BLACK-NECKED STILT. 33 



upwards, at the tip declinate; the ridge convex, the sides convex, the edges 

 sharp and inflected, the tip narrow and rather acute. Nasal groove nearly 

 half the length of the bill; nostrils linear, direct, sub-basal, pervious. Lower 

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

 the angle, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip narrow. 



Head small, ovate, rounded above; neck very long and slender; body 

 rather compact. Legs extremely elongated and slender; tibia bare for more 

 than half its length, covered anteriorly with large curved scutella; tarsus 

 very long, moderately compressed, scutellate before, reticulate on the sides; 

 toes of moderate length, slender; hind toe wanting, outer a little longer than 

 inner, and connected with the middle toe by a web extending nearly to the 

 second joint; the inner toe also connected with the middle by a very short 

 web. Claws small, nearly straight, moderately compressed. 



Plumage ordinary, the feathers ovate and rounded. Wings very long, of 

 moderate breadth, acute, the first quill longest, the other primaries rapidly 

 graduated. Tail short, even, of twelve feathers. 



Bill black, iris bright carmine; feet lake-coloured, claws dusky. Fore- 

 head, a spot above the eye, another below it, fore part and sides of the neck, 

 and all the other lower parts, pure white. Upper part of head, hind neck, 

 and upper parts, bluish-black, glossed with green; tail white. 



Length to end of tail 14^ inches, to end of wings 16^, to end of claws 2 If ; 

 extent of wings 27; wing from flexure 9; tail 2yf; bill along the ridge 2 T 8 2, 

 along the edge of lower mandible 2 j|; bare part of tibia 34; tarsus 4-ff ; mid- 

 dle toe 1^, its claw -%. Weight 64 oz. 



The Female is smaller than the male but otherwise similar. 



Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of wings 154, to end of claws 20; 

 extent of wings 25§. Weight 5 oz. 



The median ridge of the anterior part of the roof of the mouth is furnished 

 with a few short papillae. The tongue is 1 inch 2 twelfths long, slender, 

 tapering, emarginate and papillate at the base. The oesophagus is 7 inches 

 long, with an average diameter of 4 twelfths; the proventriculus 9 twelfths 

 long, and 6 twelfths in diameter. The stomach is elliptical, 1 inch in length, 

 8^ twelfths in breadth; its lateral muscles of moderate strength, the right 

 being 4 twelfths thick; the inner coat or epithelium dense, longitudinally 

 rugous, and of a brownish-red colour. The intestine is 20 inches long, its 

 diameter varying from 3 to 1^ twelfths. The cceca are 1^ inches long, -^ in 

 diameter at the base, 2 twelfths towards the end, which is blunt. 



The trachea is 54 inches long, rather wide, its diameter at the upper part 

 3 twelfths, gradually diminishing to 1^ twelfths; the rings 120, unossified, 

 excepting a few at the lower part. The contractor muscles are feeble; the 



Vol. VI. 5 



