BIRDS OF INDIANA. 695 



stragglers, which occasionally remain until the last of August. The 

 main portion rarely remain as late as the 10th, and are usually gone by 

 the 5th. The males commence their fall moult before they leave; but 

 I have never taken a specimen in which the winter plumage was very 

 evident. 



XVIII. FAMILY RECURVIROSTRIDJE. AVOCETS AND STILTS. 



a 1 . Toes 4; bill carved upward, flattened. RECURVIROSTRA. 44 



a 2 . Toes 3 ; bill nearly straight, not flattened. HIMANTOPUS. 



44. GENUS RECURVIROSTRA LTNN.KUS. 



87. (225). Recurvirostra americana GMEL. 



American Avocet. 



Adult in Summer. White; primaries and scapulars, black; head, 

 neck and breast, mostly light cinnamon. Adult in Winter and Im- 

 mature. Similar; head, neck and breast more or less tinged with 

 bluish-gray. 



Length, 15.50-18.75; wing, 8.90-9.00; bill, 3.40-3.65; tarsus, 3.70- 

 3.80. 



RANGE. Xorth America; Guatemala and West Indies; north to 

 Saskatchewan and Great Slave Lake. Rare on Atlantic coast. Breeds 

 locally from Illinois north. Winters from Gulf coast south. 



Nest, depression in ground in marsh. Eggs, 3-4; brownish-drab, 

 spotted with chocolate; 1.93 by 1.35. 



Rare migrant. I only know of one record for Indiana. Mr. Chas. 

 Dury informs me of a specimen in the collection of the Cuvier Club, 

 Cincinnati, 0., which was taken at "Calumet" Lake, Indiana. It is 

 equally rare in Ohio and Michigan, but perhaps is more often found 

 in Illinois, where Nelson gives it as a rare migrant, in small parties, 

 the last of April and first of May and during September and the first 

 half of October. 



XIX. FAMILY SCOLOPACID.E. SNIPES, SANDPIPIKS, ETC. 



a 1 . Tarsus with long transverse scales in front only ; bill very long, curved down- 

 ward. NUMENIUS. 58 

 a 2 . Tarsus with long, transverse scales both in front and behind. 



fe 1 . Eyes far back, directly above ears; bill long; tip of upper mandible thick- 

 ened ; plumage unchanging. Subfamily SCOLOPACIN^E. 

 c 1 . Thigh entirely feathered; three outer primaries attenuate. 



PHILOMELA. 45 



