22 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
[EAST. ZOOL. 
Old World, where they generally inhabit the plains; their food consists 
of grain and other vegetable substances; as (Case 101) the sanguine 
pheasant, currie partridge of Nepaul, &c., cape partridge, bare-necked 
partridge of Africa, francolin partridge of Europe and India. Case 
102. Red partridge of Europe, olive partridge of India, common 
partridge and quail of England, Andalusian quail of Spain, &c. Case 
103. Crowned partridge of India, Californian quail, and crested 
quail, &c. 
Cases 104, 105. The Grouse, which are peculiar to the northern 
parts of Europe and America: viz. the True Grouse, which are 
natives of the forests of the high northern latitudes of both hemi¬ 
spheres, and of the highest mountains of central Europe; they feed 
on grain, buds and fruits; as the wood grouse, which is sometimes taken 
in the North of Britain, as well as the ptarmigan grouse and willow 
grouse ; sharp-tailed grouse, ruffed grouse, both of America. Case 
105. Sand grouse are only found in the deserts of the hottest parts of 
the Old World, as the pin-tailed grouse and sand grouse, &c. 
Case 106. The Sheathbills have all the appearances of grouse: 
some inhabit the plains of South America, and others are generally 
seen on the sea-shore, or far out at sea; as the white sheathbill and 
black-billed sheathbill, &c. The Tinamous are inhabitants of the warmer 
parts of the New World, where they are seen among the low brushwood 
or tall grass; their food consists of fruits and insects; as the great tina- 
mou, variegated tinamou, &c. The Megapodius is peculiar to the 
Asiatic Islands and Australia, as the megapodius, and the New Holland 
vulture, &c. 
Cases 107—134. The Wading Birds. 
Cases 107 - 109. The Ostriches, which are in flocks, and subsist on 
grain, fruits and herbage; as the ostrich of Africa; American emu, 
New Holland cassowary, and galeated cassowary. 
Case 108. The Dodo, which is only known by remains, as, for ex¬ 
ample, the foot in this Case (presented by the Royal Society), and a 
head (of which is a cast in this Case) and foot, said to have belonged 
to a specimen which was formerly in Tradescant’s Museum, now form¬ 
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. 
