506 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Key to genera of Family Charadriid m. 



C Bill laterally compressed, so as to be chisel- or knife -like 



1 < in front . Hcematopus 



[_ Bill not laterally compressed, not knife -like at tip . 2 



f Bare part of tibia over 70, tarsus over 100 mm, pink . Himantopus 



2 *{ Bare part of tibia less than 70, tarsus less than 100 and 



^ not pink 3 



( Bill long, slender and strongly recurved ... 4 

 o J Bill over 50 mm. and strongly decurved .... Numenius 



J Bill neither slender and strongly recurved, nor strongly 

 \ decurved, if decurved less than 50 mm. ... 5 



. /"Tarsus under 120 mm Terekia 



\ Tarsus over 120 mm . ". Recurvirostra 



f Tail with distal half or less uniform black with narrow 

 white tip, basal half or more white, bill not longer 



5 -\ than head . . .6 



| Tail barred, basal half not white, or if white either distal 

 [_ half barred or bill longer than head ... 7 



g /Head crested, abdomen white Vanellus 



\ No crest on head, abdomen black and chestnut . . Chettusia 



„ f Tibia entirely feathered Scolopax 



\ Lower part of tibia bare 8 



8 f Oilmen appreciably longer than tarsus as well as tail 9 

 \ Oilmen not distinctly longer than tarsus or tail . 10 



Q /"Tail-feathers 14 or more Capella 



y \ Tail-feathers 12 11 



•jq /Wing longer than 180 mm Limosa 



\ Wing under 180 mm Macrorhamphus 



1;L /Metallic green stripes on back Lymnocryptes 



\ No metallic green stripes on back .... 12 



12 /Toes laterally lobed Phalaropus 



\Toes not laterally lobed 13 



f Inner web of outer primaries with small black spots . Tryngites 



13 < Inner web of outer primaries uniform, barred or blotched 



[_ but not with small black spots . . . .14 



•j, /No hind toe 15 



\ Hind toe present 16 



^Tail straight or rounded, middle rectrices not clearly 



,- I produced beyond the rest, bill thicker .... Charadrius 

 | Tail with middle pair of rectrices pointed and produced 



v beyond the rest, bill slenderer Crocethia 



fBill thick, height at base about equal to one-third of 



16 J length of bill, hind toe minute Squatarola 



j Bill thinner, slenderer, height at base less than one -third 

 ' of length of bill, hind toe well developed . .17 

 (Bill comparatively short, conical, perfectly straight or 



1? J slightly recurved • • Arenaria 



j Bill comparatively longer, slenderer, not in the least 



v conical 18 



/Tail as long as or longer than half the wing . . . Bartramia 



18 \Tailless than half the length of the wing . . .19 



T Oilmen compressed, flattened, except at base, and 

 J slightly decurved, but rising again somewhat before 



19 | the curved tip Limicola 



I Bill straight or slightly curved, not flattened . . 20 



