40 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
[east. zool. 
to various parts of the world. Their food consists of small molluscous 
animals, worms, &c. The Avoeets ( Recurvirostrince , Case 128) have 
the bill long and slender; their legs very long, slender, with the toes 
short, and the outer ones more or less webbed at their base. These 
birds search the muddy shores or mouths of the rivers for small insects 
and spawn of fishes, &c. They migrate to various parts of the world. 
The Totaninas (Case 129) have the bill as long as the head, with the 
nasal groove extending half the length of the bill; the tip of the up¬ 
per mandible projecting over the lower mandible; and their hind toe 
barely touching the ground. They search for worms, insects, and mol¬ 
luscous animals among the gravel and stones of the banks of lakes and 
rivers. Others seek the sea-shore of various parts of the world. The 
Sandpipers ( Tringince, Case 129) have the bill usually as long as the 
head, w T ith the tip depressed, and the nasal groove very long; their toes 
slightly bordered, and not united at the base. They inhabit various parts 
of the world, seeking their food on the sea shores and in marine marshes. 
Others frequent the margin of lakes and rivers of the interior; their 
food consists of w orms, insects, and small molluscous animals. The 
Phalaropes ( Phalaropodince , Case 129) have the bill rather longer than 
the head, and depressed throughout its whole length; both mandibles 
laterally grooved; their legs are moderate, slightly compressed, with the 
toes bordered with large scalloped membranes. They are found on the 
sea shores of the arctic regions, but frequently floating on the surface of 
the sea, even amidst the roughest waves; their food consists of insects, 
small molluscous animals, and worms. The Snipes ( Scolopacince , 
Case 130) have the bill lengthened, rugose at the tip, which overlaps 
the lower mandible; the nasal groove extends nearly the whole length ; 
legs slender and short, with their toes rather long, and free at their base. 
They are inhabitants of the thickest underwood; others seek the marshy 
districts; their food consists of w T orms and insects. 
The family of Rails, (Rallidje, Cases 131—134,) whose habits are, 
of all these birds, the most aquatic, have many of the characters of the 
next order; their toes are long and slender, and the hind one is placed 
on a level with the others; the body is compressed. The Iacanas 
(. Parrince , Case 131) have the bill short, advanced at the base on the 
forehead; their toes are remarkably long, slender, and furnished with 
long claws, especially on the hind toe; they are found in the marshes 
of the warmer parts of Asia and South America, where they walk with 
facility on the floating leaves of aquatic plants. The Screamers ( Pala - 
medeiruB , Case 131) : the bill is slender, compressed, and the tip of the 
upper mandible slightly arcuated ; their legs moderate and covered with 
reticulated scales; the toes are long, especially the hind one, all armed 
with straight claws; these birds inhabit the inundated grounds of South 
America ; their food consists of aquatic plants. The Rails ( Hallince , 
Case 132) have a moderate bill, which is compressed on the sides, and 
grooved for two thirds of its length ; their legs are rather short, with the 
toes long and free at the base; they live among the reeds and aquatic 
plants on the margin of lakes and in marshes; many of them swum with 
facility ; their food consists of worms, insects, and molluscous animals. 
The Gallinules ( G-allinulince, Case 133) have the bill short, compressed, 
with the culmen extending on the forehead in the form of a shield; 
the legs of moderate length, and the toes are long and margined by a 
