346 



PR^COCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOL^. 



Himantopus nigricollis, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. X. 1817, 42. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 8. — Aud. Orn. 

 Biog. IV. 1838, 247, pi. 328 ; Synop. 1839, 253 ; Birds Am. VI. 1843, 31, pi. 354. — Baied, 

 Birds N. Am. 1858, 704; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 518. — CouES, Key, 1872, 247; Check 

 List, 1873, no. 408 ; Birds X. W. 1874, 462. 



Hijpsibates nigricollis, Cabax. in Scbonib. Guiana, III. 1847, 758. 



MacrotarsHS nigricollis, Gundl. J. f. 0. 185(5, 422. 



Himantopus Icucurus, Vieill. N. D. X. 1817, 42 (Me.Kico). 



Hab. Tlie whole of temperate Noitli America, Middle America, and Northern South America 

 south to Peru and Brazil ; Galapagos ; West Indies in general, and Bermudas ; north, on the 

 Atlantic coast, to Maine. More generally distributed aud more abundant in the Western than in 

 the Eastern Province. 



Sp. Char. Adult male: Forehead, a large postocular spot, lores, entire lower parts, rump, and 

 upper tail-coverts, white. Remainder of the head, whole nape, back, scapulars, and wings (both 

 surfaces), glossy black, with a greenish-blue reflection. Tail pale grayish. Bill black ; iris crim- 

 son ; legs and feet lake-red or beautiful rose-pink in life, yellowish in the dried skin. Adult female : 



Similar to the male, but back and scapulars brownish slate, and the black of other portions 

 duller. Young, first jjlumage : Similar to the adult female, but the feathers of the back, the scapu- 

 lars, and tertials bordered with buft' or dull whitish, the black of the head and nape finely mottled 

 with the same. Downy young: Above light fulvous-grayish, mottled witli dusky, the back and 

 rump relieved by several large Ijlack blotches. Head, neck, and lower parts fulvous-whitish, the 

 crown, occiput, and iiajje grayish, the crown with a mesial black streak, the occiput with coarse 

 spots of the same. 



Total length, about 14 to 15.50 inches; extent, 27 to 30; wing, 8.50-9.00; culmen, about 

 2.50 ; tarsus, 4.00 ; middle toe, 1.37. Bill deep black ; iris rosy carmine ; legs and feet fine rose- 

 pink or delicate pale lake-red (in life). 



Adult .specimens in high breeding-plumage sometimes have the white of the breast, etc., tinged 

 with soft creamy pink. 



The Stilt appears to be a common species throughout nearly the whole of the 

 United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific ; more abundant in the Western and 

 Gulf States, and less frequent in the more ISTorthern and Eastern. It occurs occa- 

 sionally near Calais, but, according to Mr. Boardman, is very rare. Several individual 

 birds have been taken at Grand Menan ; and occasional instances of its capture near 

 Boston are known. Mr. Boardman also met with it in Florida, where it was found to be 

 most numerous toward the end of March. It occurs in inost of the West India Islands, 

 in ]\Iexico, and in Central and South America. Mr. Salvin found it on the Pacific 

 coast of Guatemala, and also saw a single individual wdiich had been procured near 

 the modern City of Guatemala. Mr. E. Newton mentions the Stilt as being well 

 known by name to most of the inhabitants of St. Croix, although rarely seen. Though 



