HIMANTOPUS. 



281 



longer bill, a longer tail, and longer tarsi ; but these characters are all of secondary 

 importance, as none of them are likely to be found in the young. A more reliable feature 

 IS, however, to be found in the amount of black on the head and neck, which extends over 

 the crown and down to the edge of the forehead, covering the posterior half of the lores, 

 and also extends two thirds round the neck. 



It is only known from the Sandwich Islands, where it has been recorded from Honolulu 

 (PelzeJn, Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien, 1873, p. 159), Mani (Finsch, Ibis, 1880, p. 79), 

 and Kanai (Stejneger, he. cit.). 



It is unquestionably most nearly related to H. mexicanus ; but in the tendency of the 

 black at the back of the neck to cover the sides, and even to be sparingly sprinkled over 

 the front, it resembles H. picatus. 



Geographi- 

 cal distribu- 

 tion. 



HIMANTOPUS BRASILIENSIS. 



CHILIAN STILT. 



HiMANTOPUs colli postici colore nigro super regionem paroticam, sed haud super pileum extenso. Diao-io'' 



It is not certain that H. brasiliensis is more than subspecifically distinct from H. nigricollis. Variations. 

 I have several examples of the former species profusely marked with black on the crown, 

 and one with very few traces of white on the collar. The former, which were collected by 

 Read in Chili, I provisionally assume to be young birds after their first spring moult ; and 

 the latter, collected by Bartlett in Eastern Peru, being an isolated example, may possibly 



2o 



