792 



SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — LIMICOLJE. 



black H. melns of that region ; H. knudseni of the Sandwich Islands ; and H. melanurus of 



South America. 



H. mexica'uus. (Lat. mexicamis, Mexican. Figs. 545, 546.) Black-necked Stilt. 



Long-shanks. Lawyer. Adult ^^9: Mantle, constituted 

 by interscapulars, scapulars, and wings (above and below) 



glossy black, prolonged 

 up back of neck and on 

 top and sides of head, 

 embracing eyes. A spot 

 over and behind eye, one 

 on under eyelid, forehead 



Fig. 545. — Black-necked Stilt, J 

 nat. size. (From Sclater.) 



to opposite eyes, sides of head below eyes, sides of neck and en- 

 tire under parts, together with lower back, rump, and upper tail- 

 coverts, white; tail pearl-gray. In life the long black wings 

 fohi entirely over the white upper parts and tail, so that the 

 bird looks entirely black above. Bill black ; eyes and legs 

 carmine, latter drying yellowish. Length about 15.00 ; ex- 

 tent about 30.00 ; wing 8.50-9.50 : tail 2.75-3.25 ; bill 2.50- 

 2.75 ; tibiae bare 3.00-3.50 ; tarsus 4.00-4.50 ; middle toe and 

 claw 1 .75-2.00. Adults, not in perfect dress : Some of the dark 



parts brown, not glossy-black ; the 9 usually found so. Young : Mantle ashy-brown, each 



feather edged with whitish or 



pale buff; head also with buffy ; 



wings black or blackish-brown, 



but some of the quills white- 

 tipped, edge of wing white, 



coverts edged with pale ochre. 



Tail not so pearly-gray as in 



the adults, with some irregular 



dusky markings. Legs jjrob- 



ably different (skins afford no 



criterion). Chick, in down: Bill 



apparently blackish ; legs pale. 



Under parts white ; above 



prettily mottled with black, 



brown, and tawny or orange. 



U. S. generally, like the Avo- 



cet, now rare eastward, though 



still rather common in Florida ; 



abundant in the West, rather 



more southerly than the Avo- 



cet; in winter S. from Texas 



and Louisiana to West Indies 



and S. Am. ; breeds indiffer- 

 ently in its regular U. S. range. 



Nest a mere depression at the 



water's-edge or on heaped 



vegetation just above the sur- 

 face in shallow water; eggs 3-4, FiQ. 540. - Black-necked Stilt. (From "North American Shore Birds," 



pyriform, 1.60-1.85 X 1-15- by D. G. Elliot.) 



