Archive image from page 243 of Cuvier's animal kingdom arranged. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization cuviersanimalkin00cuvi Year: 1840 232 AVES. the water to a certain depth without immersing the feathers, and to wade therein and seize fish by means of the neck and beak, the length of which is generally proportioned to that of the legs. The stronger among them feed on fish and reptiles, and the weaker on worms and insects. A very few content themselves in part with grain or herbage, and these alone inhabit at a distance from any water. Their external toe is most
Archive image from page 243 of Cuvier's animal kingdom arranged. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization cuviersanimalkin00cuvi Year: 1840 232 AVES. the water to a certain depth without immersing the feathers, and to wade therein and seize fish by means of the neck and beak, the length of which is generally proportioned to that of the legs. The stronger among them feed on fish and reptiles, and the weaker on worms and insects. A very few content themselves in part with grain or herbage, and these alone inhabit at a distance from any water. Their external toe is most commonly united at base to the middle one, by means of a short membrane j in some there are two membranes, while others want them entirely, having the toes quite separated ; it also sometimes happens, though rarely, that they are palmated to the end : the thumb is altogether wanting in several genera ; and all these circumstances exert an influence on their mode of life, which is more or less aquatic. Nearly the whole of these birds, if we except the Ostriches and Cassowaries, have long wings and fly well. They stretch out their legs backward during flight, contrary to what is ob- served of others [or at least those of the foregoing orders], which double them under the belJy. In this order we establish five principal families, together with some isolated genera. The first family of Stilt Birds, that of The Brevipennes, Although generally similar, in other respects, to the rest, dififers widely from them in the shortness of the wings, which are inadequate to perform the function of flight. The beak and regimen give them numerous affinities with the GalUnaceeB. It appears as if all the muscular power which is at the disposal of nature, would be insuffi- cient to move such immense wings as would be required to support their massive bodies in the air: their sternum (fig. 112) is a simple buckler, and without the ridge which exists in all other Birds. The pectoral muscles are reduc
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