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428 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 
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Famitry RECURVIROSTRIDZ. Tue Avosets. 
Legs covered with hexagonal plates, becoming smaller behind; anterior toes all 
connected more or less by membrane; bill much lengthened and attenuated; the 
groove along the side of the upper mandible not extending beyond the middle; 
gums denticulated only at the base. 
In addition to the features above mentioned, these birds are essentially charac- 
terized by the excessive length of the legs, with a very long, slender neck and slen- 
der elongated bill. Of the several genera assigned the family, but two belong to 
the United States, with the following features :— 
RecurvinostRA. — Hind toe present; toes webbed to the claws; bill recurved 
at tip. 
Himanropus. — Hind toe wanting; a short web between middle and outer toes 
at base; bill straight. 
RECURVIROSTRA, Linnzvs. 
Recurvirostra, Linnxus, Syst. Nat. (1744). Gray. (Type R. avocetia, L.) 
Hind toe rudimentary; anterior toes united to the claws by a much emarginated 
membrane; bill depressed, extended into a fine point, which is recurved; tail 
covered by the wings. 
RECURVIROSTRA AMERICANA. — Gmelin. 
The American Avoset. 
Recurvirostra Americana, Gmelin. Syst. Nat., I. (1788) 698. Wils. Am. Orn., 
VII. (1813) 126. Nutt. Man., Il. 78. Aud. Orn. Biog., IV. (1838) 168. b., Birds 
Am., VI. (1848) 247. 
DESCRIPTION. 
Bill rather long, depressed; wings long; legs long; tarsi compressed; tail short. 
Adult. — Head and neck pale reddish-brown, darker on the head, and fading 
gradually into white; back, wing coverts, and quills, black; scapulars, tips of 
greater wing coverts, rump and tail, and entire under parts, white, the last frequently 
tinged with reddish; bill brownish-black; legs bluish. 
Young. — Very similar to the adult, but with the head and neck white, frequently 
tinged with ashy on the head and neck behind; iris carmine. 
Total length, about seventeen inches; wing, eight and a half to nine; tail, three 
and a half; bill to gape, three and three-quarters; tarsus, three and a half inches. 
ane bird is a rare summer visitor in New England 
Iam unacquainted with its habits, having never met 
with one alive; and I must avail myself of the observations 
of others. Wilson says, — 
