NATATORES — LORID.E — RHYNCHOPS. 
297 
FAMILY LARI DYE. 
Bill rather longer than the head, hard, straight or only curved at the point, compressed, 
rarely cylindrical, acute ; margin without denticulations. Wings very long. Legs in 
or near the equilibrium. The three anterior toes united. Hind toe smalls free, sometimes 
represented by a nail only or altogether wanting. 
GENUS RHYNCHOPS. Linnaeus. 
Bill flattened on the sides, and truncated at the point in the form of a blade; the edges of 
the upper mandible approaching, and hollowed in the form of a gutter : upper mandible 
shortest. Nostrils pervious, placed on the lower edge of the upper mandible. Webs of 
the toes emarginate. Hind toe touching the ground at the tip. Wings much longer than, 
the forked tail, which is composed of twelve feathers. 
THE BLACK SKIMMER. 
Rhynchops nigra. 
PLATE CXXIII. FIG. 272. 
(STATE COLLECTION.) 
Rhynchops nigra , LlNNiEUS, p. 229. Cutwater Skimmer , Pennant, Arct. Zool. Yol. 2, p. 5221 
R id., Black Skimmer. Wilson, Am. Om. Vol. 7, p. 85, pi. 60, fig. 4. Bonap. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 352. 
R. id. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 264. Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 7, p. 67, pi. 428. Giraud, Birds of Long: 
island, p. 346. 
Characteristics. Black ; beneath white tinged with roseate. Bill and feet red: the former 
dusky at the point. Female : tail-feathers white. Young : a broad 
mottled greyish band on the back of the neck. Length, 18 - 0. 
Description. Lower mandible with numerous parallel oblique elevated lines on its sides,, 
becoming obsolete towards the tip; at the base, an obtuse angle, and from this angle to the 
tip (in the female) 3'5 inches : depth of both mandibles near the base, l'2. Claws acute 
and curved. Tarsus longer than the middle toe. Wings 13'0 - 15‘0 long. Tail forked. 
Color. Upper part of the head, neck, back, scapulars and wings glossy brownish black. 
Secondaries white on their inner vanes, and tipped with the same. Tail-coverts black, bor¬ 
dered with white. Tail-feathers white ; brownish along their shafts. Forehead, chin, sides 
of the head, neck and all beneath white. In the recent specimens in full plumage, these 
white under parts have a roseate hue, which disappears in the cabinet. Length, 16’0 - 20*0. 
The Shearwater, Razor-bill, Cutwater, Skimmer, Flood Gull, and Skippang, for it is 
known under all these names, reaches our coast from tropical America in May. It breeds 
[Fauna — Part 2.] 38 
