NATURAL SCIENCES OF PIIILADELPIIIA. 171 



Family SCOLOPACIDJE. 



Bill variable in length, but at least as long as the head, grooved to beyond 

 the middle. Legs with transverse scutellse before and behind, (except in 

 Numeniece.) Toes not broadly margined to the tips, with or without a basal 

 web. Hind toe generally present. 



Scolopacime. Bill covered with soft skin to the sensitive, vascular, usually 

 more or less laterally expanded tip. Gape of mouth very small, not extending 

 beyond the base of the culmen. Bare portion of tibiae short. Legs generally 

 rather short and stout. Toes usually cleft to the base. Body stout, neck 

 rather short. 



TotanincB. Bill covered with soft skin only towards the base, the terminal 

 portion being hard, horny, and usually unexpanded and attenuated. Gape of 

 moutli considerable, extending beyond the base of the culmen. Tibia3 bare 

 for a considerable distance. Legs slender and lengthened. Toes usually with 

 a basal web. 



Subfamily SCOLOPACTN2E. 



Scolopacece. Bill much longpr than the head or naked leg, extremely sen- 

 sitive. Upper mandible with a longitudinal furrow near the end, and its tip 

 thickened and bent down over the lower. Roof of mouth not excavated to 

 the tip. External ear beneath or anterior to the eye. Tail usually banded. 



Tringece. Bill shorter than the naked leg, the tip less sensitive than in the 

 preceding, more or less laterally expanded, but not thickened. Roof of mouth 

 excavated to the tip. Culmen without a decided longitudinal groove. Ex- 

 ternal ear posterior to the eye. Tail usually without bands. 



The preceding diagnoses indicate, in a general way, the principal characters 

 of the several groups, and distinguish the Trinrjece. The latter, at least as far 

 as North American forms are concerned, may be thus more definitely charac- 

 terized. 



The bill is straight or slightly decurved, at least as long as the head, and 

 sometimes considerably exceeding it ; rather slender, usually more or less 

 compressed, seldom much depressed. The tip is usually more or less ex- 

 panded, and sensitive and vascular, that of the upper mandible bent a little 

 over that of the lower. The grooves in both mandibles extend to the expan- 

 sion of the tip ; that of the upper is much the widest, but both are deep and 

 distinct. In some genera there are decided indications of a longitudinal furrow 

 on the culmen near the end. The nostrils are linear, pervious, very narrow, 

 situated in the sinus of the upper mandible, usually very near its base, but 

 sometimes considerably advanced. The angle formed by the rami of the lower 

 jaw is very small, the enclosed space being long and narrow, and the groove 

 marking the line of imion of the rami usually extending about two-thirds the 

 length of the bill, but sometimes nearly to the tip. The extent of the en- 

 croachment of the feathers on the bill varies in the different genera ; but, 

 except perhaps in Ancijlocheilus, it is always greater between the rami than on 

 the sides. The wings are long, pointed and powerful ; the first primary is 

 usually the longest, but the second is nearly, sometimes quite, equal to it. 

 The rest are all rapidly graduated. The secondaries are very short and incon- 

 spicuous. The edge of the o^^ter vane is obliquely incised at the extremity. 

 The tertials are usually long, slender and tapering, sometimes nearly equal- 

 ling the primaries in length. The tail is rather short, usually doubly emar- 

 ginate, the central feathers pointed, and projecting somewhat beyond the 

 others. The legs and feet vary greatly in their character in the different 

 genera, always, however, being constant in each. Except in Arquatella and 

 Tringa, the tibiae are always exposed for a considerable portion of the length 

 of the tarsus, and in those genera the bare portion is considerable. Except in 

 Arquatella, Actodromas, and perhaps Ereunetes, the tarsus is always decidedly 



1861.] 



