70 BLACK SKIMMER. 



parents can distinguish them individually on such occasions. This bird 

 walks in the manner of the Terns, with short steps, and the tail slightly 

 elevated. When gorged and fatigued, both old and young birds are wont to 

 lie flat on the sand, and extend their bills before them; and when thus repos- 

 ing in fancied security, may sometimes be slaughtered in great numbers by 

 the single discharge of a gun. When shot at while on wing, and brought to 

 the water, they merely float, and are easily secured. If the sportsman is 

 desirous of obtaining more, he may easily do so, as others pass in full 

 clamour close over the wounded bird. 



Black Skimmer or Shear-water, Rhynchops nigra, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vii. p. 85. 

 Rhincops nigra, Bonap. Syn., p. 352. 

 Black Skimmer, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 264. 



Black Skimmer or Razor-billed Shear-water, Rhynchops nigra, Aud. Orn. Biog., 

 vol. iv. p. 203. 



Male, 20, 48. Female, 16f, 44|. 



During winter, in vast multitudes on the coast of Florida. In summer 

 dispersed in large flocks from Texas to New Jersey, breeding on sand 

 beaches or islands. In the evenings and at night ascends streams sometimes 

 to the distance of one hundred miles. 



Adult Male. 



Bill longer than the head, nearly straight, tetragonal at the base, suddenly 

 extremely compressed, and continuing so to the end. Upper mandible much 

 shorter than the lower, its dorsal outline very slightly convex, its ridge 

 sharp, the sides erect, more or less convex, the edges approximated so as to 

 leave merely a very narrow groove between them; the tip a little rounded 

 when viewed laterally. Nasal groove rather short, narrow near the margin; 

 nostrils linear-oblong, sub-basal in the soft membrane. Lower mandible 

 with the angle extremely short, the dorsal outline straight or slightly de- 

 curved, the sides erect, the edges united into a very thin blade which fits 

 into the narrow groove of the upper mandible, the tip rounded or abrupt 

 when viewed laterally. 



Head rather large, oblong, considerably elevated in front. Neck short 

 and thick. Body short, ovate, and compact. Feet short, moderately stout; 

 tibia bare below, with narrow transverse scutella before and behind; tarsus 

 short, moderately compressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, reticu- 

 lated on the sides and behind; toes very small; the first extremely short, and 

 free; the inner much shorter than the outer, which is but slightly exceeded 

 by the middle toe; the webs very deefnyVoncave at the margin, especially 

 the inner. Claws long, compressed, tapering, slightly arched, rather obtuse, 

 the inner edge of the middle toe dilated and extremely thin. Plumage 



