Order io. CHARADRIIFORMES. Plover-like birds. 



"Shore-birds," frequenters of shores, mud-flats, and, less commonly, uplands; having deep-seated, structural 

 characters which, apparently, ally them with the Lariformes, Alciformes, and, possibly, the Columbiformes. They 

 possess few absolute superficial characters in common, but in general have rounded, compact, or depressed (but never 

 compressed) bodies; often lengthened necks; lengthened, sharply pointed wings, with length of primaries rapidly 

 decreasing from outermost, the secondaries usually increasing in length in reverse order; beaks short or long, but 

 relatively slender, sometimes highly modified; sometimes leathery throughout or leathery at base with harder tip; 

 legs usually lengthened, sometimes extremelj' so; the lower portion of tibia always bare; tarsus variously reticulate or 

 scutellate; the hind toe, if present, short and elevated, the anterior toes usually cleft to base, or webbed basally — 

 exceptionally, webbed (Avocelta) or lobed (Phalaropodidae); plumage sometimes patchy or unicolored, but more 

 usually obliteratively streaked. Warbler to gull size; resident or highly migratory according to latitude. Eggs 

 normally 4 or less, neutral as to ground, variously spotted, hieroglyphed or scrolled with browns or black; young 

 highly precocial, feathered at birth, and nidifuguous. A cosmopolitan order of broadest distribution, comprising 

 about a dozen families, and less than 400 species; 7 families and 37 species Californian. 



I. Sides of toes with conspicuous lateral membrane or lobes.. Fam. 1. Phalaropodidae. 



II. Sides of toes without membrane or lobes. 



A. Tarsus over 3.50 inches. Fam. 2. Recurvirostridae. 



B. Tarsus under 3.50 inches. 



1 . Scales in front of tarsus large, squarish, regularly placed in one 



row. 



a. Bill slender, tip blunted. Fam. 3. Scolopacidte. 



b. Bill stout, cuneate, straightened at tip. Fam. 6. Arenariidae. 



c. Bill short, plover-like, but grooved; tail emarginate. Fam. 5. Aphrizidae. 



2. Scales in front of tarsus small, numerous, irregular, or not 



square. 



a. Bill shorter than tarsus. Fam. 4. Charadriidae. 



b. Bill longer than tarsus. Fam. 7. Haematopodid^. 



Order 11. LARIFORMES. Gulls, Terns, etc. 



Small to large "Charadriimorphi," haunting shores and interior waters, and adapted to aquatic life by reason of 

 close-set, impervious plumage and webbed feet. Birds of this group have rather short necks, strong wings, notably 

 lengthened; tails moderate or elongated; short legs placed well forward, throwing body into horizontal position when 

 at rest; anterior toes fully webbed; hind toe very small, elevated, or sometimes wanting; tibia; distally naked; tarsus 

 scutellate in front; bill various but usually simple, stout and sharp, sometimes uncinate and cered; nostrils simple, 

 lateral, and freely open. Coloration usually simple, chiefly gray or dusky and white. Size sparrow to "large gull." 

 Partially migratory or roving. Eggs, 2 or 3, heavily colored; young feathered, semi-precocial. A cosmopolitan 

 group of four families, all but one Californian. 



I. Bill with cere. Fam. 1. Stercorariid.>e. 



II. Bill simple. 



A. Bill stout, abruptly tapering at tip; tail chiefly square. Fam. 2. Laridae. 



B. Bill more slenderly proportioned and gradually tapering; tail 



chiefly forked. Fam. 3. Sternidje. 



Order 12. ALCIFORMES. Auk-like Birds. 



Marine birds of compact or short spindle-shaped outline, having close-set plumage adapted to continuous sub- 

 mersion, chiefly black or black-and-white in color; wings relatively small but fully functional (save in extinct Great 

 Auk, Pinguinus impennis); legs set far back, necessitating upright position in standing; the tibio-tarsal joint naked, 

 the feet well developed; hind toe absent, anterior toes fully webbed; bill simple and sharp-pointed, or highly varied, 

 often with deciduous plates; nostrils various, feathered or not. Size range (of living species) sparrow to crow. Par- 

 tially or highly gregarious; partially sedentary or retreating to open ocean at behests of season. Eggs I or 2; white 

 or highly pigmented. Young clad with abundant down, partially nidicolous. Six families (five Californian), 29 

 species, of which 2S American and 10 Californian. Classification here adopted based (for once) on oological char- 

 acters (infallibly sustained by structural differences, however minute). 



I. Eggs single, white or nearly so. 



A. Eggs pure white, or with faintest green tinge only. Small 



birds of chunky form; nostril remote from feathers. Fam. I. JEthudm. 



B. Eggs sordid white or with reminiscent markings of brown and 

 violet gray. Crow size or nearly so. Bill stout with deciduous 



plates. Tail of 16-1S feathers. Fam. 5. Fraterculid^. 



II. Eggs colored or highly pigmented. 



A. Eggs 2, of normal shape, lightly spotted. Fam. 2. Cepphid^:. 



B. Eggs 2; elliptical, deeply or variously stained and fine-spotted. Fam. 3. Brachyramphidje. 

 C Egg single; top-shaped, highly colored and heavily or extra- 

 ordinarily pigmented. Fam. 4. Alcidae. 



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