BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 435 



Rhode Island, 1 spec, Aur. 2, 1880).— Merriam, Bull. Niitt. Orn. Club, 

 vii, 1882, 238 (Point de Monts, Quebec, in fall migration) .-^Dutcher, Auk, 

 i, 1884, 33 (Shinnecock Bay, Lono; Island, 1 spec, Aup;. 20, 1883).— Baird,. 

 Brewer, and Ridgway, Water Birds N. Am., i, 1884, 335. — Lawrence 

 (N. T.), Auk, ii, 1885, 273 (East River, New York City, 1 spec, Oct. 15, 1879), 



S[teganopus] wilsoni Nelson, Bull. Essex Inst., viii, 1876, 124 (n. e. Illinois, 

 breeding; habits).— Coues, Key N. Am. Birds, 2nd ed., 1884, 612. 



Phalaropus Jimbriatus Temminck, PI. Col., v (livr. 2, Sept., 1825), pi. 370 ("S6n6- 

 gal"). 



Phalaropus frenatus Vieillot, Gal. Ois., ii, 1826, 178, pi. 271 (New York; coll. 

 Rivoli).— Pelzeln, Reise 'Novara,' Vog., 1865, 132 (Chile). 



Lohipes frenatus Cuvier, R^gne Anim., 2nd ed., i, 1829, 532. 



Lobipes incanus Jardine anid Selby, Illustr. Orn., i, 1825, pi. 16 (Mexico; coll. 

 W. Jardine; type now in coll. Brit. Mus.). 



Ph[alaropus] stenodactylus Wagler, Isis, 1831, 523 (Mexico; winter plumage) „ 



Lobipes antarclicus Scl.\ter, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1867, 332 (crit.). 



Family RECURVIROSTRID^. 



THE AVOCETS AND STILTS. 



= Recur virostrinae Bonaparte, Saggio distr. Anim. Vertebr., 1831, 59. — Carus, 

 Handb. Zool., i, 1868, 336.— Sclater and Salvin, Nom. Av. Neotr., 1873, 

 144. — Stejneger, Standard Nat. Hist., iv, 1885, 107, in text. 



=Recurvirostridx Cassin, in Baird, Rep. Pacific R. R. Surv., ix, 1858, 689, 703. — 

 Coues, Key N. Am. Birds, 1872, 247; 2nd ed., 1884, 609.— Riugway, Ann, 

 Lye. N. Y., X, 1874, 385; Bull. Ills. State Labr. Nat. Hist., no. 4, 1881, 197; 

 Man. N. Am. Birds, 1887, 146. — Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway, Water 

 Birds N. Am., i, 1884, 108, 340.^ — American Ornithologists' Union, 

 Check List, 1886, 146; 3rd ed., 1910, 108.— Oberholser, Outl. Classif. N, 

 Am. Birds, 1905, 3. 



=Himuntopodinse Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxiv, 1896, xi, 90, 309; Hand- 

 list, i, 1899, nv, 156. — Salvin and Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, iii^ 

 1903, 360. 



"^Phalaropodidse Bonaparte, Saggio distr. Anim. Vertebr., 1831, 59. 



Extremely long-legged, long-necked, long- and slender-billed Cliar- 

 adrii with tarsus more than twice as long as middle toe with claw^ 

 covered, all round, with small hexagonal scales; bare portion of tibia 

 much longer than middle toe with claw; bill subulate, much longer 

 than head, straight or more or less (sometimes conspicuously) 

 recurved; feet more or less webbed; hallux absent or if present 

 rudimentary; neck more lengthened than in other Charadrii, and 

 plumage of under parts very dense, as in PhalaropodidaB, Larida?, and 

 other natatorial Charadriiformes. 



The Recurvirostridse agree with the Phalaropodidae in the density 

 of the plumage on the under parts of the body, and are probably more- 

 nearly related to them than to any other of the allied groups. Not- 

 withstanding their excessively long legs they are able to swim \%dtE 

 great facility. 



The family is partly of tropical or subtropical distribution and 

 few in number as to species. Only three genera are recognized, one 



