ORDERS OF BIRDS. 201 
arated by a constriction from the soft membranous basal portion. Nostrils 
beneath a soft, tumid valve. Tomia of the mandibles mutually apposed. 
Frontal feathers sweeping in strongly convex outline across base of upper 
mandible. Legs feathered to the tarsus or beyond. Hallux incumbent (with 
few exceptions), and front toes rarely webbed at base. Tarsus with small 
scutella in front, or often reticulate, the envelope rather membranous than 
corneous. Head very small. Plumage without after shafts. One pair of 
syringeal muscles. Sternum doubly notched, or notched and fenestrate on 
each side. Carotids double. Palate schizognathous. Monogamous, and 
highly altricial and psilopedie. 
F., GALLINA. Bill generally short, stout, convex, with an obtuse vaulted tip, 
corneous, except in the nasal fossa, and without constriction in its continuity. 
Nostrils scaled or feathered. Tomia of upper mandible overlapping. Frontal 
featiers forming re-entrant outline at base of upper mandible. Legs usually 
feathered to the tarsus or beyond. Hallux elevated, with few exceptions, 
smaller than the anterior toes, occasionally wanting (as in the Hemipods). 
Tarsus, when not feathered, generally breadly scutellate. Front toes com- 
monly webbed at base. Claws blunt, little carved. Wings strong, short, and 
concavo-convex. Retrices commonly more than twelve. Head small, plu- 
mage generally after-shafted. Carotids double (except Turnicide and Mega- 
podide), No intrinsic syringeal muscles. Sternum very deeply, generally 
doubly, notched. Palate schizognathous. Chiefly polygamous. Precocial 
and ptilopeadice. 
G. LIMICOLA. Tibia bare of feathers for a variable, sometimes very slight dist- 
ance above the sufirago. Lezs commonly lengthened, sometimes excessively 
so, ard neck usually produced in a corresponding ratio. Tarsi scutellate or 
reticulate. Toes never coherent at base; cleft or united for a short distance 
by one or two small movable basal webs (palmate only in Recurvirostra 
lobate only in Phalaropodide). Hallux always reduced, obviously elevated and 
free, or wanting; giving a foot of cursorial character. Wings, with few ex- 
ceptions, lengthened, pointed, and flat; the inner primaries and outer second- 
aries very short, forming a strong re-entrance on the posterior border of the 
wing. Tail shorter than the wing, of simple form and of few feathers, except 
in some certain snipes. Head globose, sloping rapidly down to the contracted 
base of the bill, completely feathered (except in Philomachus, male). Gape of 
bill short and constricted; tip usually obtuse; bill weak and flexible. Ros- 
trum commonly lengthened, and more or less terete and slender; membranous 
wholly or in great part, without hard, cutting edges. Nostrils narrow, placed 
low down, entirely surrounded with soft skin; nasal fosse extensive. Palate 
schizognathous. Sternum usually doubly, sometimes singly, notched. Caro- 
tids double. Pterylosis of a particular pattern, Nature pecocial and ptilo- 
pedic. 
H. HERODIONES. Tibize naked below. Legs and neck much lengthened in cor- 
responding ratio. Toes long, slender, never coherent at base, where cleft, 
or with movable basal webbing. Hallux (as compared with that of the pre- 
ceding and following group) lengthened, free, and either perfectly incum- 
bent or but little elevated, with a large claw, giving a foot of incessorial 
character. Wings commonly obtuse, but broad and ample, without marked 
re-entrance on posterior border, the intermediate remiges not being much 
