574 The Water-fowl Family 



Family Type. Agrees with Phalaropodidce and Recurvirostrida in having 

 the nostrils narrow and fissured, the nasal groove extending well 

 toward tip of oilmen, the bill lengthened and straight beyond the 

 nostrils, and not compressed or indented around them. In addition, 

 bill slender, usually longer than the head, the nasal groove ex- 

 tending beyond middle with blunt, sometimes expanded, tip ; the 

 last often soft and fleshy. Neck usually long. Tarsus with trans- 

 verse scales before, and behind except in Numenius. Toes not 

 margined with membrane broadly to tips, with or without basal 

 membrane. Hind toe generally present. 

 Generic Types. Scolopax. Size medium. Bill much longer than tarsus; 

 tip of upper mandible thickened. Ears placed beneath the eye. 

 Plumage same at all seasons. Toes free to base. Head with trans- 

 verse bands on top. Tips of tail feathers below silvery white. Thighs 

 entirely feathered. Three outer primaries longest, and broad like 

 the rest. Outer webs of quills spotted. One species in genus, a 

 straggler to North America. 



Philohela. Size medium. Distinguished from Scolopax by having 

 the three outermost primaries abruptly much shorter and narrower 

 than the others and outer webs of quills plain. The only species of 

 the genus is North American. 



Gallinago. Size medium. Distinguished from Scolopax by having 

 the head marked longitudinally above, tips of tail feathers below, 

 buff, and lower part of thighs naked. One species indigenous to 

 North America, and two as stragglers. 



Macrorhatnphus. Size medium. Bill much longer than tarsus. Tip 

 of upper mandible thick. Outer and middle toes connected by web at 

 base. Ears placed behind the eye. Plumage very different in summer 

 and winter. (Both these latter characteristics common to rest of the 

 genera of Scolopacida.) Two species in genus, both North American. 



Micropalama. Size rather small. Bill long, slender, straight, slightly 

 widened at tip. Tarsus very long, equal to bill and twice middle toe. 

 Anterior toes united by web at base. One species in genus, belonging 

 to North America. 



Tringa. Size small or medium. Bill straight or slightly decurved, 

 medium, very slightly widened at tip, aboufas long as head. Oil- 

 men longer than middle toe with claw. Tarsus about equal to middle 

 toe and claw. Anterior toes not webbed. Inner webs of quills and 

 under primary coverts not mottled. Twelve species and one addi- 

 tional subspecies are recorded from North America, of which ten 

 occur regularly. These species are arranged in five subgenera, 



