968 BIRDS. 



de mer h aigrettes, St. inca, Less, and Gam,, from the coast of 

 Peru, Voy. de la Coq., Zool. pi. 47, which is black; red bill and 

 feet ; a band on the cheek, and the feathers of the ear pendent and 

 white *. 

 We may also distinguish from the other Terns, 

 The Noddies, 

 Whose tail is not forked, and is nearly as long as the wings. There is a 

 slight projection under their bill, the first indication of that in the Mauves. 

 But one species is known, 



St. stolida,J^.; Noddi noir, Enl. 997, (The Noddy), which is 

 a blackish brown, top of the head whitish. Celebrated amongst 

 navigators for the blundering manner in which it throws itself on 

 vessels f. 



Rhynchops, Lin. 



The Skimmers, or Scissor Bills, resemble the Terns in their small feet, 

 long wings and forked tail, but are not distinguished from all birds by 

 their extraordinary bill, the upper mandible of which is shorter than the 

 other, both being flattened so as to form simple blades, which meet with- 

 out clasping. Their only mode of feeding is by skimming their aliment 

 from the surface of the water with the lower mandible, which they effect 

 while on the wing. One species, 



Rhym. nigra, L., Enl. 357, (The Black Skimmer), is white^ 

 with a black mantle and calotte ; a white band on the wing ; outside 

 of the external quills of the tail white ; bill and feet red ; hardly as 

 large as a pigeon. It inhabits the seas near the Antilles J. 



FAMILY III. 



THE TOPIPALMAT^. 



This family is characterized by a remarkable peculiarity, that of 

 having their thumb united with the other toes by means of a single mem- 

 brane, and yet, despite this organization, which renders their feet most 

 perfect oars — the only birds amongst the Palmipedes possessing the pecu- 



• Add of Europ. Spec: St. Dougalii, Montag.; Vieill., Gal. 290;— 5^ angUca, Id., 

 or aranea, Wils. VIII, Lxxii, 6; — St. arctica, Tem.; — St. leucopareia, Natter.; — St. 

 leucoptera, Tem., Schinz. Ois. de Suisse, frontisp. 



Of spec, foreign to Europe: St. cay ana, Enl. 998; — St. vielanauchen, Tem. Col. 427; 

 — St. melanogasler, Id. Col. 434; — St. fiiUginosa, Wils. 



f The St. phillippevsis, (Sonner. Voy. I, pi. Ixxxv), does not appear to differ from 

 the stoHcla; — the St. fuscata, Lath., Briss., VF, pi. xxi, 1, also seems to belong to this 

 subgenus, as well as the St. tenuirostris, T. Col. 202. 



-?5j Add Rht/7i. flavirosliis, Vieill. Gal. 291; — Rh. cinerascetis, Spix, CII; — R. breci- 

 rostris, Id. CI 1 1. 



