HIMANTOPUS. BIRDS. 287 



F. pygmceus, Pigmy Curlew, Perm. Head and occiput dusky brown, 

 divided by two longitudinal rufous bands ; back and scapulars black, 

 edged with rufous ; quills and outer tail-feathers margined with 

 white; body beneath and rump white. 6J inches long. Inha- 

 bits Europe. B. Shaw, xii. pi. 6. The only species of the genus. 



Gen. 4. HIMANTOPUS, Briss. Charadrius, Lin. 



Bill long, slender, cylindrical, flattened at the base, compressed 

 at the point ; mandibles laterally channelled to the half of 

 their length ; nostrils lateral, linear, long ; legs very long and 

 slender, with three toes before, of which the intermediate is 

 united to the outer by a broad membrane, and to the inner 

 by a rudimentary one ; claws very small and flat ; wings 

 very long, the first much longer than the others. 



H. melanopterus, Meyer. Black-winged Long-Shanks. Face, neck, 



breast, and lower parts white, with a slight rose tint on the breast 



and belly ; occiput and nape blackish, with white spots ; back and 



wings black, with greenish reflections; tail ash-coloured; legs very 



long. 1 4 inches long. Inhabits Europe. B. Shaw, xii. pi. 23. 



This is the longest legged bird in proportion of any known species, its limbs being, 



in fact, thrice as long as its body, and extremely slender. Though generally spread 



over the world, it is scarce in many countries. In Britain it is very rare. 



H. nigricollis, Vieill. (Recurvirostra himantopus, Wils.) Body 

 black above ; forehead and lower parts white ; tail ash-coloured ; 

 bill black ; legs red. N. America. Wilsons Amer. Orn. pi. 58. 



Gen. 5. H^EMATOPUS, Lin. 



Bill long, stout, compressed, tip much compressed and cuneat- 

 ed ; nostrils lateral, longitudinally cleft in the channel of the 

 bill ; legs strong and muscular, with three toes before, the 

 middle one united to the first joint, and the inner margined 

 by a rudimentary membrane ; wings middle-sized, the first 

 quill longest. 



H. ostralegus, Lin. The Oyster-Catcher. Head, neck, top of the 

 breast, back, wings, and tail, deep black ; collar, under the throat, 

 rump, origin of the quill and tail-feathers, and all the lower parts 

 white ; bill and naked circle round the eyes orange. 15^ inches 

 long. Inhabits coasts of Europe, B. Shaw, xi. pi. 36. 

 This species feeds on marine insects, shell-fish, and mollusca, and derives its 



name from insinuating its bill into the open shells of oysters. 



H. palliatus, Tern. Differs from the preceding in the brown ash- 

 colour of the back, scapulars, and wings, and larger bill. In- 

 habits South America Tern. Man. 532. 



H. nigcr, Cuv. Plumage totally black ; bill and legs coral red. A 

 little larger than the common oyster-catcher. Inhabits Africa. 

 Tern. Man. 533. 



Gen. 6. CHARADRIUS, Lin. 

 Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, compressed ; man- 



