250 TOWNSEND'S SURF-BIRD. 



small angular scales all round, those on the fore part larger ; toes four, 

 with numerous scutella, the first very small and placed higher than the 

 rest ; the anterior toes free to the base, distinctly margined on both 

 edges, flat beneath, the inner considerably shorter than the outer, the 

 third a quarter of an inch longer than the latter ; claws rather small, 

 curved, compressed, blunted. 



Plumage full, soft, rather dense, on the neck and lower parts blended. 

 Wings very long, narrow and pointed ; primaries with strong shafts, 

 narrowed towards the end, the first longest, the rest rapidly decreasing ; 

 outer secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded, inner elongated, one of 

 them reaching to an inch and two-thirds of the tip of the longest primary 

 when the wing is closed. Tail rather short, even, of twelve moderately 

 broad, rounded feathers. 



Bill dusky toward the end, orange at the base. Feet bluish-green, 

 claws black. The general colour of the upper parts is a very dark or 

 blackish-grey ; the quills greyish-black ; a broad band of white crosses 

 the wing, occupying the tips of the primary coverts, the terminal third 

 of the secondary coverts, the bases and more or less of the margins 

 and tips of the quills, several of the inner secondaries having only a 

 streak of dusky on the inner web, but the innermost or elongated quills 

 are destitute of white. The shafts of the quills are also white, as are 

 some of the feathers of the rump, the upper tail-coverts, the basal half 

 of the tail, of which the rest is black, the feathers narrowly edged with 

 white at the end ; the black on the tail is narrower on the lateral fea- 

 thers, and on the outer does not occupy much more than half an inch. 

 The throat is greyish- white ; the cheeks, sides, and fore part of the neck, 

 and the anterior part of the breast dull grey, of a lighter tint than the 

 back. The rest of the lower parts white, with small longitudinal ob- 

 longdark grey streaks; the axillaries and lower wing-coverts white, those 

 at the edge of the wing dark grey with white margins. 



Length to end of tail 11 inches ; bill from flexure 1^|, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 1^^^ ; wing from flexure 7^ ; tail Z-^^ ; tarsus 

 li^2 ; hind toe 1^2, its claw f^ ; middle toe ^f, its claw ^^. 



The prominence on the terminal part of the upper mandible gives 

 the bill somewhat of the appearance of that of a Plover, but in other 

 respects it more resembles that of the Turnstone, the plumage agrees 

 with that of the latter bird, and the colouring is very similar to its win- 

 ter dress. This species in short seems intermediate between Tringa and 



