586 CLASS AVES. 



Famous among sailors for the blundering with which 

 it precipitates itself against ships. 



The St. PhilippensiSi Son. 1st Vol. pi. 85, does 

 not appear to differ from Stolida. St. Fuscator, 

 Lath. Briss. vj. pi. 21, appears also to belong to this 

 subgenus, as well as St. Tenuirostris^ Tern. Col. 

 202. 



The Skimmers. Rhynchops, L. 



Resemble the sea-swallows, by their little feet, their 

 long wings, and forked tail ; but are to be distin- 

 guished from aU other birds by their extraordinary 

 bill, in which the upper mandible is shortest, and 

 both are flatted into simple laminae, with the edges 

 corresponding. They can feed only on what they 

 snatch from the surface of the water, in flying, with 

 their lower mandible. 



Black Skimmer. Rhynchops Nigra. L. Enl. 357. 



White, with black thighs and mantle, and a white 

 band on the wing, and the external quills of the tail 

 white outwardly j the bill and feet are red, and it is 

 scarcely so big as a pigeon. It inhabits the seas of 

 the Antilles. Lath. Hist. t. Coupeur d'Eau, 

 Azara, n. 408. 



Yellow-hilled Skimmer. Rhyn. Flamrostris. Vieill. 

 Gal. 291. 



Body, above, brownish-grey ; beneath, white. Senegal. 



