350 BIRDS. 



der walking painful to them, are what principally distinguish the species 

 of this subgenus, and give rise to their name. 



One species only is known in Europe, — Charadrius himantopus, 

 L., Enl. 878, which is white, with a black calotte and mantle, and 

 long red feet ; it is a rare bird, whose habits are but imperfectly 

 known *. 

 This is perhaps the only place for the 



Recurvirostra, Lin. 



Or the Avosets, although their feet, which are webbed nearly to the ends 

 of the toes, almost entitle them to a situation among the_Palmipedes, yet 

 their high tarsi and half naked legs, their long, slender, pointed, smooth, 

 and elastic bill, together with their mode of life resulting from this con- 

 formation, equally approximate them to the Snipes. What particularly 

 characterizes, and even distinguishes them from all other birds, is the 

 strong upward curve of their bill. Their legs are reticulated, and their 

 thumb much too short to reach the ground. 



The European species, — Recurv. avocetta, L., Enl. 353, is white; 

 a black calotte and three bands on the wing of the same hue ; feet 

 lead-coloured ; it is a pretty bird of a graceful form, found in winter 

 on the sea-shore. The American species, — R. americana, Wils. 

 VII, Ixiii, 2; Leach, Zool. Misc., pi. 101, diifers from it in a red 

 hood. 



The coasts of the Indian seas produce a third, which is white, 

 with black wings and red feet, the R. orientalis, Cvcv.\ 



FAMILY V. 



MACRODACTYLI. 



This family is furnished with very long toes, fitted for walking on the 

 grass of marshes, and even for swimming, in those numerous species 

 especially, in which they are bordered. There are no membranes, how- 

 ever, between the bases of their toes, not even between the external ones. 

 The bill, more or less compressed on the sides, is lengthened or shortened 

 according to the genus, never, however, becoming as slender or as weak 

 as that of the preceding family. The body of these birds is also singu- 

 larly compressed, a circumstance which is owing to the narrowness of the 

 sternum ; their wings are moderate or'short, and their flight feeble. They 

 all have a lono: thumb. 



» Add. Him. nigrkollis, Wils. VII, pi. Iviii, 2, and Vieill. Gal. pi. 229._ 

 f Vieillot has changed this name into Recuivir. leucocephala, Gal. pi. 2i 



