HIMANTOPUS NIGEICOLLIS, BLACK-NECKED STILT. 463 



Eecurvirostra liitnantopiis, WiLS., Am. Orn. vii, 1813, 48, pi. 58, f. 2. 



Bimantopua nigricollis, Vibill,, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Niit. x, 1817, iH ; Eqo. Meth. 340 ; 

 Gal. Ois. ii, 1834, 85, pi. 229.— Bp., Svn. 1828, 322 ; List, 1838, 54.— Nutt., Man. 

 ii, 1834, 8.— AUD., Oru. Biog. iv,1838,247, pi. 328; Syn. 1839,253; B. Am.vi, 1843, 

 31, pi. 354.— Emm., Cat. B. Mass. 1835, 5.— Pbab., Rep. Oin. Mass. 1839, 358.— GiH., 

 B. L. 1. 1844, 270.— PuTN., Pr. Ess. Inst, i, 1856, 230.— Newh., P. E. E. Eep. vi, 

 1857, 99 (California to the Columbia Eiver).— S.vuj5, P. Z. S. 1857, 237.— Sol., 

 Ibis, i, 1859, 228 (Guatemala).— Newt., iiid. 260 (Santa Cruz).— Dkess., iUd. 



1866, 33 (Texas) — Bky., Pr. Host. Soo. vii, 1859 (Bahamas).— ScL., P. Z. S. 13.57, 

 206; ibid. 1864, 178 (Mexico); ibid. 1860, 290 (Ecuador); 1866, 567 (Ucayali); 



1867, 591 (Mexiana) ; 1870, 323 ; 1873, 310, 453 (Peru).— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 704.— 

 Wheat., Ohio Agrio. Eep. 1860, No. 193.— Verr., Pr. Ess. Inst, lii, 158 (coast 

 of Maine, one instance). — Boardm., Pr. Bost. Soc. ix, 1862, 128 (same instance). — 

 Allen, Pr. Ess. Inst, iv, 1864, 86.— Lawr., Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii, ie63-'6C, 295 

 (Panama and New York).— CouES, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 91 (Arizona).- CouES, 

 Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 124 (South Carolina).— CouES, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 

 292 (New England, rare or accident.nl).— Allen, Am. Nat. iii, 1869, 638 (Jlas- 

 saohnsetts). — Tuhnb., B. E. Pa. 18C9, 29 (rather rare, breeding).— Mayn., Guide, 

 1870, 143.— Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. ii, 1871, 356 (Florida, in winter) ; iii, 1373, 

 172 (Great Salt Lake).— Merr., U. S. Geol. Surv. Ter. 1872, 702 (Great Salt 

 Lake).— Gray, Hand-list, iii, 1871, 48, No. 10294.— CouES, Key, 1873, 247, fig. 

 160.— ElDGW., Ann. Lye. N. Y. x, 1874, 385 (Illinois). 



JSypsibaies nigricollis, Cab., Sehomburgk's Eeise, iii,- 758. 

 Maorotarstis nigricollis, GuNDL., J. f. 0. iv, 1856, 422. 



b? brasiliemis. 



Simantopus melamirus, Vibill., Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. x, 1817, 42 ; Ency. Meth. 340 



(from Zancudo, Az., Apunt. iii, 299?). 

 Himantopus leucunia, Vieill. (Gray.) 



Himantopus mexicanus, Hartl., Ind. Azara, 25 (not of authors). 

 Himantopus nigricollis, Gay {Sclater). — Cass., Gillis's Exp. ii, 196. — BuKM., Eeise, ii, 502 



(La Plata).— Darw., Beagle, 130 (La Plata).— Scl., P. Z. S. 1867, 339 (Chili).— 



Scl. & Salv., p. Z. S. 1868, 144 (Buenos Ayres). 

 Himantopus bnisiUcnsis, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. 1831, 684. — Scl. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1873, 



454 (figures of heads of the two varieties). 



Hab. — The typical form from the United States generally, Mexico, part of West In- 

 dies, Central America, and South America to Peru and Brazil. Var. brasiUensis from 

 South Brazil, Argentine Eepnblic, and Chili. 



Eespecting the var. brasiUensis, Mr. J. E. Harting, in a letter to Prof. Baird, which has 

 been sent to me, states : "The difference in the measurements of the two species is 

 very striking ; the wing, tibia and tarsus iu the southern brasiUensis being all, resjieet- 

 ively, about an inch longer than in the northern nigricollis." A point not given in 

 Messrs. Sclater and Silvin's paper is, that the disposition of the colors of the upper 

 parts also differs, the black of the neck being out off from that of the back by a white 

 interval ; this being, Mr. Harting remarks, a resemblance to the H. leucocephahis of 

 Australia and New Zealand. The foi'm may prove to be specifically distinct. 



Not obtained by either of the earlier Expeditions. 



Later Expeditions.— Ql&io-i, June 19, 1872, Great Salt Lake, Utah {Meniam). 



Some of the vagaries that from time to time have fouud their way 

 into priot, representing; sober opinions of naturalists who, from the most 

 superficial observation of Stilts and Avocets, might have learned better, 

 are extremely curious. The slight upward curvature of the Avocet's 

 bill has served whereon to hang fables and theories too absurd to de- 

 serve a moment's serious consideration ; and it has been repeatedly 

 caricatured in illustrations. The imagination has also been stretched 

 out of all due proportion to treat of the really very long legs of the Stilts, 

 and drawn upon to support hypotheses even more feeble and tottering 

 than the gait which some authors attribute to the bird. It is easy to 

 see how such notions had their origin. Descriptions and figures were 

 at first taken from stuffed specimens, awkward preparation of which, or 

 else the unavoidable shrinkage of the delicate and vascular bill, resulted 

 in a false shape. It would be hard to find the bill of a live Avocet of 

 the shape represented by Wilson and Nuttall ; Audubon's figure is the 

 most accurate one I have seen. The other fallacy, respecting the gait 



