58 



SKIMMEKS. 



A gentle bird which may be taken from its nest without it 

 making any effort to defend itself. 



D. SKIMMERS. Rynchopidae. 

 , Birds of general tern-like appearance with very long 



Fig. 72. 



\. 



F^ D, a, 1. 1-5. 

 wings and short, slightly forked tails; bill, excessively com- 

 pressed, both mandibles being thin and knife-like terminal- 

 ly; the lower mandible considerably exceeds the upper in 

 length and is crossed by many oblique ridges, Fig. 72, ; col- 

 or, mainly black above and white beneath. 



a. Skimmers. Rynchops. 

 Characters as above. 



1 BLACK SKIMMER, R. nigar. 18.00 ; beneath, fore- 

 head, tips of secondaries, inner primaries and tail, except- 

 ing middle feathers which are brownish, white; bill, black, 

 basal portion and feet, Vermillion. In winter, brownish 

 above with a broad white collar crossing neck. Young, with 

 the feathers of head and back more or less tipped with white 

 and the tail is tipped with brownish. These singular birds 

 are found resting on sand bars in large flocks during the day 

 and, when startled, move with an eccentric flight, with long, 



