KEYS 75 



Key to California Game Birds — {Continued) 



PAGE 



4'. Bill slender and needle-like (figs. 58, 59). 



5. Bill less than 1.00 inch (25.4 mm.) long, not longer than head; a 

 white stripe on wing; middle of rump not white. 



Northern Phalarope 326 

 5'. Bill more than 1.00 inch (25.4 mm.) long, longer than head; no 

 white stripe on wing; upper tail coverts chiefly white. 



Wilson Phalarope 332 

 3'. Front toes without lobes on margins (but sometimes with webs be- 

 tween bases); tarsus never conspicuously compressed; under 

 surface of body often streaked or barred. 

 6. Hind toe present (very small in Black-bellied Plover). 

 7. Axillar feathers solidly black. 



8. Bill less than 1.50 inches (38 mm.) long; hind toe very small 



(less than .10 inch [2.5 mm.] long). Black-bellied Plover 452 

 8'. Bill more than 2.00 inches (51 mm.) long; hind toe more than 



0.25 inch (6.3 mm.) long. Western Willet 416 



7'. Axillar feathers never solidly black. 



9. Upper tail coverts solidly white, or black and white in solid 



patches, never barred; bill less than 1.25 inches (31.8 mm.) 

 long. 

 10. A single patch of solid white on upper tail coverts. 



Surf-bird 485 

 10'. Two solid patches of white, separated by black, on rump 

 and upper tail coverts. 

 11. Throat and breast entirely black. Black Turnstone 493 



11'. Throat and breast of mixed pattern. Ruddy Turnstone 489 

 9'. Upper tail coverts never solidly black or white, often barred. 

 12. Bill curved decidedly downward toward end, and more 

 than 2.50 inches (63 mm.) long. 



13. Larger; bill more than 4.50 inches (114 mm.) long; top 



of head of mixed pattern like back. 



Long-billed Curlew 438 

 13'. Smaller; bill less than 4.00 inches (102 mm.) long; top 

 of head blackish brown with middle stripe of lighter 

 color. Hudsonian Curlew 445 



12'. Bill straight or slightly curved upward (if curved slightly 

 downward at tip then bill less than 2.00 inches [51 mm.] 

 long). 



14. Bill more than 2.00 inches (51 mm.) long. 



15. Bill stout, curved slightly upward, and more than 



3.50 inches (89 mm.) long. Marbled Godwit 396 



15'. Bill never curved upward, and neA'er more than 3.00 

 inches (76 mm.) long. 

 16. Bill tapered from base to tip and smooth; a whitish 



area on upper tail coverts. Greater YeUow-legs 401 

 16'. Tip of bill slightly enlarged and pitted (fig. 64) ; 

 upper tail coverts completely barred. 

 17. Head and back with conspicuous longitudinal 

 streaks of buffy yellow; upper tail coverts 

 barred with buflfy yellow. Wilson Snipe 350 



