EHYNCHOPS NIGRA, BLACK SKIMMER. 715 



EHYNCHOPS NIGEA, Liuii. 

 Black Skimmer; Cut-water. 



Shjnclwps nnint, Ljnn., 8yst. K;it. i, 17fi6, 2;iS.— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 176'<, 611.— Lath., lucl. 

 Otv. ii, 17'JO, t^dvj; ami of autbors fjcDcrally. — BuiiJi., S\.st. libers, iii. 4.54; 

 Eeisc, 5-'0 (La. Plata).— Lici'm, Ois. Triuidad, 534.— Maxim , Beit, iv, rtT. — 

 Pelz., Orn. Bras. 324.— Pii. & LA^'DB.. Cat. SO (Cbili).— Gukdi.., E<-13- P- N. i, 

 393 (Ciilja).— Sai.v., Ibis, l.-t;,':i, 193 ; l,-^6li (Guatemala).— Sci.. A Sai.y., P. Z. 8. 

 le:>, 77 (Eio Nnpo); 1.-^71, 506 (south to 45-, Dui-wi>i).—i<CL., P. Z. 8. 1W.7, 340 

 (Cbili).— 8CL., P. Z. S. 1864, 179 (Mexico).— lUiK.s.s., Ibis, 1806, 45 (Texas).— 

 Lawh., B. N. Am. 1858, 866.— Lawi;., Alh. Lye., viii, 1800, 299 (New Yoik).— 

 TUKNB., B. E. Pa. 1869, 39 (New Jersey, Irequeiit).— Coves, Pr. Ess. Inet. v, 

 1808. 309 (f New Englaud ; quotes Ejimonm, Cat. B. Mass. 1835. ; Linsi,., Am. 

 Jouru. 8ei. xliv, 1843, 249 ; Pitn., Pr. Ess. lust, i, 1850, 231).— Couks >,V Piient., 

 Smiths. Rep. 1861, 419 ("\\ ashiugtou, D. C.).— Ciiuics, Pr. Bost. Sec. xii, 1^08, 

 127 (South Caioliua).— Ali.i X, Bull. M. C. Z. ii, 1871. 308 (Florida, in wiuter).— 

 CouKS, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1871, 40 (North Caroliua).— COUES, Key, 1872, 324. 



Eliijiicliops J'uha, LiNX., Sjst. Nat. i, 1700, 229.— G.ai., Syst. Nat. i, 17f8, Oil. 



Jihyvcliops ciixruicais et bririros(i-is, Spix, A. B. pis. 102, 103 {jimiores). 



Bnynchops mehrainis, BoiE.— 8w., An. iu Men. 1838, 340 (Deniarara). — Cab., Seljomb. 

 Guiau. iii, 701.— Scl. & Salt., P. Z. S. 1800, 201 (Ucayali) ; lt07, 593 (Mexiana) ; 

 1807, 7iS4 (Peru). 



Shijnclwjis honalis, Sw., An. in Men. 1838, 340. 



DiAG. E. rosiro ruhro Jiigro dimidialo, tiota'o cum primariis 6 exteriorihiis nigris, pogoniis 

 inteniis ^yumarioium 4 iiilmormn ct ajiiciliis alhis, fronU et gasircvo aWis plus minnsvc 

 rosaceis, caudU albd nigro dimidiatd, pedibus rubris. 



Sab. — 'Warmer parts of America. South to 45" (Darwin). Various West Indian 

 Islands. In North America, Gulf and Atlantic coasts regularly to New Jersey ; casually, 

 if at all, to New England. 



Jdult. — Upper mandible with its culmen curved for its whole length, sinking .a little 

 at the base; highest just beyond the nostrils; gradually curved to the tip, which is 

 more acute than that of the lower mandible, but still very convex iu profile ; the ridge 

 sharp and narrow for its whole length. The sides of the upper mandible are, from the 

 base for half its length, very convex and bulging, to as to give to the base of the biU 

 a much ronijdcd transverse outline ; hut the sides gradually become more aud more 

 conqiessed, till they hardly project at all, but are quite perpendicular. The tomia of 

 the superior mandible, from the angle of the mouth, at first converge very rapidly, at 

 a quite obtuse angle, aud at the same time are so much iijflected that the sides of the 

 mandible just above them look almost directly downward as far as the distal extremity 

 of the nostrils; there the tomia are parallel, very closely approximated, with perfectly 

 perpendiculai: sides, leaving between them only a narrow groove for the reception of 

 the tomial symphysis of the inferior mandible. The nasal groove is short and wide, 

 and rather shallow, its width and shallowness being caused by the great difference in 

 amount of divergence of the nasal and mandibular processes of the intermaxillary bone. 

 The nostrils are situated at the anterior extremity of this groove, aud are of ordinary 

 laridine shape and size. The feathers run far forward ou the broad and depressed base 

 of the culmen, with a rather obtuse angle, and then slope backward to the angle of 

 the mouth with a sinuate outline, at first concave, then convex. The lower mandible 

 is compressed for the whole of the extent which is bare of feathers, except just at the 

 extreme base, where the rami are rapidly approaching the median line ; very flexible, 

 being capable of being greatly bent in a lateral direction ; its tip with a very thin, 

 sharp edge, and a broadly cc nvex perpendicular profile outline. Its sides are nearly 

 erect aud flat, bulging but slightly at the base, not at all terminally ; marked with 

 about sixty straight, very oblique ridges and sulci, runniug at au angle of about 

 45° downward aud backward ; of a length equal to about half the height of the 

 mandible; most distinct toward the middle of the bill, more obsolete toward either 

 extremity. The tomial edges, of which the symphysis is complete from a point about 

 opposite the nostrils to the tip, are slightly convexo-declinate for their whole length; 

 the gony.s, which is as thin and sharp as the tomium, is somewhat more decidedly con- 

 cavo-declinate. The outline of the inferior mandibular rami is perpendicularly very 

 concave, horizontally sinuate, the submental space being filled with feathers to the 

 very symphysis. The basal half, or a little less, of both mandibles are carmine-red, 

 the terminal half black. 



The feet are of moderate length for this family. The tibiae are naked for a very 

 considerable space, nearly half their total length. This bare portion shows a decided 

 tendency, most marked ou its anterior face, to become transversely scutellate, like the 

 tarsus. The tarsus is defended anteriorly by a single row of scutella, which become 



