HIMANTOPUS. 



285 



II. pica t us. 



II. melas. 



HIMANTOPUS MELAS 



BLACK STILT. 



HiMANTOPus axillaribus nigris. 



It is not known whether this species completely intergrades with H. leiicocephalus. 



Himantopus melas, Hombr. ^ Jacq. Ann. Sc. Nat. Paris, 2" ser. xvi. Zool. p. 320 (1841). 

 Hiraantopus novee-zelandias, Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1841, p. 8 (partim). 

 Himantopus niger, Ellman, Zoologist, 1861, p. 7470. 



Diagnosis. 

 Variations. 



Synonymy. 



Plates. — Gould, Birds of Australia, vi. pi. 25, 

 Habits. — Potts, Trans. New Zealand Inst. ii. p. 70. 

 Eggs.— Harting, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1874, pi. Ix. fig. 10. 



Literature. 



The Black Stilt in adult summer plumage is black all over, more or less glossed with Specific 

 green on the upper parts. In immature and winter plumage it somewhat resembles 

 H. leucocephdlus, but may always be distinguished from it by its dark axillaries. The 

 Black Stilt has on an average shorter legs than its AustraUan ally. 



Length of tarsi. 

 H. leucoeejphalus. if. melas. 



Young in first plumage 4'0 in. 3"3 in. 



Average of adults 4 '4 in. 3 '4 in. 



Extreme 4-6 in. 37 in. 



