408 Gkall^ BIRDS. Otidid.e. 
Order VIL— GEALLJ]]. 
The name of this order refers to tlie stilted appearance 
of most of the birds composing it, they being mounted 
upon long and slender legs which present no small 
resemblance to stilts, and enable their possessors to 
wade readily in shallow waters. Hence the birds of 
this order are often called Waders, although this name 
is by no means applicable to the whole of them, a good 
many being inliabitants of dry places. 
The characters of tliis order may be shortly given 
as follows The feet are adapted for walking, and 
furnished with three distinct toes, usually united by a 
small membrane at the base, and sometimes bordered 
with membranous lobes, but not completely united 
as in the swimming birds. The legs, and especially the 
tarsi, are always rather long, and sometimes much 
elongated, and the naked scaly skin of the feet is almost 
always continued for a greater or less distance above 
the articulation of the tarsus with the tibia The whole 
of the naked skin is usually reticulated, but in some 
species the toes, and even the front of the tarsi, is 
covered with scutella or plates. The posterior toe is 
sometimes entirely wanting, and generally but little 
developed. It varies also in its position, being either 
placed on the same plane as the anterior toes, or 
slightly elevated on the back of the tarsus. 
To compensate for the great elevation of the legs, 
the neck is almost always considerably elongated, and, 
as a general rule, the bill is likewise rather long. By 
this means the bird, when stalking along upon the 
ground, or wading in shallow water, is enabled to pick 
up worms, molhisca, and insects, or to .strike with ease 
and rapidity at passing fishes. The wings are generally 
well developed, and furnished with long quills. 
In habits, as in form, the Grallatorial birds present 
many diversities. They are generally very active, 
running and flying with equal ease and celerity. Some, 
as already mentioned, frequent marshy places and the 
borders of water, in which they seek their food, whilst 
others haunt dr}- sandy heaths, and similar situations. 
Even amongst the aquatic species we find a great 
diversity — some wading in the shallow water oy means 
of their long and slender legs ; others, which are provided 
with very elongated toes, running over the floating 
leaves of aquatic plants ; others, again, some of which 
have their toes bordered with membranous lobes, 
swimming about and diving with all the ease of the 
most expert Natatorial birds. Their food, however, 
nearly always consists of animal substances. 
Famely I. — OTIDIDAl. 
The first family of this order includes the Bustards, 
which, as we have already stated, make the nearest 
approach to the gallinaceous birds, whilst by some 
ornithologists they have been regarded as forming a 
part of the order Cursores. They are generally largo 
and rather heavy birds, with a short, stout, compressed 
bill, exhibiting some resemblance to that of the galli- 
naceous birds. The nostrils are situated in grooves 
near the base of the upper mandible, and the basal 
portion of these grooves is clothed with short feathers ; 
the legs are long and moderately slender ; the naked 
skin of the tibiae and feet is reticulated; the hinder 
toe is entirely wanting, and the anterior toes are rather 
short and stout, with blunt claws at their extremities. 
The wings are of considerable size. The Bustards 
are met with in dry places, where they feed chiefly 
upon w'orms and insects, with a slight intermixture of 
green herbage. They run with gi-eat rapidity, and are 
endowed with considerable powers of flight, although 
they do not rise easily from the ground. They are 
polygamous in their habits. 
THE GREAT BUSTARD {Otis Plate 22, fig. 
84— which was formerly abundant on the heaths and 
downs in many parts of this country, is now nearly, if 
not quite extinct in Britain. It occurs in Germany 
and France, and more or less abundantly throughout 
Southern Europe, always frequenting the wild and 
open parts of the country. The male of this fine bird 
measures nearly four feet in length, and the female 
about three feet. The general colour of the plumage of 
the upper surface is buff, with numerous delicate trans- 
verse black bars; the lower surface is white, and the 
head and neck are white with a grayish tinge ; from 
each side of the chin in the male, and also, according 
to some writers, in the adult female, there springs a tuft 
of feathers about seven inches in length, which passes 
backwards beneath the cheek. Bustards were formei'ly 
hunted with dogs in this country. On the continent 
they are now frequentl}' shot with the rifle, and, as 
they are very shy and wild, the sportsmen often have 
much difficulty in stalking them. The flesh of the 
young birds especially is highly esteemed, and on the 
continent they are often seen in the markets for sale. 
The Bustard is polygamous, and the females lay two 
or three eggs in a small hollow in the ground. Its 
food consists partly of vegetable matters, and, in 
addition to worms and insects, it is said to kill and 
devour small quadrupeds and reptiles. 
THE LITTLE BUSTARD {Otis tetrax), another 
European species, is much smaller than the preceding, 
measuring only about seventeen inches in length. The 
plumage of its upper surface is pale chestnut, delicately 
marked with transverse undulated black lines; the 
lower parts of the body, the wing-coverts, and the 
base of the primary quills are white, and the remainder 
of the primaries grayissh-black. During the breeding 
season the neck of the male exhibits a bluish-gray tint 
at its upper part ; this is bounded beneath by a narrow 
collar of black and another of white, and below the 
