. The story of the birds; . Bill and foot of coot. three—and, combined with this, the bill never soft atthe tip or slim for probing like a woodcocks, and AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BIRD. 221 the front toes long and slim without any membranes,your bird is surely a Kail proper. Or if there aremarginal membranes to the long toes and a hornyshield upon the head at the base of the bill (see d and^), the bird is still in the Rail group, and is a coot (toemembranes lobed) or a galhnule (toes with straightmargins). All are skulking swamp haunters, but thelast swim and dive readily, especially the coots. (
. The story of the birds; . Bill and foot of coot. three—and, combined with this, the bill never soft atthe tip or slim for probing like a woodcocks, and AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BIRD. 221 the front toes long and slim without any membranes,your bird is surely a Kail proper. Or if there aremarginal membranes to the long toes and a hornyshield upon the head at the base of the bill (see d and^), the bird is still in the Rail group, and is a coot (toemembranes lobed) or a galhnule (toes with straightmargins). All are skulking swamp haunters, but thelast swim and dive readily, especially the coots. (19) But if the wing is long, narrow, and pointed,with the first quill as long as the next ones, or elsethe bill long, slim, and soft-tipped, or if the footis membrane without any shield upon the forehead,or if the bill is spoon-shaped at the tip, or is long,keen, and bent down or up (or one side in one Old-. Some typical ploverine bills. World specimen), and the length is less than twenty-six inches, you can set your bird down as one of thePloyek forms. In many of these the rear toe is wanting, and inall, when present, it is much elevated. In only onereal plover (not snipes, sandpipers, etc.) is there anyrear toe. (20) Now, if the legs are feathered to the jointsand the bill never like a woodcocks, you have left 222 1^HE STORY OF THE BIRDS. all waders and swimmers behind, and had better lookclosely at your specimen. Yon may find vestiges ofwebs between the toes in the fowls and birds of preyespecially, but other things will show you that thebird is not aquatic, such as the feathered legs, justmentioned. From this on webs are vestigial and notconsidered. (21) ]^ow, if the shank is evidently sharp-edgedin the rear, or if the hind claw be straight and muchlonger than the front ones, or if the foot is ordinaryand there are bristles at the gape combined with alength of rear toe and its claw th
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1897
