30 AMERICAN AVOSET. 



when the neck is bent becomes posterior at the middle, as in the Herons and 

 other long-necked birds; its diameter 5 twelfths at the upper part, dilated to 

 8 twelfths previous to its entrance into the thorax. The proventriculus is 1 

 inch long and 7 twelfths in diameter; its glandules cylindrical, 1 twelfth 

 long. The stomach is a gizzard of moderate strength, oblong, 1^ inches in 

 length, 10 twelfths in breadth, its right lateral muscle 4 twelfths thick. 'Its 

 contents were remains of small shells. Its inner membrane of moderate 

 thickness, hard, longitudinally rugous, and deeply tinged with red. The 

 intestine is 3 feet long, and 4 twelfths in diameter; the rectum 2 inches long; 

 of the cceca one is 2| inches long, the other 2%, their diameter 2 twelfths. 



In another individual the intestine is 3 feet 9 inches long; one of the 

 coeca 2f inches, the other 3; the stomach 1-| by l^j. Its contents small 

 shell-fish and fragments of quartz. 



The trachea is 6^ inches long; its rings extremely thin and unossified, 140 

 in number, its diameter 3i twelfths, nearly uniform throughout, but rather 

 narrower in the middle. The lateral muscles are very thin. The bronchi 

 are short, of about 10 rings. 



Genus IX.— HIMANTOPUS, Briss. STILT. 



Bill about twice as long as the head, very slender, roundish, tapering, 

 slightly recurved; upper mandible with its outline slightly curved upwards, 

 the ridge rather flattened, the sides convex, the edges inflected, the tip narrow 

 and rather acute; nasal groove nearly half the length of the bill; lower man- 

 dible with the angle very long and narrow, the sides grooved as far as the 

 angle. Nostrils linear, direct, sub-basal. Head small, ovate, rounded above; 

 neck very long and slender; body rather compact. Legs extremely elon- 

 gated, slender; tibia bare for more than half its length, covered anteriorly 

 with large curved scutella; tarsus very long, moderately compressed, scutel- 

 late before, reticulate on the sides; toes of moderate length, slender; first 

 toe wanting; outer a little longer than inner, anterior toes webbed at the 

 base. Claws small, nearly straight, moderately compressed. Plumage ordi- 

 nary. Wings very long, of moderate breadth, acute, the first quill longest. 

 Tail short, even, of twelve feathers. 



