AMERICAN AVOSET. 173 
Recurvrirostra Americana, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 787.—Ch. Bonaparte, Sy- 
nopsis of Birds of United States, p. 394. 
American AvosET, Recurvrrostra Americana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. 
p. 126, pl. 63, fig. 2. 
Recurvirostra Americana, Richards. and Swains., Fauna Bor.-Amer. vol. ii. p. 
375. 
American Avoset, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 74. 
Adult Male. Plate CCCXVIII. Fig. 1. 
Bill more than twice the length of the head, very slender, much de- 
pressed, tapering to a point, and slightly recurved. Upper mandible, 
with the dorsal line straight for half its length, then a little curved 
upwards, and at the tip slightly decurved, the ridge broad and flattened, 
the edges rather thick, the nasal groove rather long and very narrow. 
Nostrils linear, basal, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long 
and very narrow, the dorsal line slightly curved upwards, the point 
very slender, extremely thin and a little curved upwards. 
Head small, rounded above, rather compressed. Neck long. Body 
compact, ovate. Legs very long, slender; tibia elongated, bare for 
half its length, and reticulated ; tarsus very long, compressed, reticu- 
lated with hexagonal scales; toes rather short, the first extremely 
small ; outer toe a little longer than inner; the anterior toes connected 
by webs of which the anterior margin is deeply concave, the lateral 
toes thickly margined. Claws very small, compressed, rather blunt. 
Plumage soft and blended. Wings long, of moderate breadth, 
pointed ; primaries straightish, tapering, the first longest, the rest ra- 
pidly graduated ; secondaries broad, incurved, the outer rounded, the 
rest becoming pointed, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, 
even, of twelve rather narrow, rounded feathers. 
Bill black. Iris bright carmine. Feet light blue, webs flesh-co- 
loured towards their edges, claws black. Head, neck, and fore part of 
breast, reddish-buff, the parts around the base of the bill and the eye, 
nearly white. The back is white; but on its fore part is a longitudi- 
nal band of brownish-black elongated feathers on each side, and the 
inner scapulars are of the same colour, the outer and the anterior edge 
of the wing being white. The wing brownish-black, with a broad 
band of white formed by the tips of the secondary coverts, four of the 
inner secondaries, and the basal part, with the inner webs and outer 
edges of the rest. The under parts white, excepting some of the pri- 
mary quills and some of their coverts. which are greyish-brown. 
Length to end of tai 18 inches, to end of wings 184, to end of claws 
