CtASSIPICATION OP BIRDS. 
sea ; they are always walking on its shores, or on the 
sides of fresh waters ; and they depend as much upon 
their ambulations for seeking sustenance, as upon their 
wings for those long expeditions they are known to make. 
eir external structure varies considerably, particularly 
m regard to the number and disposition of their toes : the 
1 is generally long, and in the typical gronps very 
slender ; the upper mandible is entire ; the wings pointed, 
and the tail invariably very short, the legs being used 
as a rudder during flight. 
(I94.) The families under which we consider the 
waders to be naturally arranged, are these : 1 . The 
Ardeadas, or herons;— 2 . The Charadbiad.e, or 
plovers; — 3 . The Tringid^, or sandpipers ; — 4 . The 
Rallidas, or rails; — , 9 . The TANTALinAt, or ibices. 
These seem, therefore, to follow the order in which we 
have placed the primary types of the animal kingdom ■ 
the .second and the third are the typical groups, cUstin- 
guished by having the hind toe either altogether wanting 
or very short and elevated ; while the three othem’ 
forming the aberrant division, have the hind toe of the 
usual proportionate length, and placed on the same level 
with the others. Without attempting, in such a sketch 
as this, to point out the affinities by which these families 
may be connected, much less to expatiate upon the 
union of the different genera which have been arranged 
under each, we shall merely add a few illustrations of 
their characters and habits to the scientific details sub- 
sequently given. 
(199.) The Ahdead.®, or herons, by means of the 
cranes, show the strongest affinity to the ostriches, and 
thus unite the rasorial with the wading order. Nearly 
aU the cranes are large birds, with short and powerless 
winj^; long, and frequently naked, necks ; and more ter- 
restrial in their habits than any of their congeners. Tlie 
beautiful genus Phosphla, it truly Monging to this fa- 
mily, is more of a gallinaceous than a wading bird ; since 
it lives in the forests of South America, and is said to 
be sometimes domesticated for the purpose of guanling 
