KEY TO FAMILIES. 

 a 



Order IX. Limicolse. PHALAROPES, SNIPES, PLOVERS, etc. 



Toes four, or (Plovers) three; the hind toe, when present, less than half 

 the length of the inner one, and always elevated above the others ; legs 

 generally long and slender, the lower half of the tibiae bare ; bill, except 

 in the Plovers, generally long, slender, and soft, the nostrils opening 

 through slits or grooves ; wings long and pointed, the first primary gen- 

 erally the longest. 



FIG. 26. 



I. Tarsus over 3-50. . . . Family Recurvirostridce : STILTS and AVOCETS, 

 p. 149. 



II. Tarsus under 3 - 50. 



A. Sides of the toes with lobes or webs. . . . Family Phalaropodidce : 

 PHALAROPES (Fig. 26, a), p. 147. 



B. Sides of the toes without lobed webs. 



a. Toes four (except in the Sanderling) ; front of the tarsus with 

 transverse, more or less square, scales. . . . Family Scolopacidce, : 

 SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, etc. (Fig. 25, a, b ; Fig. 26, J, c), p. 150. 



b. Whole lower back white, a black band across the rump. . . . 

 Family Aphrizidce : TURNSTONES, etc., p. 176. 



c. Toes three (except in the Black-bellied Plover) ; front of the 

 tarsus with small, rounded scales. 



c 1 . Bill under 2 - 00. . . . Family Charadriidtx : PLOVERS (Fig. 25, 



c,d; Fig. 26, d, ), p. 171. 

 c a . Bill over 2 - 00. . . . Family Hcvmatopodidce : OYSTER-CATCHERS, 



p. 177. 



