102 MANUAL 



Sub-family .? HAEMATOPODINAE Oyster- 

 Catchers 



Tarsus less than bill, reticulate iu front, outer toes with a 

 barely apparent membrane, no hind toe ; bill long, flattened, 

 and prominent. Length over 12 inches. 



Oenus, Hcematopus, (3 species). 



Sub-family /; STREPSILAINAE Turnstones 

 Tarsus longer than bill, scutellate in front, outer toes with- 

 out membrane, hind toe present ; bill short and pointed and 

 not prominent. Length under 12 inches. 

 Oenus, Strepsilas, (2 species). 

 These geuera are all stable and without synou5'ms that need aiinoj us. 



FAMILY XXXIX RECURVIROSTRIDAE THE 

 AVOCETS AND STILTS 



Latin rectirvus, recurved ; i-ostntm, a bill. 

 This is still another family whose peculiarities of structure 

 at once determine its members with very little difficulty. It 

 is not, like the former family, divided into sub-families ; al- 

 though the genera are very decidedly diiferent from each other. 

 The family, as a family, is at once known by the long, slender, 

 and often extraordinarily recurved bill ; the long, small neck ; 

 and the immense long, bare legs (tarsus and nearly the entire 

 length of the tibia bare). Recurvirostra has four toes Math 

 complete webs and long and strongly recurved bill, while Hi- 

 mantopus has three toes almost wholly unwebbed and with bill 

 much shorter and almost straight. The previous table will 

 give further characters. Although " Shore " birds they are 

 more abundant inland hy fresh water. 



Genera, Recurvirostra, The American Avocet. 

 Himantopus, The Black-necked Stilt. 



These two genera were formerly merged in one, Recurvirostra. Their po- 

 sition in the scale may at any time be changed, but the genera are stable. 



