560 . SCOLOPACID.E. 



HiMANTOPUs. Generic Characters. — Beak long, slender, cylindrical, flat- 

 tened at the base, compressed at tlie point, both mandibles grooved on the sides 

 along the basal half of their length. Nostrils lateral, linear, elongated. Legs 

 very long and slender, three toes in front, the middle toe united to the outer toe 

 by a membrane of considerable size, and to the interior toe by a membrane of 

 smaller size ; claws or nails very small, flat. Wings very long, the first quill- 

 feather considerably the longest in the wing. 



Sir Robert Sibbald first recorded the Black Winged 

 Stilt as a visiter to these islands from two specimens that 

 were killed, in Scotland, and. Mr. Don, in his account of the 

 native plants and the animals of Forfarshire, has noticed two 

 others, also killed in Scotland, one on the mountains of 

 Clova, and the other on Ben Lawers in Perthshire. The 

 appearance of this bird, though not unfrequent, is still acci- 

 dental, and seems to have no reference to any particular 

 season of the year. Mr. Thompson of Belfast mentions that 

 one of these birds was seen by Mr. Robert Ball at Youghall, 

 in the winter of 1823. Montagu, in his supplement, notices 

 one that was killed at Anglesea. It has been obtained in 

 Devonshire, and in Dorsetshire, the latter near Poole. Mr. 

 William Borrer, Jun. sent me word that an adult specimen 

 had been shot near Havants in Hampshire, which had been 

 prepared, and was now in the possession of F. Hopkins, Esq. 

 of Hubborne Lodge, near Christchurch. White of Selborne 

 notices five that Avere killed out of a flock of six, that visited 

 Frinsham Pond, a large piece of water lying between Wolmer 

 Forest and the town of Farnham, during the last week of 

 April 1779; and Pennant mentions one that was obtained 

 near Oxford. 



Of some specimens killed in Norfolk, the Rev. Richard 

 Lubbock sent me an account as follows. " On the ninth of 

 June 1822, I was returning in the evening from fishing upon 

 Hickling Broad, when a bird of this species flew past the 

 boat within thirty yards. The legs were extended behind, 

 even more in proportion than those of a Heron ; the wings 



