738 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— LONGIPENNES— GAVI^. 
neck to the back, the longitudinal lines become larger, and gradually spread wider and wider, 
until between the shoulders they occupy the whole of each feather, except a narrow border of 
rufous, which latter is of a deeper tint than on the head. Passing down the throat to the 
breast, the rufous becomes decidedly lighter — almost whitish — while the brown, which on 
the throat exists only as a light longitudinal line, changes on each feather to transverse bars of 
about equal width with the light rufous bars with which it alternates. This pattern prevails 
over the whole under parts, the transverse bands being broadest on the flanks and under tail- 
and wing-coverts, narrowest in the middle of the belly. The primaries are brownish -black, 
narrowly tipped with rufous, their shafts yellowish, their inner webs fading basally into white. 
The tail has the same coloration as the wings. The central feathers project about f of an inch. 
Northern N. Am.; U. S. in winter; chiefly coastwise, but breeds in interior Arctic Am. 
Eggs resembling those of Numenius horealis, and quite as variable in ground-color and mark- 
ings ; size from 2.00 to 2.40 long, by 1.50 to 1.70 broad, averaging nearer the larger of these 
dimensions; pointed, but not so pear-shaped as those of the Curlew. 
767. S. buf'foni. (To the Count de Buffon.) Arctic Jager. Long-tailed Jager. Adult, 
breeding plumage : Bill shorter than the head, less than the middle toe without the claw ; 
stout, compressed, higher than broad at the base, its sides regularly converging. Ceral por- 
tion of culmen broad, flat, depressed, slightly concave in outline ; ungual portion very de- 
cidedly declinato-convex to the greatly overhanging tip ; narrower than the ceral. Tomia of 
superior mandible sinuate; at first concave and ascending; then convex and descending; again 
very concave as they decurve toward the deflected tip, just posterior to which there is an im- 
perfect notch. Tomia of inferior maxiUa nearly straight to the tip, where they are decurved. 
Gonys very short, slightly concave in outline. Eminentia symphysis acute, but not very large ; 
rami very long as compared with the gonys, but absolutely rather short, from the encroach- 
ment of the feathers. Cere very short, being scarcely if at all longer than the unguis ; its 
lower border curving upward to give passage to the nostrils. The encroachment of the feathers 
on the bill is greater than that of any other species ; on the upper mandible they extend within 
half an inch of the distal end of the cere, having a broad, rounded termination, the feathers of 
the two sides meeting on and covering the culmen some distance from its real base. The 
feathers on the sides of the lower mandible extend nearly as far as on the upper, and those 
between the rami quite to the symphysis. Wings exceedingly long ; first primary much the 
longest ; rest rapidly graduated ; all rather narrow, tapering, falcate, actually pointed, their 
rhachides stiff and strong. Secondaries short and inconspicuous ; rather broad ; their apices 
as in the other species. Tertials moderately long, very straight, flexible, rounded at their 
extremities, the edges of their vanes convoluted. Tail very long; longer, both absolutely and 
relatively, than in any other North American species, being half as long as the wings ; gradu- 
ated, the lateral feather being f of an inch shorter than the next to central pair ; all the 
feathers moderately broad, converging somewhat to their rather broad, rounded tips. Central 
rectrices extremely lengthened, exceeding the wings ; projecting 8 to 10 inches beyond the tips 
of the lateral ones. They are extremely rigid at the base, being there much stiffer than the 
other feathers, but gradually become flexible, and at length filamentous in character, but pre- 
serve great elasticity throughout. Feet quite slender ; tarsus equal to middle toe and claw. 
Tibiae bare of feathers for | of an inch. The reticulation of the feet identical with that already 
described under other species. The scutella of the anterior face of the tarsus, however, show 
a tendency to degenerate int® minute plates near the tibio-tarsal joint. Proportions of the 
toes as in other species, but the claws are comparatively small and weak, and but moderately 
curved and acute. Occiput decidedly subcrested. The latero-nuchal region has its feathers 
lengthened, with disconnected fibrillse, but they are hardly acuminate or rigid. The plumage 
about the bill is short, thick, and compact ; that of the upper parts is soft and flexible, only 
moderately imbricated and compact ; that of the under parts is long, soft, and very thick. Bill 
