18 
GUIDE BOOK TO THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 
ing part of the Ashmolean Museum of Oxford. The bird represented 
in the painting, in the shortness of the wings and colour, has much 
analogy to the ostrich, but its foot greatly resembles that of the common 
fowl ; and the head, from the cere and the position of the nostrils, is 
most nearly allied to the vultures ; so that if these remains really be- 
longed to one species, and that the one here represented, its true place 
in the series of birds is not as yet satisfactorily determined. An original 
painting of this bird, presented to the Museum by George Edwards, (and 
copied in his works, plate 294,) who says it was drawn in Holland, from 
a living bird brought from St. Maurice’s Island, in the East Indies, is 
placed on the back of the Case. The Apteryx is peculiar to New 
Zealand, where they are nocturnal birds, and feed on worms and insects. 
Cases 110, 111. The true Bustards, which are peculiar to the 
Eastern Hemisphere and Australia ; they feed equally on grain, herbage, 
worms, and insects ; as the great bustard, of Europe, but occasionally 
found in England ; Arabian bustard ; white-eared bustard of Africa ; 
ruffed bustard of North Africa. 
Case 112. Coursers that live in the sandy deserts, where they run 
with surprising speed if disturbed ; they feed on worms, &c. ; as the 
cream-coloured courser of Northern Africa, which has occasionally been 
found in Britain ; double-collared courser of Africa, &c. ; the thick- 
knees are found in the uncultivated open country and dry deserts, search- 
ing for worms, slugs, and insects, &c. , as the thick-kneed bustard of 
Europe and Britain, &c. 
Case 113. The Plovers inhabit Europe and various parts of the 
world ; their food consists of worms, insects, &c. ; as the golden plover, 
dotterel plover of Europe, both found in Britain ; spur-winged plover, 
wreathed plover of Africa, &c. ; ringed plover of Europe, and common 
in Britain ; noisy plover of North America, &c. 
Case 114. The Turnstones obtained their name from the habit of 
turning stones over to seek for the small shells and Crustacea that are 
hid under them ; as the turnstone sandpiper of the English shores and 
of other parts of the world. The Oyster-catchers seek their food on 
the sea-shores of England and other places ; it consists of shell-fish, 
which they are enabled to wrench out by inserting their bill between 
the valves, also of other marine productions ; as the pied oyster-catcher, 
black oyster catcher of Australia, &c. 
Case 114. The Trumpeters, which are peculiar to South America: 
as the gold- breasted trumpeter, and Brazilian cariama. 
Cases 1 15 — 117. The true Cranes, which are found in most parts of 
the world, on the borders of rivers and inundated places, seeking for 
small fish and reptiles : as the common crane of Europe ; Siberian 
crane ; Indian crane ; crowned heron ; demoiselle heron of Africa ; cau- 
rale snipe of South America. Cases 117 and 118. Common and 
purple-crested heron of Britain ; great heron of North America ; pacific 
heron of Australia. Case 120. Great egret, little egret, &c. Case 121 . 
Demi egret, and blue heron of America, &c. Case 122. Bittern of 
Europe, &c. ; lineated bittern of America ; squacco heron of Europe ; 
and little bittern of England, &c. Case 123. Night heron of England 
and America, &c. ; tufted umbre of Africa ; cinereous boat-bill of South 
America, and the spoonbill of England and Europe, & c. 
Cases 124, 125. The Storks, which frequent the retired marshes 
