346 
PELECOCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOLAk 
Himantopus nigricollis, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. X. 1817, 42. — ■Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 8. — Aud. Orn. 
Biog. IV. 1838, 247, pi. 328 ; Synop. 1839, 253 ; Birds Am. VI. 1843, 31, pi. 354. — Baird, 
Birds N. Am. 1858, 704; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 518. — Coues, Key, 1872, 247; Check 
List, 1873, no. 408 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 462. 
Hypsibates nigricollis, Caban, in Schomb. Guiana, III. 1847, 758. 
Macrotarsus nigricollis, Gundl. J. f. 0. 1856, 422. 
Himantopus leucurus, Vieill. N. D. X. 1817, 42 (Mexico). 
Hab. The whole of temperate North America, Middle America, and Northern South America 
south to Peru and Brazil ; Galapagos ; West Indies in general, and Bermudas ; north, on the 
Atlantic coast, to Maine. More generally distributed and more abundant in the Western than in 
the Eastern Province. 
Sp. Char. Adult male: Forehead, a large postocular spot, lores, entire lower parts, rump, and 
upper tail-coverts, white. Remainder of the head, whole nape, back, scapulars, and wings (both 
surfaces), glossy black, with a greenisli-blue reflection. Tail pale grayish. Bill black ; iris crim- 
son ; legs and feet lake-reel or beautiful rose-pink in life, yellowish in the dried skin. Adult female : 
Similar to the male, but back and scapulars brownish slate, and the black of other portions 
duller. Young, first plumage: Similar to the adult female, but the feathers of the back, the scapu- 
lars, and tertials bordered with buff or dull whitish, the black of the head and nape finely mottled 
with the same. Downy young: Above light fulvous-grayish, mottled with dusky, the back and 
rump relieved by several large black blotches. Head, neck, and lower parts fulvous-whitish, the 
crown, occiput, and nape grayish, the crown with a. mesial black streak, the occiput with coarse 
spots of the same. 
Total length, about 14 to 15.50 inches; extent, 27 to 30; wing, 8.50-9.00; culmen, about 
2.50 ; tarsus, 4.00 ; middle toe, 1.37. Bill deep black ; iris rosy carmine ; legs and feet fine rose- 
pink or delicate pale lake-red (in life). 
Adult specimens in high breeding-plumage sometimes have the white of the breast, etc., tinged 
with soft creamy pink. 
The Stilt appears to be a common species throughout nearly the whole of the 
United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific ; more abundant in the Western and 
Gulf States, and less frequent in the more Northern and Eastern. It occurs occa- 
sionally near Calais, but, according to Mr. Boardman, is very rare. Several individual 
birds have been taken at Grand Menan ; and occasional instances of its capture near 
Boston are known. Mr. Boardman also met with it in Florida, where it was found to be 
most numerous toward the end of March. It occurs in most of the West India Islands, 
in Mexico, and in Central and South America. Mr. Salvin found it on the Pacific 
coast of Guatemala, and also saw a single individual which had been procured near 
the modern City of Guatemala. Mr. E. Newton mentions the Stilt as being well 
known by name to most of the inhabitants of St. Croix, although rarely seen. Though 
