194 HISTORY OF THE 



GENUS SYMPHEMIA RAFIXKSCJUE. 



"Bill compressed, very thick, the ciihnen rounded. The lower mandible 

 scarcely grooved, the upper grooved to about the middle. Culinen slightly con- 

 vex; gonys ascending. Bill cleft but little beyond base of culmen. Feathers 

 of sides of both mandibles falling short of the nostrils, the lower rather farther 

 forward. Chin feathers reaching to middle of nostrils. Bill longer than head: 

 about equal to tarsus, which is more than one and one-half times the middle 

 toe; both toes webbed; the emargination of inner web as far forward as the 

 middle of basal joint of middle toe, the outer reaching nearly to the end. Bare 

 portion of tibia rather less than middle toe without claw. Tail nearly even, or 

 little rounded, not half the wings." 



Symphemia semipalmata inornata BREWST. 



WESTERN WILLET. 

 PLATE XI. 



Not uncommon. Arrive about the first of May; a few remain 

 during the summer months, in the western part of State, and 

 without doubt occasionally breed there. 



B. . R. . C. . G. , . U. 258a. 



HABITAT. Western North America, east to the Mississippi 

 valley, Gulf States, and sparingly along the coast of the south- 

 ern Atlantic States; south in winter to Mexico; north to about 

 latitude 56, breeding from the Gulf coast northward, chiefly 

 within the United States. 



This subspecies recently added to the A. O. U. list proves 

 to be our Kansas bird, and not / semipalmata, as heretofore 

 given. The following descriptions point out the difference ex- 

 isting, and upon which Mr. Brewster based the separation, viz. : 



SP. CHAK. Largest of American Scolopacidce, except genera Numenius and 

 Limosa. Primaries black, with nearly the basal half white, producing a very 

 conspicuous patch on the spread wing. Summer adult: Above, light brownish 

 gray, streaked on the head and neck, and spotted and barred on the back, etc.? 

 with blackish; beneath, white, tinged with ashy on foreneck and with buff along 

 sides, the former, with jugulum, spotted with dusky, and the latter barred with 

 the same; upper tail coverts white; tail ashy, more or less distinctly mottled 

 transversely with a deeper shade of the same; wing coverts plain ash gray; axil- 

 lars and lining of wing plain sooty black. Winter plumage: Above, plain ash 

 gray; beneath, immaculate dull white, the foreneck shaded with grayish. Young: 

 Above, brownish gray, the feathers margined with pale ochraceous; sides much 

 tinged with the same, and finely mottled transversely with grayish. Bill black; 

 legs and feet grayish. In life, bill light blue, dusky toward end; iris brown; 

 feet light blue, claws black. 



SUBSP. CIIAK. Male and female, breeding plumage: Differing from 8. semi- 

 palmata in being larger, with a longer, slenderer bill; the dark markings above 



