136 



BLACK SKIMMER. 



tail is forked 5 and the legs and feet are very similar 

 to those of the Terns, to which genus these birds are 

 also greatly allied, from their long wings and man- 

 ners of life. There are two species known. 



BLACK SKIMMER. 



i 



(Rhynchops nigra.) 



Rh. nigricans suhtus alba, restro basi riibro. 



Dusky Skimmer beneath white, with the base of the beak red. 



Rhynchops nigra. Linn. Syst. Nat. x. 1. 228. Gmel. Si/st. Nat. 



1. 611. Lath. Ltd. Orn. 2. 802. Shauc, Nat. Misc.pl. 325. 

 Rygchopsalia. Briss. Orn. 6. 223. pL 21. f. 2. 



Avis maderaspatanos major novaculse facie. Raii Syn. 194. 



Le bee en ciseaux. Bujf. Ois. 8. 454. pi. 36. Buff. PI. Enl. 357. 

 Coupeur d'eau. Ciiv. Reg. Anim. 1 , 522. 

 Cutwater, Calesbi/, Carol. \ . pi. 90. 



Black Skimmer. Edtv. Glean.pl. 281. (beak). Penn. Arct. ZooL 



2. 445. Latli. Gen. Syn. 6. 34/ . pi. in title. Lath. Gen. Hist. 

 X. 96. JVils. Amer. Orn. vii. So. pi. Ix. /! 4. 



Variety. — Rhynchops fulva. Linn. Syst. Nat. \. 229. 

 Rygcliopsalia fulva. Briss. Orn. 6. 227. A. 



This singular bird is twenty inches in length : its 

 beak is red at its base and black at its tip : the fore- 

 head, chin, and under parts of its plumage, are white : 

 the rest of the head, and the upper parts of the body 

 and wings, are dusky black : the wings are crossed 

 by a white bar : the tail is considerably shorter than 

 the wings, and foi'ked ; the two middle feathers are 



