108 PR.ECOCIAL GRALLATURES — LIMICOL.E. 



Charadriidse. Size large to very small. Bill slender or small, straight, always shorter than 



tin- tarsus. 

 Anarhyuchidse. Size small. Bill slender, curved to one side, equal to the tarsus. 

 CBdiciiemidae. Size very large (much the largest birds of the order). Tarsus nearly three 



tiiaes as long as the middle toe, covered in front with hexagonal scales. Plumage very 



plain, conspicuously streaked or striped above. 



D. Characters mnch the same as given for section " C," but toes, including the hallux, exceed- 



ingly lengthened, the claws also very much lengthened ; scutellation of legs much as in 

 the Rallidio. 

 Parridae. Size medium or rather small. Claws very long and compressed, nearly straight, 

 that of the hallux equal to or longer than its digit, linear, and slightly recurved. Bend 

 of the wing (head of metacarpus) armed with a sharp conical horny spur. 



E. Bill exceedingly variable, — short or long, straight, slightly recurved, or decidedl}' decurved, 



but us\ially more or less expanded laterally at the end, which is more or less sensitive. 

 Hind toe usually present, rarely absent. 

 Scolopacidae. Tarsus rounded in front, where clothed with a single row of transverse 

 scut.dhe. 



F. Bill subulate (except in Phalaropus). Toes either partly webbed, or fringed by a lateral, 



usually lohed, margin. Plumage peculiarly soft and compact for this order, resembling 



greatly in this respect that of the Lonrjipemies. Tarsi compressed, the anterior edge sharp. 

 Phalaropodidae. Size small ; tarsi and bill rather short, or but moderately lengthened ; toes 



edged willi a lateral, usually scalloped, margin. 

 Recurvirostridae. Si/.e large ; tarsi and IjiU very long ; toes partly webbed, and without 



scallopped margin. 



Family H.EM ATOPODID/E. — The Oyster Catchers. 



Hccmatnpiiia; " G. li. GR-iY, IStO." 



Bamalopodiiia:, "G. R. Gray, 1841;" Handl. III. 1S71, 21. 



Ostraleginiv, "Reich. 1849." 



This family is characterized by the large size of the hirds which compose it, 

 their long, extremely compressed, almost knife-like and nearly truncate bill ; their 

 roljtist legs and feet, the former covered in front with hexagonal scales, the latter 

 destitute of a hind toe, and having a well-developed web between the outer 

 and middle toes, at their base. Properly restricted, it includes only the genus 

 Emmatopus, the characters of which are the same as tliose of the family. 



Genus H^MATOPXJS, Linnaeus. 



Scrmnfopvs, LiNX. S. N. ed. 10, 1758, 152 ; cd. 12, 17(36, 257 (type, II. ostmk-ijiis, LiXN.). 



Ostmlcga, Brass. Oni. Y. 1760, 38 (same type). 



Melanibtjx, Reich. Handh. 1853, p. xii (type, H. niijer, Pai.l. ). 



Synopsis of North American Species. 



Com. Char. Bill bright red in life (dull reddish or yellowish in dried skins) ; head, neck, 

 and most of upper parts blackish (in some species entire plumage blackish). 



A. Phimaric parti-colored (uMte and blacldsli). 



I. H. ostralegus. Entire rump white ; back and wings black, like the neck and breast ; iris 



