24 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
[east. ZOOL. 
snipe of North America. The Avocets are remarkable for the ex¬ 
treme length of their legs, which enables them to search the muddy 
shores or mouths of the rivers for small insects and spawn of fish, &c.: 
as the scooping avocet, long-legged plover, &c. 
Case 129. The Sandpipers are inhabitants of most parts of the 
world, seeking their food on the sea-shore and in marine marshes; as 
the knot sandpiper, ruff sandpiper, purre sandpiper, lesser grey sand¬ 
piper, of England, &c. The Phalaropes are found on the sea-shores of 
the Arctic regions; their food consists of Crustacea, &c.; as the red 
phalarope, grey phalarope, &c. 
Case 130. The True Snipes inhabit the thickest underwood, others 
seek the marshy districts; their food consists of worms and insects ; as 
the woodcock, great snipe, common snipe, jack snipe of Britain, Cape 
snipe of India, &c. 
Case 131. The Jacanas, which inhabit the marshes of the warmer 
parts of the world, where they walk with facility on the floating leaves 
of aquatic plants, as the chestnut jacana of South America, Chinese 
jacana, &c. The Screamers are inhabitants of the inundated ground 
of South America; as the horned screamer and Chaja screamer. 
Case 132. The Rails live among the reeds on the borders of lakes, 
and in marshes, feeding on worms, &c. ; as the water rail, crake galli- 
nule, olivaceous gallinule of Britain, clapper rail of North America, &c. 
Cases 133, 134. The Gallinules are found on the rivers and 
lakes, among the reeds, seeking their food, which consists of worms 
and larvae of insects, as the purple gallinule of Europe, black-backed 
gallinule of Australia, &c. ; Martinico gallinule of South America; 
common gallinule of Britain, &c. 
Case 134. The Finfoots are peculiar to South America and 
Western Africa ; as the American finfoot, &c. 
Cases 135—166. The Web-footed Birds. 
Case 135. The Flamingos, which are found in the warmer parts of 
Europe, &c., on the banks of rivers and lakes, feeding on small shell 
fish, which they seize by inverting the head, to employ with advantage 
the crook of the upper mandible, as the red flamingo, &c. 
Cases 136, 137. The Spur-winged Geese inhabit Asia, Africa, 
and Australia; as the spur-winged goose, black-backed goose, &c. 
Cases 137—140. The Geese are found in various parts of the world, 
during their periodical flight; their food consists of grain and grass; as 
the New Holland cereopsis, Magellanic goose, Canada goose, barred 
headed goose of India, grey-legged goose, and white-fronted goose of 
Britain, &c. 
Cases 141—143. The Swans are remarkable for their graceful ap¬ 
pearance upon the water, and are found in most parts of the world; 
they feed on roots of aquatic plants, &c.; as the whistling swans, black¬ 
necked swan, &c. 
Cases 144—148. The True Ducks: these birds are inhabitants of 
the lakes and rivers of the interior, but occasionally resort to the sea¬ 
shore of various parts of the world ; their food consists of vegetables, 
insects and shell-fish, as the red-billed whistling duck of South America ; 
shieklrake, widgeon, pintail duck, common teal, &c., of Britain;. 
Chinese teal, and others. 
