STILTS. 



485 



by at least the third and fourth toes being united at their bases by a membrane. 

 The genera of this subfamily are largely characteristic of the Arctic and Temperate 

 regions of the globe ; the great majority having a circumpolar distribution. 



The stilts, or stilt-plovers (Himantopus), derive their title from the extreme 

 elongation of their slender legs, which recall those of the jacanas and parras. 

 Belonging to a group of four genera, collectively characterised by the metatarsus 

 being reticulated on all sides, the stilts are specially distinguished by the length 

 of the metatarsus, which is equal to or greater than that of the long, slender, and 

 nearly straight beak, by the absence of the first toe, the slight webbing of the 

 front toes, and the black plumage of the upper-parts. The wings of these birds 

 are long and pointed, with the first quill the longest ; the tail is rounded ; a large 

 portion of the tibia is bare ; and the bill is slightly curved upwards at the point, 

 with the nostrils at the sides of its base slit-like in form. The genus includes six 

 well-defined species and a 

 variety, which are distri- 

 buted over Southern 

 Europe and Asia, Africa, 

 Australasia, and a con- 

 siderable part of America, 

 although wanting in the 

 northern regions of that 

 continent. A single 

 species, the black-winged 

 stilt (H. candidus), which 

 is an occasional visitor to 

 Britain, inhabits Southern 

 Europe, and may be dis- 

 tinguished from its allies 

 by having in the adult condition the whole of the head and neck white, although 

 immature examples have some black on the crown of the head and back of the 

 neck. In the adult male, which measures from 13 to 14 inches in length, the 

 upper-parts and wings are black, glossed with green on the back ; the upper tail- 

 coverts and tail are pearly grey ; while the whole of the rest of the plumage is 

 pure white ; the beak being black, and the iris, legs, and feet crimson. Resident 

 in India, this bird visits Burma in the winter, and straggles as far east as New 

 Zealand ; while in summer it resorts to Southern Europe, and is found at all 

 seasons in many parts of Africa. One of its nearest allies is the Australian 

 stilt (H. leucocephalus), in which the back of the neck is black, with a white 

 collar separating it from the dark area of the black. Of the South American 

 species, the Chilian stilt (H. brasiliensis), which winters in Brazil, has the black 

 of the neck extending forwards beneath the eye. 



Stilts are essentially marsh-birds, although they always keep to open water, 

 in which they may be seen standing up to their knees on the look-out for insects, 

 molluscs, tadpoles, etc. ; their most favourite resorts being lagoons, where the water 

 is brackish. They are generally found in small parties, and whether on land, in 

 the water, or in the air, are remarkable for their graceful appearance. They walk 



HEAD OP CHILIAN STILT. 



(From Sclater, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1873.) 



