738 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — LONGIPENNES— GA VI^. 



neck to the back, the longitudinal lines become larger, and gradually spread wider and wider, 

 until between the shoulders they occupy the whole of each feather, except a narrow border of 

 rufous, which latter is of a deeper tint than on the head. Passing down the throat to the 

 breast, the rufous becomes decidedly ligliter — almost whitish — while the brown, which on 

 the throat exists only as a light longitudinal line, changes on each feather to transverse bars of 

 about equal width with the liglit rufous bars with which it alternates. This pattern prevails 

 over the whole under parts, the transverse bands being broadest on the flanks and under tail- 

 and wing-coverts, narrowest in the middle of the belly. The primaries are brownish-black, 

 narrowly tipped with rufous, their shafts yellowish, their inner webs fading basally into white. 

 The tail has the same coloration as the wings. The central feathers project about f of an inch. 

 Northern N. Am.; U. S. in winter; chiefly coastwise, but breeds in interior Arctic Am. 

 Eggs resembling those of Numenius horealis, and quite as variable in ground-color and mark- 

 ings ; size from 2.00 to 2.40 long, by 1.50 to 1.70 broad, averaging nearer the larger of these 

 dimensions ; pointed, but not so pear-shaped as those of the Curlew. 

 767. S. buf' foni. (To the Count de Buflfon.) Arctic Jager. LoNa-TAiLED Jager. Adult, 

 breeding plumage : Bill shorter than the head, less than the middle toe without the claw ; 

 stout, compressed, higher than broad at the base, its sides regularly converging. Ceral por- 

 tion of culmen broad, flat, depressed, slightly concave in outline ; ungual portion very de- 

 cidedly declinato-convex to the greatly overhanging tip ; narrower than the ceral. Tomia of 

 superior mandible sinuate ; at first concave and ascending ; then convex and descending ; again 

 very concave as they decurve toward the deflected tip, just posterior to which there is an im- 

 perfect notch. Tomia of inferior maxiUa nearly straight to the tip, where they are decurved. 

 Gonys very short, slightly concave in outline. Eminentia symphysis acute, but not very large; 

 rami very long as compared with the gonys, but absolutely rather short, from the encroach- 

 ment of the feathers. Cere very short, being scarcely if at all longer than the unguis ; its 

 lower border curving upward to give passage to the nostrils. The encroachment of the feathers 

 on the bill is greater than that of any other species ; on the upper mandible tliey extend within 

 half an inch of the distal end of the cere, having a broad, rounded termination, tlie feathers of 

 the two sides meeting on and covering the culmen some distance from its real base. The 

 feathers on the sides of the lower mandible extend nearly as far as on the upper, and those 

 between the rami quite to the symphysis. Wings exceedingly long ; first primary much the 

 longest ; rest rapidly graduated ; all rather narrow, tapering, falcate, actually pointed, their 

 rhachides stiff and strong. Secondaries short and inconspicuous ; rather broad ; their apices 

 as in the other species. Tertials moderately long, very straight, flexible, rounded at their 

 extremities, the edges of their vanes convoluted. Tail A^ery long ; longer, both absolutely and- 

 relatively, than in any other North American species, being half as long as the wings ; gradu- 

 ated, the lateral feather being f of an inch shorter than the next to central pair ; all the 

 feathers moderately broad, convei-ging somewhat to their rather broad, rounded tips. Central 

 rectrices extremely lengthened, exceeding the wings ; projecting 8 to 10 inches beyond the tips 

 of the lateral ones. They are extremely rigid at the base, being there much stifler than the 

 other feathers, but gradually become flexible, and at length filamentous in character, but pre- 

 serve great elasticity throughout. Feet quite slender ; tarsus equal to middle toe and claw. 

 Tibiae bare of feathers for f of an inch. The reticulation of the feet identical with that already 

 described under other species. The scutella of the anterior face of the tarsus, however, show 

 a tendency to degenerate into minute plates near the tibio-tarsal joint. Proportions of the 

 toes as in other species, but the claws are comparatively small and weak, and but moderately 

 curved and acute. Occiput decidedly subcrested. The latero-nuchal region has its feathers 

 lengthened, with disconnected fibrillse, but they are hardly acuminate or rigid. The plumage 

 about the bill is short, thick, and compact ; that of the upper parts is soft and flexible, only 

 moderately imbricated and compact ; that of the under parts is long, soft, and very thick. Bill 



