244 AVES : LIMICOL.I:. — XXXVIII. 



384. RECURVIROSTRA Liiiiiii'us. (Lat. rncurvus, bent 

 ii|)\v;inl; rastrum, beak.) 



7.').t. R. americana (linolin. Avockt. Bm'E STorKi.vt;. 

 White, with ciimaiuoii bmwn on head and neek, the wings mostly 

 black ; leg.s bhie. L. IS. W. 8^. T. 3i. li. 3j. Ts. Jf. N.Am. 



385. HIMANTOPUS Hris.son. ( t/xa j/roTrour, straj)-leg.) 

 751. H. mexicanus (Muller). Stilt. Long Shanks. Law- 

 YKK. (ilossy bhuk above, white below ; tail ashy; 9 slaty; legs 

 pink. L. 15. W. 9. T. 3. Ts. 4. B. 2^. N. Am. 



Family CXLV. SCOLOPACID^. (The Snipe.) 

 Hill elongated, usually longer than the head; if short, not plover- 

 like, being soft-skinned throughout (hard when dry) ; nasal grooves 

 in the form of narrow channels ranging from half to nearly the 

 whole length of the bill ; sides of lower mandible usually also 

 grooved; nostrils narrow exposed slits; head feathered. Wings 

 usually thin and pointed; tail short and soft; tibia rarely entirely 

 feathered. Tarsus never entirely reticulate and usually scutellate 

 in front and behind; hind toe present (except in Calidris); front 

 toes cleft or slightly webbed; size medium or small. Soxes alike 

 or female slightly larger ; seasonal changes in plumage often 

 strongly marked. Eggs usually four, placed with the small ends 

 together in a slight nest or de[)ression in the ground ; notes vari- 

 ous; mostly migratory or gregarious. Genera about 20; species 

 100 ; chiefly of northern regions, but not wanting in most parts of 

 the world. ((TKo\('ma$, snij)e.) 



a. Tarsus scutellate behind a.s well a-t in front; bill not stronply decurved. 

 b. Eye-s far hack, directly above the ears; hill lonp; tip of upper mandible 

 thickened; plumage unchanicing. (Scolitjtncitur.) 

 c. Tibia entirely feathered; '-i outer primaries attenuate; toes not webbod. 



Philomela, 386. 

 cc. Tibia naked below; no attenuate primaries. . . . Gallinago, .387. 

 A6. Eye.s not far hack, considerably before the ears; tip of upper mandible 

 thin; summer and winter phimaf^e different. {Tringiiut.) 

 d. Toes not webbed at all (or with a single minute web). 



e. Hind toe wantinR Calidkis, 392, 



ee. Hind toe present. 

 f. Hill not shorter than middle toe with claw; (inner webs of (|uills 



not mottled) Trixoa, 3'JO, 



ff. Itill shorter than middle too with claw; (inner webs of quills 



mottled) TitYNuiTKs, 397. 



dd. Toes more or less webbed at ba.se. 



g. Tail i^rmluated, more than half wing. . . Rai<til\mia, 396. 

 yg. Tail Mi>t more than half wiiij;, little lyraduated. 



h. Tail liiuf^er than bill (fn>m frontal feathers); gape reaching 

 beyuud baac uf culuien. 



