SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 87 



male, but black duller, or slaty. Young : similar to adult female, but 

 feathers of back bordered with buffy, and blackish of head and neck mot- 

 tled with buffy. Length : 13.50-15.50, wing- 8.50-9.00, bill 2.50, tarsus 4. 



Distribution. The United States, mainly in the western interior, and 

 southward to Brazil and Peru ; north casually to Minnesota and New 

 Brunswick. Breeds from southern Texas to Oregon. 



Nest. A slight depression in the sand or on wet ground ; or eggs laid 

 in a bunch of dry grass. Eggs : 3 to 4, buff or olive brown, thickly spotted 

 with dark brown. 



In spite of its apparently extravagant length of legs the black- 

 necked stilt is a graceful, well-balanced bird, whether stepping 

 daintily over the grass tops, wading in half a foot of water, swim- 

 ming when beyond its depth, or flying with head drawn back and 

 legs straight out behind. As the birds alight they raise their black 

 pointed wings over their white body a moment, assuming a pose 

 that is not only strikingly beautiful but doubtless an important 

 directive and recognition signal. Sometimes when quietly feeding 

 one will lift its wings in this way, without apparent reason. 



Much of the stilt's food is gleaned from the surface of the shallow 

 water or from plant stems rising from it, and its reason for prefer- 

 ing the flooded marsh to the open pond is presumably the greater 

 abundance of minute insect life found among the aquatic plants. 



VEBNON BAILEY. 



FAMILY SCOLOPACID^S : SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 



KEY TO GENERA. 



1. Back of tarsus covered with hexagonal scales . Numenius, p. 101. 

 1'. Back of tarsus with a row of transverse scutellae. 



2. Ears under anterior corner of eyes Philohela, p. 88. 



2'. Ears posterior to eyes or directly under them. 



3. Ears directly under eyes, lower part of thighs naked. 



4. Crown and back broadly striped .... Gallinago, p. 88. 

 4'. Crown and back mottled, not striped. 



Macrorhamphus, p. 89. 

 3'. Ears posterior to eyes. 



4. Hind toe wanting Calidris, p. 94. 



4'. Hind toe present. 



5. No trace of web between toes. 



6. Bill longer than middle toe and claw . . Tringa, p. 90. 

 6'. Bill shorter than middle toe and claw . Tryngites, p. 100. 

 5'. A distinct web between middle and one or both lateral toes. 

 6. Tail much graduated, about half as long as wing. 



Bartramia, p. 99. 

 6'. Tail not much graduated, not nearly half as long as wing. 



7. Bill longer than tail Limosa, p. 95. 



7'. Bill shorter than tail. 



8. Bill distinctly widened and roughened at tip. 



Micropalama, p. 90. 



