American Coot 101 
b* Culmen approximately equal to the tarsus. 
a> Tail unbarred. 
a® Larger ; wing over 5-0, bill longer than the head. 
Micropalama, p. 112. 
bS Smaller; wing under 4.0, bill hardly as long as 
the head. Ereunetes, p. 117. 
b® Tail barred with dusky and white—on the outer 
feathers, at any rate. 
a® Larger; wing over 7. 
a’ A white patch on the wing and at the base 
of the tail. Catoptrophorus, p. 123. 
b? No white patches on wing and tail. 
Limosa, p. 119. 
b® Smaller ; wing under 6. 
a’ Axillaries and under wing-coverts banded 
white and dusky ; lower breast plain, white. 
Helodromas, p. 122. 
b? Axillaries and under wing-coverts plain, white, 
abdomen, spotted. Actitis, p. 126, 
b! Three toes only, without webs. Calidris, p. 118. 
ce. Tarsus with transverse scutes in front and reticulated at the 
sides and behind. 
al, Bill long and slender and down-curved. Numenius, p. 128. 
bl. Bill short, conical and straight (Aphrizide). Arenaria, p. 136. 
Family PHALEROPODIDZ. 
The Phalaropes are a small family of birds, resembling 
the Sandpipers in general form and structure, except 
that their anterior toes are bordered by a well-developed 
marginal web, sometimes cut into lobes, as in the Coots 
and Grebes. The females are larger and more brightly 
coloured than the males and, as is generally the case 
under these circumstances, the latter perform the duties 
of incubation. 
Genus LOBIPES. 
Bill long and slender, though shorter than in Steganopus, tapering, 
acute and pointed, the culmen slightly exceeding or equal to the tarsus 
and middle toe and claw; tail short and rounded ; legs comparatively 
short, and only a short portion of the tibio-tarsus bare ; toes margined 
with a membrane scalloped at each joint; the middle and inner toe 
anited basally to the second joint, the middle and outer to the first joint. 
