BLACK-WINGED STILT-SHANK. 313 



Male. — This bird, of which the limbs are so dispropor- 

 tionably elongated and attenuated, and the whole form so 

 slender, that one might suppose it liable to be blown over 

 or swept away by a moderate blast of wind, exhibits the 

 distinctive characters of the Limosinse in their highest 

 development. Yet Mr. Selby places it between the genera 

 Charadrius and (Edicnemus, to neither of which has it any 

 other resemblance than that caused by the want of a hind 

 toe. Its ovate, rather slender body is elevated upon ex- 

 tremely elongated, slender, compressed, stilt-like legs, of 

 which the skin is very thin and reticulated ; the tibia bare 

 for three inches, or more than half its length ; the toes pro- 

 portionally short and very slender, with the outer web rather 

 large, the inner scarcely apparent; the claws small and 

 rather blunt. The bill is twice the length of the head, very 

 slender, and slightly recurved. The head much rounded 

 above, compressed, and small; the neck long and slender. 

 The nostrils are linear, four-and-a-half-twelfths long; the 

 aperture of the eyes also four-and-a-half-twelfths in diameter. 

 In all other respects the generic character will afford a correct 

 idea of the proportions. 



The plumage is very soft and blended on the head and 

 neck; somewhat blended on the lower, rather compact on 

 the upper parts of the body. The wings exceed the tail by 

 two inches ; the primaries are very narrow and tapering, the 

 first longest, the second half-an-inch shorter, the rest rapidly 

 decreasing; the longest inner secondary two inches and a 

 half shorter than the longest primary. The tail, which is 

 short, and of twelve narrow feathers, is somewhat emargi- 

 nate, but with the middle feathers projecting a little. 



The bill is black ; the iris crimson ; the feet vermilion ; 

 the claws black ; the forehead, cheeks, throat, neck all round, 

 lower parts of the body, middle and hind part of the back, 

 are white, the breast slightly tinged with rose-colour. The 

 upper part of the head and the nape are greyish-black ; the 

 fore part of the back, the scapulars, and inner secondaries 

 with their coverts brownish-black glossed with green ; the 

 wing glossy greenish-black ; the lower wing coverts deep 

 black, the lower surface of the quills greyish-black ; the tail 



