CHARACTERISTIC BIRDS. 
195 
predominate in this dress; gray and white seldom 
occur, or, when they do, are hidden by other feathers. A 
similar, though somewhat brighter, dress is worn by the 
Desert Lark, and several other running-birds, of which I 
will make further mention. Nor are the habits of these 
birds less singular than their plumage. They are endowed 
with the power of locomotion in such an extraordinary 
degree as to be able to travel over the wide and sterile 
regions they frequent with facility. This power and the 
singular harmlessness of their character are typical of 
these children of the wilderness. Such characteristics 
are found more or less strongly marked all the desert 
over, so that its kindred tenants are more or less similar 
in form, as, for example, the Ostrich and the various 
Bustards. Not to pass over characteristic marsh- and 
water-birds in Africa, I will, in conclusion, refer to the 
Black-headed Plover ( Hyas cegyptiacus ), Balearic Cranes 
(.Balearica ), Brown Heron (Scopus), Open-billed Heron 
(.Anastomus ), Giant Heron (Ardea goliath), although the 
two last named are also represented in Asia by allied 
forms, and, lastly, the Spur-winged Goose (. Plectropterus ). 
Though the three divisions of the Old World may be 
widely different in their special characteristics, they still 
have something in common. On the other hand, in 
America, we find an animal creation absolutely distinct. 
In that country birds have the widest range of diversity 
in form, while they vie with the rest of the world in the 
brilliancy and beauty of their plumage, and, indeed, in 
many cases, carry off the palm. The practised ornithologist 
can best appreciate the richness of America in inde¬ 
pendent forms. Bonaparte, in his ‘ Catalogue of the Birds 
of the World/ gives forty-four sub-families, comprising 
1851 species, as belonging to America exclusively. Add to 
2 D 
