﻿1^2 
  XEVV 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  inches. 
  This 
  American 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  species 
  nigra 
  breeds 
  from 
  

   Kansas 
  and 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes 
  to 
  Alaska, 
  migrating 
  to 
  the 
  tropics 
  and 
  far 
  into 
  

   South 
  America 
  in 
  winter. 
  In 
  flight 
  its 
  wings 
  seem 
  excessively 
  long 
  and 
  at 
  

   a 
  distancs 
  it 
  bears 
  a 
  great 
  resemblance 
  to 
  the 
  Nighthawk 
  in 
  size 
  and 
  color 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  its 
  wing 
  strokes 
  and 
  habit 
  of 
  hawking 
  about 
  over 
  the 
  marshes 
  

   in 
  search 
  of 
  insects. 
  I 
  have 
  little 
  doubt 
  that 
  many 
  of 
  our 
  April 
  dates 
  for 
  

   the 
  arrival 
  of 
  the 
  Nighthawk 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  really 
  belong 
  to 
  this 
  bird. 
  While 
  

   searching 
  the 
  lake 
  for 
  food 
  it 
  carries 
  its 
  bill 
  pointing 
  downward 
  like 
  the 
  other 
  

   terns 
  and 
  often 
  plunges 
  into 
  the 
  Avater 
  for 
  the 
  minnows 
  with 
  which 
  its 
  

   diet 
  is 
  varied. 
  

  

  Family 
  RYNCHOPIOAEJ 
  

  

  Skimmers 
  

  

  Bill 
  hypognathous, 
  the 
  lower 
  mandible 
  being 
  considerably 
  longer 
  than 
  

   the 
  upper, 
  compressed 
  also, 
  the 
  lower 
  mandible 
  being 
  thin 
  like 
  a 
  knife 
  blade 
  

   with 
  an 
  obtuse 
  end. 
  The 
  upper 
  mandible 
  is 
  much 
  less 
  compressed 
  and 
  has 
  

   a 
  groove 
  for 
  the 
  reception 
  of 
  the 
  bladelike 
  under 
  mandible, 
  and 
  is 
  hinged 
  

   near 
  the 
  base, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  admit 
  of 
  free 
  movement; 
  tongue 
  stumpy; 
  wings 
  

   exceedingly 
  long 
  ; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  very 
  small 
  ; 
  tail 
  slightly 
  forked. 
  Skimmers 
  

   fly 
  low 
  over 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  inclining 
  the 
  fore 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bodies 
  

   downward, 
  with 
  slow 
  and 
  measured 
  wing 
  beats, 
  often 
  cutting 
  the 
  surface 
  

   of 
  the 
  water 
  with 
  their 
  knifelike 
  bills 
  and 
  "plowing 
  up" 
  their 
  food 
  of 
  small 
  

   marine 
  animals. 
  They 
  are 
  partially 
  nocturnal 
  in 
  habits 
  and 
  hunt 
  their 
  

   food 
  in 
  close-ranked 
  companies. 
  Their 
  voice 
  is 
  "hoarse 
  and 
  raucous," 
  

   otherwise 
  their 
  habits 
  resemble 
  the 
  terns 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  closely 
  allied. 
  

   This 
  is 
  a 
  family 
  of 
  very 
  few 
  species, 
  confined 
  mostly 
  to 
  the 
  tropical 
  region, 
  

   only 
  one 
  species 
  reaching 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  

  

  Rynchops 
  nigra 
  Linnaeus 
  

   Black 
  Skimmer 
  

  

  Plate 
  7 
  

  

  Rvnchops 
  nigra 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  Ed. 
  lo. 
  1758. 
  1:138 
  

  

  DeKav. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  297, 
  fig. 
  272 
  

   A. 
  O.'U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  80 
  

  

  ryn'chops, 
  Gr. 
  puyxos, 
  beak, 
  and 
  loi//, 
  face; 
  ni'gra, 
  Lat., 
  black 
  

  

  Description. 
  Upper 
  parts 
  black; 
  forehead, 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  under 
  

   parts, 
  tips 
  of 
  secondaries, 
  and 
  outer 
  tail 
  feathers 
  white 
  ; 
  bill 
  carmine, 
  black 
  

  

  