SCREAMERS, DUCKS, GEESE, AND SWANS 67 
other. Not only the beak, but the skull, in certain 
characters, recalls that of the Game-birds. The body 
may be described as goose-like, but in the longer 
legs and enormous toes, which are not connected by 
a web, these birds recall the Megapodes, or Mound- 
builders 
The screamers are generally regarded as primitive 
members of the group with which they are now asso- 
ciated ; but in many respects they are quite peculiar. 
Not the least interesting of their habits is the 
great predilection they observe for soaring in the air 
at immense altitudes, uttering the while the curious 
cry to which they owe their name. Several birds 
often do this at once. Yet stranger is the fact that 
they not seldom gather together in vast flocks to 
sing in concert. Mr. Hudson, for instance, states that 
the species known as the Crested Screamer on one 
occasion surprised him by “ an awful and overpowering 
burst of ‘ melody,’ ” which saluted him from half a 
million of voices at an out-of-the-way spot in the 
pampas one evening at nine o’clock; and, again, 
once at noon he heard flock after flock take up their 
song round the entire circuit of a certain lake, each 
flock waiting its turn to sing, and only stopping 
when the duty had been performed. 
Like the gannet, these birds are richly supplied 
AYLESBURY DUCK 
This is one of the most esteemed of all domesticated breeds 
POCHARD 
This is one of the di-ving-ducks 
with air-cells between the body and the skin, 
and between many of the muscles ; so highly 
are these cells developed, that it is said a crack- 
ling sound is emitted when pressure is applied to 
the skin. 
The wings of these birds are armed each with 
a pair of powerful and sharp spurs, recalling 
those of certain of the Plover Tribe, though 
in the latter only one spur is present on each 
wing. 
The division of the remainder of this group 
into Ducks, Geese, and Swans is generally recog- 
nised, but no hard-and-fast line can yet be drawn 
between the several sections. We must regard 
them as representing adaptations to peculiar 
modes of life, which appear to be most marked 
in the duck-like forms. These may be divided 
into Fresii-water Ducks, Salt-water Ducks, 
Spiny-tailed Ducks, and Mergansers. 
Of the Fresh-water Ducks, the most 
familiar is the WiLD-DUCK, or Mallard. This 
is a resident British bird, and also the parent 
of the domesticated stock, which frequently 
closely resembles the wild form. In this species, 
as with the majority of the fresh-water ducks, 
