232 ' 
BLACK SKIMMER. 
moderately full, soft, and blended; the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings 
extremely elongated, and very narrow; the primary quills excessively long; 
the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; the secondaries short, broad, 
incurved, obliquely pointed, some of the inner more elongated. Tail rather 
short, deeply forked, of twelve feathers, disposed in two inclined plane?!. 
Bill of a rich carmine, inclining to vermilion for about half its length, the 
rest black. Iris hazel. Feet of the same colour as the base of the bill, 
claws black. The upper parts are deep brownish-black ; the secondary 
quills, and four or five of the primaries, tipped with white ; the latter on 
their inner web chiefly. Tail-feathers black, broadly margined on both 
sides with white, the outer more extensively; the middle tail-coverts black, 
the lateral black on the inner and white on the outer web. A broad band 
of white over the forehead, extending to the fore part of the eye ; cheeks 
and throat of the same colour ; the rest of the neck and lower parts in 
spring and summer of a delicate cream-colour ; axillary feathers, lower 
wing-coverts, and a large portion of the secondary quills, white ; the 
coverts along the edge of the wing black. 
Length from point of upper mandible to end of tail 20 inches, to end of 
wings 24£, to end of claws IT; to carpal joint 8^; extent of wings 48; 
upper mandible 31; its edge 31; from base to point of lower mandible 4a ; 
depth of bill at the base T; wing from flexure 15f; tail to the fork 3i ; to 
end of longest feather 5i; tarsus 1#; hind toe and claw T V; middle toe 
its claw T V Weight 13 oz. 
The Female, which is smaller, is similar to the male, but with the tail- 
feathers white, excepting a longitudinal band including the shaft. 
Length to end of tail 161, to end of wings 20i, to end of claws 16£, to 
carpus 8; extent of wings 44i. Weight 10 oz. 
After the first autumnal moult there is on the hind part of the neck a 
broad band of white, mottled with greyish-black ; the lower parts pure 
white, the upper of a duller black ; the bill and feet less richly coloured. 
Length to end of tail 16# inches, to end of wings 20, to end of claws 14s ; 
to carpus 6f; extent of wings 42. 
In some individuals at this period the mandibles are of equal length. 
The palate is flat, with two longitudinal series of papillae directed back- 
wards. The upper mandible is extremely contracted, having internally only 
a very narrow groove, into which is received the single thin edge of the 
lower mandible. The posterior aperture of the nares is lfV inches long, 
with a transverse line of papillae at the middle on each side, and another 
behind. The tongue is sagittiform, 62 twelfths long, with two conical 
papillae at the base, soft, fleshy, flat above, horny beneath. Aperture of the 
glottis 41 twelfths long, with numerous small papillae behind. Lobes of the 
