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340 



I'U^UUCIAL iHtALLATOUES — LLMICOL.E. 



Family KI'X'rHVIKOSTIUD.E. — Tiik Avocets and Stilts. 



The lii'vnrr trout ridiv, in aiUliticm to tlu' featuivs already mL'UtinnL'd (see p. lOS), 

 are characterized hy the excessive length of the h'ys, with very hiii},' slender nei k 

 and snhiilate, elimjiated Itill. The plumage has the same dense, soft character a> 

 that of the J'/uilarojiodula; Fidicimr, and Loiiiiipamm. 



The threi' kuuwn genera, only two of which occur in America, differ as follows : — 



A. lliml tciu invsciit. 



1. Reourvirostra. Aiiti'iior toi-.s all wl'1)Ikm1 ; Ijill lecurveil. 



B. lliml tiH- Wiintiiiu. 



■1. Cladorhynchus.' Toes all wcbljcd ; l)ili perfectly straight, excessively depressed ; tarsus 



liiit little if any Ioniser than bill. 

 ;{. HimautopuB. X(» welj between inner ami middle toes, and web between onter ami 



middle tdis nuite small ; bill very sli,i;litly recurved from the middle, cylindrical m 



scarcely dei)ressed ; tarsus much liinner than the bill. 



Genus REOURVIROSTRA, Lixnveus. 



Jli'f It rvi rostra, LiNN. .Syst. Nat. cd. 10, I. 1758, liil (tyiio J{. iivocctta, L.). 



Char. lliml toe rudimentary, but distinct ; anterior toes united to the claws by a nuuh 

 emar^^inateil membrane. IJill depressed, decidedly recurved, extended into a fine point, whicj] is 

 slightly decurved. Tail covered by the winj,'s. 



R. americana. 



The species of Avocet are few in nundier, there Ww^ one jKculiar to North America, Souili 

 America, Australia, and Eurojie, respectively. The two Americun species may be distinguislad 

 us follows : — 



> Cladorhynchus, G. R. Guay, Gen. U. III. 1840, 577, \\. 155, fig. 1 (type, Lcplorhynchtis pcdoraUs. 

 Di: Bus). 



