BLACK SKIMMER. 
231 
parents can distinguish them individually on such occasions. This bird 
walks in the manner of the Terns, with short steps, and the tail slightly 
elevated. When gorged and fatigued, both old and young birds are wont 
to lie flat on the sand, and extend their bills before them ; and when thus 
reposing in fancied security, may sometimes be slaughtered in great 
numbers by the single discharge of a gun. When shot at while on wing, 
and brought to the water, they merely float, and are easily secured. If the 
sportsman is desirous of obtaining more, he may easily do so, as others pass 
in full clamour close over the wounded bird. 
Black Skimmer or Shear-water, Rhynchops nigra , Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vii. p. 85. 
Rhincops nigra, Bonap. Syn., p. 352. 
Black Skimmer, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 264. 
Black Skimmer or Razor-billed Shear-water, Rhynchops nigra , Aud. Orn. Biog., 
vol. iv. p. 203. 
Male, 20, 48. Female, 16f, 44L 
During winter, in vast multitudes on the coast of Florida. In summer 
dispersed in large flocks from Texas to New Jersey, breeding on sand 
beaches or islands. In the evenings and at night ascends streams some- 
times to the distance of one hundred miles. 
Adult Male. 
Bill longer than the head, nearly straight, tetragonal at the base, suddenly 
extremely compressed, and continuing so to the end. Upper mandible much 
shorter than the lower, its dorsal outline very slightly convex, its ridge 
sharp, the sides erect, more or less convex, the edges approximated so as 
to leave merely a very narrow groove between them-; the tip a little 
rounded when viewed laterally. Nasal groove rather short, narrow near 
the margin ; nostrils linear-oblong, sub-basal in the soft membrane. Lower 
mandible with the angle extremely short, the dorsal outline straight or 
slightly decurved, the sides erect, the edges united into a very thin blade 
which fits into the narrow groove of the upper mandible, the tip rounded 
or abrupt when viewed laterally. 
Head rather large, oblong, considerably elevated in front. Neck short 
and thick. Body short, ovate, and compact. Feet short, moderately stout ; 
tibia bare below, with narrow transverse scutella before and behind ; tarsus 
short, moderately compressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, reticu- 
lated on the sides and behind ; toes very small ; the first extremely short, and 
free ; the inner much shorter than the outer, which is but slightly exceeded 
by the middle toe ; the webs very deeply concave at the margin, especially 
the inner. Claws long, compressed, tapering, slightly arched, rather obtuse, 
the inner edge of the middle toe dilated and extremely thin. Plumage 
