296 VERTEBRATE ANIMALS. 
placed at the extremity of the upper mandible. The legs are com- 
paratively short, and there is a rudimentary hind-toe, provided 
Fig. 159.—Cursores. The Apteryx Australis (Gould). 
with a claw. The feathers of the general plumage are long and 
hair-like, and the wings are altogether rudimentary. 
ORDER IV. RASORES.—The Scratching Birds—or, as they are 
often called, the Gallinaceous Birds—are characterised by the 
fact that the upper mandible of the bill is convex and vaulted 
(fig. 160, B), and has a membranous space at its base, in which 
Fig. 160.—Rasores. A, Foot of a Fowl (Gallus) ; B, Head of the Guinea-fowl. 
the nostrils are pierced. The nostrils are also covered by a 
cartilaginous scale. The legs are strong and muscular, and are 
