322 Synopsis of the Birds 



legs ; at ease only on sinking soil, for which their feet 

 are admirably calculated : wade deeply in the mud and water, 

 swim ning occasionally when losing their depth. 



Spread all over the globe. Formed of but two well ascer- 

 tained species, one of which is reckoned as cosmopolite, 

 though we cannot trace it in America. Ought not to separate 

 Tringa from Totanus : somewhat anomalous in iheir most 

 natural family r'forms, in our system, a small solitary collate- 

 ral branch, to which might be joined the genus Recurvi- 

 rostra. 



258. Himantopus ntgricollis, Vieill. White, neck above, 

 scapulars and wings black.* 



Long-legged Avocet, Recurvirostra himantopus, Wils. vii. 

 p. AH.pl. v>.fig. l. 



Inhabits North and South America : not rare during sum- 

 mer in the northern and middle states. 



53. TOTANUS. 



Tringa, Scnlopax, L. Gm. Lath. Wils. Tringa, Briss. 

 Chevaliers, Bvffon. Jlctitis, III. Tutanus, Bechst. Cuv. Temm. 

 Vieill. Ranz. 



Btll moderate, slender, sub-cylindrical, straight, or a little 

 recurved, much compressed its whole length, flexible at base, 

 narrow, hard, smooth, acutp, and a little curved at the point ; 

 both mandibles furrowed each side to the middle ; lower 

 shorter, somewhat recurved at tip : nostrils in the furrows, 

 basal, lateral, linear, pervious : tongue moderate, filiform, 

 acute. FKt.T 4-toed ; tarsus long, slender ; toes slender, 

 smooth beneath; outer connected at base by a membrane; 

 hind toe short, slender, much elevated, touching the ground 



* Himantopus melanopterus, Meyer, (albicollis, Vieill.) White, scapulars 

 ^nd winsrs black. 



