TOTANINJE. HIMANTOPUS. 89 



row ; tongue scarcely half the length of the bill, very slen- 

 der, tapering, pointed ; oesophagus narrow ; proventriculus 

 oblong ; stomach elliptical, with the lateral muscles mode- 

 rately thick, the epithelium dense and rugous ; intestine of 

 moderate length, narrow ; coeca rather short, very narrow. 

 Nostrils linear, subbasal. Eyes rather small. Aperture of 

 ear roundish, and rather large. Legs extremely long and 

 slender ; tibia bare for more than half its length ; tarsus 

 very slender, compressed, reticulated with hexagonal scales ; 

 toes of moderate length, slender, scutellate, unless toward 

 the base ; no hind toe ; the inner connected with the middle 

 toe by a very slight web, the outer by a web extending 

 nearly to the second joint ; claws small, slightly arched, 

 compressed, obtuse. Plumage very soft and blended, on the 

 back and wings compact ; wings extremely long, exceeding 

 the tail, narrow, acute, of twenty-eight quills ; the first 

 longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated ; secondaries 

 incurved, some of the inner tapering and elongated ; tail 

 short, nearly even, of twelve feathers. 



These birds fly with rapidity, walk and run with celerity, 

 vibrate their body when standing, are remarkably vociferous, 

 and search the mud and sand for worms, insects, Crustacea, 

 and mollusca, often wading far into the water. The eggs 

 are four, pyriform, and spotted. The males are larger than 

 the females. 



195. HIMANTOPUS MELANOPTERUS. BLACK-WINGED 

 STILT-SHANK. 



In summer, the bill black, the feet vermilion ; the fore- 

 head, cheeks, neck, lower parts, and sides of the body, with 

 the greater part of the back, white ; the breast tinged with 

 rose-colour ; upper part of head and nape greyish-black ; fore 

 part of back, scapulars, and wings, black, glossed with green ; 

 tail ash-grey. The female somewhat smaller, and with the 

 black of the back less glossy. In winter the forehead, a band 

 over the eyes, fore part of neck, breast, sides, abdomen, lower 

 tail-coverts, and the greater part of the back, white ; upper 

 part of the head, nape, and a line below the eye, with the 

 ear-coverts, ash-grey ; hind part of neck pale-grey ; fore part 

 of back, scapulars, and elongated secondaries, brown, the rest 



