LIMICOL.E 



'339 



which vary somewhat in the degree of their development. The 

 lacrymal bone articulates with the ectethmoid, and makes a 

 complete arch of bone in the anterior region of the orbit. The 

 bones are particularly slender in Himantopus, leaving, there- 

 fore, a large vacuity. In one or two types the foramen of the 

 arch is almost obliterated by the thickness of the ectethmoid. 

 The upper margin of the orbits in the Charadriidae is marked 

 with conspicuous grooves for the supra-orbital glands. 



There are fifteen cervical vertebree in Hceniatopus, Ntt- 

 menius, &c. 



The atlas is perforated by the odontoid {Numenius, 



Fig. 169. — Vomees of vabious LimicolcB (after Gaebod). 

 1. Sterna hirundo. 2. Hcematopits ostralegus. 

 3. Numenms arquatus. 4. Recurvi/rostra avocetta. 

 5. Chionis alba. 



Limosa) . The Limicolae differ from the Grues in the fact that 

 only one or two vertebrae (the ninth in Limosa) are furnished 

 with two fairly closely approximated hsemapophyses for the 

 reception of the carotids. In Numenius these exist on the 

 ninth and tenth, and there are traces on the eleventh. The 

 first dorsal vertebra, or the first two, has a large distally 

 expanded hsemapophysis. an indication of a state of affairs 

 which is carried much further in the allied group of Alcae {q.v.) 

 In these points the gulls may be contrasted with the more 

 typical Limicolae. There are no paired hsemapophyses borne 

 by the centra. 



The unpaired hsemapophyses extend (in Lestris) from CIO 

 to C15 ; on Dl-3 there are slightly bifid hsemapophyses. The 

 atlas is notched. 



In Chionis CIO has a slightly excavated hsemapophysis, 



