BIRDS OF NOETH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 6 



t). Hypotarsus simple (with grooves but without canals); coracoids in contact 

 (except in Stercorariidse); supraorbital glands present, large; basipterygoid 

 processes absent or vestigial; occipital foramina absent; furcula with a, 

 hypocleideum; adult downs on both pterylse and apteria; bill and tarsus rela- 

 tively short and stout; anterior toes usually fully webbed (never cleft); 

 young pseudo-nidifugous (nearly nidicolous); habits aquatic ...Lari (p. 447). 

 < a. Htemapophyses of dorsal vertebrae conspicuously developed; coracoids without a 

 subclavicular process, the ectepicondylar process minute or absent; sternum 

 relatively long and narrow, the metasternum rounded and projecting beyond 

 the posterolateral processes; clavicle connected with acrocoracoid only; pelvis 

 laterally compressed; first digit of manus absent; thigh-muscle formula 

 without Y, usually without B, the ambiens always absent; biceps slip and 

 tensores patagii peculiar (distinctive); intestinal convolutions of more numer- 

 ous loops (not less than 6); dorsal pteryla not interrupted; caeca absent or 

 rudimentary; wings short, the flight rapid but not bouyant; legs inserted far 

 backward. Alcae (p. 700). 



Suborder LIMICOL.^. 



SHORE-BIRDS. 



=Limicolse Baird, Rep. Pacific R. R. Surv., ix, 185S, 688.— Sclater and Salvin, 

 Nom. Av. Neotr., 1873, \-iii, 142.— Sclater, Ibis, 1880, 408.— Baird, 

 Brewer, and Ridgway, Water Birds N. Am., i, 1884', 107. — American 

 Ornithologists' Union, Check List, 1886, 145; 3rd ed., 1910, 107.— Ridg- 

 way, Man. N. Am. Birds, 1887, 143; 2d ed., 1896, 143.— Sharpe, Cat. Birds 

 Brit. Mus., xxiv, 1896, ix, 1.— Gadow, Classif. Vertebr., 1898, 35.— Salvin 

 and GoDMAN, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, iii, 1903, 338. — Oberholser, Outl. 

 Classif. N. Am., Birds, 1905, 2.— Knowlton, Birds of the World, 1909, 49, 351. 



= Charadriomorphse Huxley, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1867, 457. 



'^Limicolas Beddard, Struct, and Classif. Bii'ds, 1898, 336 (includes Lari!). 



<^Charadrii Furbringer, Unters. Morph. Syst. V6g.,ii, 1888, 1566 (Charadriidae-t- 

 Glareolidas+Dromadidse; excludes Jacani, (Edicnemi, Chionides, and 

 Thinocorythes). 



'^Scolopacoidex Stejneger, Standard Nat. Hist., iv, 1885, 94, in text (includes 

 Otides). 



Long-winged, usually long-legged, limicoline or cursorial (rarely 

 aquatic) Charadriiformes with hypotarsus complex; coracoids usu- 

 ally separated; supraorbital glands absent or small; basipterygoid 

 processes usually present; occipital foramina usually present; fur- 

 cula without hypocleideum; adult downs on pteryl^e only; bill and 

 legs usually relatively long and slender; anterior toes usually cleft 

 to base or incompletely webbed, and young typically nidifugous. 



The following characters are shared in common by the Limicolse 

 and Lari, as distinguished from theAlcas: Hsemapophyses of dorsal 

 vertebrae slightly or moderately developed ; coracoid w^ith a subclav- 

 uiclar process, the ectepicondylar process well-developed (except in 

 some Lari); sternum relatively short and broad, the metasternum 

 not rounded and not projecting beyond the postero-lateral processes; 

 clavicle connected with both praecoracoid and acrocoracoid; pelvis 

 not laterally compressed; first digit of manus present; thigh-muscle 

 formula with Y, usually with B; biceps slip and tensores patagii not 



