SCOLOPACID^. 147 



head and neck, back, scapulars, and wings, uniform glossy greenish 

 black ; tail pale ashy ; iris crimson, and legs and feet delicate lake-red or 

 rose-pink, in life. Adult female: Similar to the male, but back and 

 scapulars brownish slate, and black of other portions duller. Young : 

 Similar to adult female, but feathers of back, scapulars, and tertials bor- 

 dered with buff or dull whitish, the blackish of head and neck finely 

 mottled with the same. Downy young : Above light fulvous-grayish, 

 mottled with dusky, the back and rump marked with several large black 

 blotches ; head, neck, and lower parts fulvous-whitish, the top of head 

 and hind-neck grayish, the crown with a median black streak and occi- 

 put with several spots of blackish. Length 13.50-15.50, wing 8.50-9.00, 

 culmen 2.50, tarsus 4.00, middle toe 1.37. JEggs 3-4, 1.79 X 1-23, similar 

 in coloration to those of Recurvirostra americana. Hah. Temperate 

 North America, from northern United States southward; south, in 

 winter, to Peru, northern Brazil, and West Indies. 



226. H. mexicanus (Mull.). Black-necked Stilt, 

 a'. White of forehead extending back to and including the occiput ; black of nape 

 separated from that of the back by a white bar or " collar." 



OtherAvise, similar to H. 7nexicanus. Hab. Southern South America 

 (Brazil, Argentine Eepublic, Chili, etc.). 



H. brasiliensis Brehm. Brazilian Stilt. 



Family SCOLOPACIDiE.— The Snipes, Sandpipers, etc. 



(Page 143.) 



{Nest usually on ground, in meadows, marshes, or along banks of streams. 

 Eggs 2-4.) 



Genera. 



a^. Back of tarsus with a continuous row of transverse scutells. 



b^. Ears situated directly underneath the eyes ; tip of upper mandible thick- 

 ened, with cutting-edges brought near together; plumage the same at 

 all stages and seasons. (Subfamily Scolopacince.) 

 c^. Thighs entirely feathered ; top of head with transverse bands. 



d^. First quill longer than second, and broad like the rest; outer webs 



of quills spotted Scolopax. (Page 149.) 



d'^. Three outermost quills abruptly much shorter and narrower than 

 the fourth ; outer webs of quills plain. 



Philohela. (Page 150.) 

 c^. Lower part of thighs naked ; top of head with longitudinal stripes. 



Gallinago. (Page 150.) 



b^. Ears situated decidedly posterior to the eyes ; tip of upper mandible thin, 



with cutting-edges far apart ; plumage very different in winter and 



* Himantopua brasiliensis Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. 1831, 684. 



