RECUUVIUOSTRID.E — THE AVOCET8 AND STILTS. <5 



Hab. Temporato North Amtirioa: north to tho Raskatchowan and Great Slave Lake, 

 south (in wintor) to Guatnmaln, Cuba, anil Jamaica. Much rarer in the Eastern than in tho 

 Western Province. 



Sp. Char. Wings (except si'oondaries, terminal halt of greater coverts, and inner 

 secondaries), inner scnpular.s, and adjoining fi'athers of the back, brownish black: lower 

 parts, rump, outiT scapulars, and middle of the back white; tail ashy white or pale ashy. 

 Adult in siuumor: Head, neck, and breast, light cinnamon, becoming white around tho bill 

 and fading gradually into the white of thebodr. Tertials brownish giay. AdnlHand young) 

 in iriuti'r: Head. neck, and breast, white, more or less tinged with pale liluish gray,especi- 

 ally on crown and nape. Young: Primaries slightly tipped with whitish; scapulars and 

 feathers of back tipped ur transversely mottled with pale fulvous or buff. Crown dullgray- 

 ish; nape tinged with light rufous. Total length, about 17.011 to 18.75 inches; extent. 30. OU 

 to36.00; wing, 8.50-9.00; culmen, S.40-3.C5; tarsus, 3. 7O-3.S0; middle toe, l.CO-1.70. Bill deep 

 black; iris, deep brown; legs and feet ashy blue. 



The intonsity of the cinnamon-color on the head and neck varies 

 with the individual; sometimes there is a dusky gray suffusion 

 around the eye, this being especially characteristic of younger 

 birds. 



Mr. Nelson says that in the northeastern portion of Illinois, 

 the Avocet "generally occurs in small parties the last of April 

 and first of May, and during September and the first of Oc- 

 tober," and that it "frequents the borders of marshy pools." 



Genus HIMANTOPUS Brisson. 



Hmiantopus Bbiss. Orn. vi, 1760,33. Typo, Charadriux hiwantopus Linn. 



Chab. Hind toe wanting; outer and middle toes conneet<'d at the liase by a short wob; 

 the inner toe completely separated from the middle. Bill subulate, deeper than broad, 

 slightly upturned toward the end. Legs excessively lengthened, the bare part of the tibia 

 about half as long as the tarsus, which greatly e.xcoeds tho bill in length, the latter being 

 nearly twice the length of tho middle toe. 



The Stilts have much the same range as the Avocets, but the 

 species are more numerous, there being at the present time about 

 seven recognized by authorities. Like RccHrvirostra, the genus 

 nhnantoptix is represented in America by two very distinct spe- 

 cies; one belonging to North, Central, and northern South 

 America, the other peculiar to (he southern portion of the 

 southern continent. 



