or littte-knovm Limicolae. 253 



Mr. Swiiihoe^s Recurvirostra sinensis from Amoy, I think, 

 must be referred to the present species. His description (/. c.) 

 does not, indeed, apply to an adult specimen of R. avocetta, 

 but, to my mind, clearly indicates the bird of the year, which 

 differs chiefly from the adult in having the upper part of the 

 back and tail light ashy grey, and the scap^^lars and wing- 

 coverts edged with the same colour, or with white. He gives 

 careful measurements of bill, wing, tarsus, &c., and some use- 

 ful remarks on the trachea, gizzard, and intestines as noted 

 by him on the dissection of specimens of both sexes. 



Recurvirostra Americana, Gmelin. 



Recurvirostra americana, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 693 (1788) ; 

 Wilson, Am. Oi*n. vii. p. 126, pi. 63 (1813) ; Swainson, Faun. 

 Bor.-Amer. ii. p. 375 (1831) ; Audubon, Orn. Biog. iv. p. 168 

 (1838) ; id. Birds Amer. vi. p. 24, pi. 353 (1843) ; Baird, 

 Birds N. Amer. p. 703 (1858) ; Coues, Key N. Amer. Birds, 

 p. 247 (1872). 



Recurvirostra occidentalis , Vigors, Zool. Journ. iv. p. 356 

 (1829); id. Zool. Voy. 'Blossom,' p. 28, pi. xii. (1839); Cas- 

 sin, Illustr. B. Californ. & Tex. p. 232, pi. xl. (1856) ; id. U. S. 

 Expl. Exped. p. 324 (1858) id. Perry's Exped. Japan, ii. 

 p. 246 (1856). 



Hab. Temperate parts of North America, California, Mex- 

 ico, Central America. 



Diagn. R. alba; capite colloque ferrugineis colore antice 

 ad pectus producto (ptil. aestiv.), aut albidis, nonnunquam 

 cinerascentibus (ptil. hiem. & juv.), scapularibus nigris; tec- 

 tricibus alarum et remigibus primariis nigris cineraceo lim- 

 batis ; rostro nigro ; iride rufescenti-fusca ; pedibus caeruleis. 

 Long. tot. circa 18 poll., rostr. 3*75, alse 8-75-9-0, tib. 

 nud. 1'9, tars. 3*75, dig. med. 1*75. 



The present species appears to be pretty generally distri- 

 buted throughout the temperate parts of North America, but 

 is more abimdant on the western coast. In the vicinity of 

 Hudson's Bay, in the summer season, it was observed to be plen- 

 tiful ; and Nuttall found it breeding on the islands of shallow 

 ponds throughout the Rocky Mountains. It is common on 

 the Saskachewan plains, where, according to Richardson and 



SER. III. VOL. IV. T 



