SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 
87 
male, but black duller, or slaty. Young: similar to adult female, but 
feathers of back bordered with huffy, and blackish of head and neck mot¬ 
tled with huffy. Length: 13.50-15.50, wing- 8.50-9.00, bill 2.50, tarsus 4. 
Distribution. — The United States, mainly in the western interior, and 
southward to Brazil and Peru ; north casually to Minnesota and New 
Brunswick. Breeds from southern Texas to Oregon. 
Nest. — A slight depression in the sand or on wet ground ; or eggs laid 
in a bunch of dry grass. Eggs: 3 to 4, buff or olive brown, thickly spotted 
with dark brown. 
In spite of its apparently extravagant length of legs the black¬ 
necked stilt is a graceful, well-balanced bird, whether stepping 
daintily over the grass tops, wading in half a foot of water, swim¬ 
ming when beyond its depth, or flying with head drawn back and 
legs straight out behind. As the birds alight they raise their black 
pointed wings over their white body a moment, assuming a pose 
that is not only strikingly beautiful but doubtless an important 
directive and recognition signal. Sometimes when quietly feeding 
one will lift its wings in this way, without apparent reason. 
Much of the stilt’s food is gleaned from the surface of the shallow 
water or from plant stems rising from it, and its reason for prefer- 
ing the flooded marsh to the open pond is presumably the greater 
abundance of minute insect life found among the aquatic plants. 
Vernon Bailey. 
FAMILY SCOLOPACIDiE: SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 
KEY TO GENERA. 
1. Back of tarsus covered with hexagonal scales Numenius, p. 101. 
1'. Back of tarsus with a row of transverse scutellae. 
2. Ears anterior to eyes, thighs wholly feathered . Philohela, p. 88. 
2'. Ears posterior to eyes or directly under them. 
3. Ears directly under eyes, lower part of thighs naked. _ 
4. Crown and back broadly striped .... Gallinago, p. 88. 
4'. Crown and back mottled, not striped. 
Macrorhamphus, p. 89. 
3'.* Ears posterior to eyes. 
4. Hind toe wanting.Calidris, p. 94. 
4'. Hind toe present. 
5. No trace of web between toes. 
6. Bill longer than middle toe and claw . . Tringa, p. 90. 
O'. Bill shorter than middle toe and claw . Tryngites, p. 100. 
5'. A distinct web between middle and one or both lateral toes. 
6. Tail much graduated, about half as long as wing. 
Bartramia, p. 99. 
6'. Tail not much graduated, not nearly half as long as wing. 
7. Bill longer than tail.Limosa, p. 95. 
7'. Bill shorter than tail. 
8. Bill distinctly widened and roughened at tip. 
Micropalama, p. 90 
