TOTANINiE. HIMANTOPUS. 
89 
row ; tongue scarcely half the length of the bill, very slen- 
der, tapering, pointed ; oesophagus narrow ; proventriculus 
oblong ; stomach elliptical, with the lateral muscles mode- 
rately thick, the epithelium dense and rugous ; intestine of 
moderate length, narrow ; coeca rather short, very narrow. 
Nostrils linear, subbasal. Eyes rather small. Aperture of 
ear roundish, and rather large. Legs extremely long and 
slender ; tibia bare for more than half its length ; tarsus 
very slender, compressed, reticulated with hexagonal scales ; 
toes of moderate length, slender, scutellate, unless toward 
the base ; no hind toe ; the inner connected with the middle 
toe by a very slight web, the outer by a web extending 
nearly to the second joint ; claws small, slightly arched, 
compressed, obtuse. Plumage very soft and blended, on the 
back and wings compact ; wings extremely long, exceeding 
the tail, narrow, acute, of twenty-eight quills ; the first 
longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated ; secondaries 
incurved, some of the inner tapering and elongated ; tail 
short, nearly even, of twelve feathers. 
These birds fly with rapidity, walk and run with celerity, 
vibrate their body when standing, are remarkably vociferous, 
and search the mud and sand for worms, insects, Crustacea, 
and mollusca, often wading far into the water. The eggs 
are four, pyriform, and spotted. The males are larger than 
the females. 
195 . Himantopus melanoptertjs. Black-winged 
Stilt-shank. 
In summer, the bill black, the feet vermilion ; the fore- 
head, cheeks, neck, lower parts, and sides of the body, with 
the greater part of the back, white ; the breast tinged with 
rose-colour ; upper part of head and nape greyish-black ; fore 
part of back, scapulars, and wings, black, glossed with green ; 
tail ash-grey. The female somewhat smaller, and with the 
black of the back less glossy. In winter the forehead, a band 
over the eyes, fore part of neck, breast, sides, abdomen, lower 
tail-coverts, and the greater part of the back, white ; upper 
part of the head, nape, and a line below the eye, with the 
ear-coverts, ash-grey ; hind part of neck pale-grey ; fore part 
of back, scapulars, and elongated secondaries, brown, the rest 
