GO 



SHORE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



Symphenria gemlpaluiata. 



GENUS SYMPHEMIA RAF. 



SYHPHEniA SEniPALflATA (Gme/.). 



Willet. 



HUMILITY. STONR CURLEW. 



Adult in summer : Upper plumage, gray, streaked 

 on the head with dark brown, and the central portion 

 of many of the feathers has the back blotched with 

 brown ; chin, white ; throat, white, dotted with brown ; 

 under parts, dull white, the feathers on the sides 

 barred with brown and washed with tawny ; axillars, 

 black; bill, bluish, dusky toward end. 



Adult in winter : Bill, nearly straight ; upper plum- 

 age, gray, showing faint indications of whitish on the 

 tips of some of the feathers on the back ; chin, whit- 

 ish ; throat, ashy gray ; the rest of under parts, white, 

 showing ashy on the sides of the body ; axillars, 

 smoky black. The broad, white band on the wings 

 is a distinguishing character of this bird when flying, 

 formed by the basal portion of 

 the primaries and some of the 

 secondaries being white. 



Length, 15.50; wing, 8.10; 

 tarsus, 2.30; bill, 2 to 2.30. 



Ranges throughout tem- 

 p e r a t e North America, 

 south to the West Indies 

 and South America. It 

 breeds from New England 

 to Florida, although it 

 does not breed commonly 

 north of the Carolinas. 

 It is a very common 

 species in Florida, where 

 it .frequents the beaches 

 and marshes, where its 

 broad, white wing band 

 and peculiar whistle will 



always distinguish it from other species. 



The eggs are three in number, sometimes four, deposited on the ground 



with scarcely any indication of a nest. They are pale buff in color, spotted 



with chocolate brown, heaviest on the larger end. 



.Symphctnia seinipalmata. 



