246 TOWNSEND'S OYSTER-CATCHER. 



hexagonal scales; toes rather short and fleshy, the hind toe wanting, the 

 second shorter than the fourth, the third considerably longer, all scaly at the 

 base above, scutellate towards the end, flattened and broad beneath, with 

 thick margins, and connected at the base by short webs, of which the outer 

 is longer. Claws rather small, compressed, blunt, that of the middle toe 

 largest, with a somewhat dilated thin inner edge. 



Plumage of the head and neck short and blended, of the back rather com- 

 pact and slightly glossed, the lower parts blended, the feathers in general 

 ovate and rounded. Wings long, acute; primaries tapering toward the end, 

 but obtuse, the first longest, the second two-twelfths shorter, and exceeding 

 the third by three-twelfths; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner much 

 elongated and tapering. Tail short, nearly even, of twelve rather broad, 

 rounded feathers, of which the lateral are scarcely shorter than the middle. 



Bill vermilion, paler toward the end. Edges of eyelids vermilion; iris 

 yellow. Feet blood-red, claws dusky. The plumage is chocolate-brown, 

 darker and tinged with bluish-grey on the head, neck, and breast; the under 

 surface of the quills light brownish-grey, their shafts whitish. Many of the 

 upper wing-coverts are narrowly tipped with brownish-white. 



Length to end of tail 20 inches; bill along the ridge 3^; along the edge 

 of lower mandible 3 T 4 2, its greatest height beyond the nostrils -£|; wing from 

 flexure 11; tail 4^; tarsus 2^; inner toe -||, its claw yf; middle toe 1 T §, 

 its claw T 5 2; outer toe 1 T 7 2, its claw ff . 



This species is larger than the preceding, but its plumage is similar in 

 texture and colouring. Besides its much greater size, it differs in the form 

 of the bill, which is much longer, much deeper, more compressed, and dis- 

 tinctly ascending or slightly recurvate, the lower mandible especially, which 

 in the other is quite straight. The former species also has the feet white, 

 and the claws pale, whereas in this they seem to have been red, with the 

 claws dusky. 



