AMERICAN AYOSET. 
29 
slightly curved upwards, the point very slender, extremely thin and a little 
curved upwards. 
Head small, rounded above, rather compressed. Neck long. Body com* 
pact, ovate. Legs very long, slender; tibia elongated, bare for half its length, 
and reticulated ; tarsus very long, compressed, reticulated with hexagonal 
scales ; toes rather short, the first extremely small ; outer toe a little longer 
than inner ; the anterior toes connected by webs of which the anterior 
margin is deeply concave, the lateral toes thickly margined. Claws very 
small, compressed, rather blunt. 
Plumage soft and blended. "Wings long, of moderate breadth, pointed ; 
primaries straightish, tapering, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; 
secondaries broad, incurved, the outer rounded, the rest becoming pointed, 
the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, even, of twelve rather 
narrow, rounded feathers. 
Bill black. Iris bright carmine. Feet light blue, webs flesh-coloured 
towards their edges, claws black. Head, neck, and fore part of breast, red- 
dish-buff, the parts around the base of the bill and the eye nearly white, 
The back is white ; but on its fore part is a longitudinal band of brownish- 
black elongated feathers on each side, and the inner scapulars are of the same 
colour, the outer and the anterior edge of the wing being white. The wing 
brownish-black, wfith a broad band of white formed by the tips of the secon- 
dary coverts, four of the inner secondaries, and the basal part, with the inner 
webs and outer edges of the rest. The under parts white, excepting some 
of the primary quills and some of their coverts, which are greyish-brown. 
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 18f , to end of claws 23J ; 
extent of wings 3 Of ; wing from flexure 9£ ; tail ; bill along the ridge 
3f; bare part of the tibia 2 T 3 2 ; tarsus 3f ; hind toe and claw T 3 2 ; middle 
toe and claw Lf| ; breadth of foot extended 2f. Weight 16f oz. 
The Female is similar to the male, but somewhat smaller. 
Young in winter. 
The young in winter is similar to the adult, but with the head and neck 
white, the dark colours of a browner tint. 
Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 18f ; extent of wings 
30£. Weight 13 oz. 
In structure the Avosets are similar to the Numenii and Totani. In an 
adult female the tongue is very short in proportion to the length of the bill, 
being only If inches long, slightly emarginate at the base with a few conical 
papillae, slender, tapering to a point, horny on the back, and flattened above. 
On the palate are two longitudinal series of blunt papillae. The posterior 
aperture of the nares is linear, 10 twelfths long, papillate on the edges. 
The oesophagus is 7 inches and 9 twelfths long, inclines to the right side, and 
