xli. 



Family 4. RECURVIROSTRIDAE. Avocets and Stilts. 



These Ion"- slender billed birds, with the bill turning upward, are striking in appearance. Their 

 long legs make true waders of them, while the long bill enables them to read the bottom of the shal- 

 low water without the necessity of immersing the whole head and neck. 



I. Bill over 3.25. 252. American Avocet. 



II. Bill under 2.50. 253. Black-necked Stilt. 



Family 5. PHALAROPODIDAE. Phalaropes. 



The Phalaropes are essentially sea birds, but they pass to and fro across the country, sometimes 

 resting on the smaller waters. They swim readily. The female is the larger and brighter colored, 

 contrary to the general rule among birds. 



I. Bill over i inch long. 256. Wilson Phalarope. 



II. Bill under I inch long. 



A Wing under 5.00. 255. Northern Phalarope. 



B. Wing over 5.00. 254. Red Phalarope. 



ORDER 12. LOXGIPENNES. Gulls, Terns, Jaegers. 



Family i. STERCORARIIDAE. Jaegers. 



The Jaegers are the hawks among the Longipennes. They combine great powers of flight with 

 the nature of a bully, stealing the fiish from Gulls and Terns in preference to catching it them- 

 selves. They reach Ohio only during the migrations or as wanderers from other localities. 



I. Length over 20 inches, middle tail feathers not pointed. 257. Pomarine Jeager. 



II. Length under 18 inches, middle tail feathers pointed. 258. Parasitic Jaeger. 



Family 2. LARIDAE. Gulls and Terns. 



The members of this family agree in having long, pointed wings, and a 'bill without a hook 

 at its tip. The subfamilies differ enough in form and habits to deserve separate treatment. 



Subfamily i. LARINAE. Gulls. 



The Gulls comprise the larger members of the family Laridae. They differ from the Terns 

 in having a square tail, a bill slightly bent down, and the head either wholly black or without 

 black on the crown. They fly with the bill pointing forward in a line with the body. They snatch 

 fish or refuse from the surface of the water, often alighting upon the water, but do not dive for 

 fish, as the Terns do. 



I. Length over 23 inches. 



A. Back dark slaty. 261. Great Blackjacked Gull. 



B. Back pearl-gray. 



r. Black on outer primaries. 262. Herring Gull. 



2. No black on the primaries. 260. Iceland Gull. 



C. Back usually grayish or brownish, usually marked with 



darker, 

 i. Tail dark. 



a. Wing over 18 inches. 261. Great Black-backed Gull. 



b. Wing under 18 inches. 262. Herring Gull. 

 2 Tail light. 260. Iceland Gull. 



II. Length under 20 inches. 



A. Tail pure white. 



1. Head and neck slaty-black. 



a. Outer primary mostly black. 265. Sabine Gull. 



b. Outer primajy mostly white. 264. Bonaparte Gull. 



2. Head and neck white, or washed with pearl gray. 259. Kittiwake. 



3. Bill crossed by a dark band. 263. Ring-billed Gull. 



B. Tail marked with black. 



1. Hind toe without a nail. 259. Kittiwake. 



2. Hind toe with a nail. 264. Bonaparte Gull. 



Subfamily 2. STERNINAE. Terns. 



All of the Terns found in Ohio have deeply forked tails. They fly with the bill pointing 

 downward instead of forward, and dive from over the water for fish which may be seen under 

 the surface. The bill is almost straight and sharply pointed. Most of our species have me top 

 of the head and neck jet black in full plumage. Thev usually nest in colonies on the sand and 

 gravel of the beach, or in the mar-hes upon floating decaying vegetation. 



