45. MICHOPALAMA. 403 



Ereunetes himantopus, Sundev. CEfc. K. Vet.-Akad. Fork. Stock/i. 



1869, p. 587 (St. Bartholomew), p. (i02 (Porto Rico) ; Seebohm, 



Georjr. Distrib. Charadr. p. 400 (1888). 

 Micropelma himantopus, Gray, Hand-l. B. iii. p. 48, no. 10298 (1871 ). 



Adult male hi breeding-plumage. General colour above black, 

 with whitish margins to the feathers, these margins strongly 

 tinged with rufous and sometimes entirely rufous, especially the 

 innermost secondaries, which are notched or edged with this colour ; 

 lower back and rump dusky brown, slightly mottled with rufous 

 and with black centres to the feathers ; lower rump and upper tail- 

 coverts white, barred with black and tinged with rufous ; centre 

 tail-feathers black, with rufous bars, both patterns being irregular ; 

 remainder of the tail-feathers ashy grey, with white centres, in- 

 creasing in extent towards the outermost, which is for the most 

 pari white, irregularly mottled with grey ; wing-coverts dark ashy 

 brown, with whitish margins to the feathers, more distinct on the 

 greater series, the lesser wing-coverts darker ; primary-coverts and 

 primaries blackish ; the secondaries more ashy brown, fringed with 

 white and having tho inner web somewhat whitish, the innermost 

 secondaries parti-coloured like the back ; centre of crown streaked 

 with blackish and white, with which the feathers are edged ; sides 

 of hinder crown dark cinnamon-rufous ; a broad white eyebrow, 

 minutely streaked with dusky blackish ; lores dusky grey ; ear- 

 coverts cinnamon ; sides of face, cheeks, and throat white, with 

 narrow streaks of dusky blackish, these streaks broader on the 

 lower throat ; the entire under surface of the body white, crossed 

 from the fore-neck downwards with blackish bars and rufous inter- 

 spaces ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pure white, mottled near 

 the edge of the wing with dusky bases to the feathers ; the axil- 

 laries spotted with dusky or irregularly barred ; lower primary- 

 coverts ashy, edged with white; the quill-lining also grey: "bill 

 black : feet dull yellowish white ; claws brown ; iris brown " (J. J. 

 Audubon). Total length 8 inches, culmen 1*5, wing 5, tail 1-9, 

 tarsus 1-5. 



Adult female in breeding-plumage. Similar to the male, but with 

 the rufous markings less strongly pronounced, and the spotting and 

 barring of the under surface less distinct. Total length 8 - 5 inches, 

 culmen 1*55, wing 5"1, tail 1*9, tarsus 1*5. 



Adult in winter plumage. Ashy grey above, nearly uniform, in- 

 cluding the wing-coverts and inner secondaries ; rest of the quills 

 as in the summer plumage ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, 

 with irregular spots and streaks of dusky blackish, the upper tail- 

 coverts spotted, not barred ; centre tail-feathers uniform ashy grey, 

 the rest with white shafts or centres to the feathers, occupying the 

 greater part of the outer feathers ; head grey like tho back ; lores 

 and a distinct eyebrow white ; upper edge of ear-coverts ash}- ; 

 sides of face and upper throat whitish, with narrow dusky streaks ; 

 lower throat and fore-neck, as well as the sides of the upper breast, 

 ashy grey : remainder of under surface of body pure white, slightly 

 mottled with ashy grey, the under tail-coverts with irregular spear- 



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