or little-known Limicolse. 
253 
Mr. Swinhoe's Recurvirostra sinensis from Amoy, I think, 
must be referred to the present species. His description (l. c.) 
does not, indeed, apply to an adult specimen of R. avocetta, 
hut, to my mind, clearly indicates the bird of the year, which 
differs chiefly from the adult in having the upper part of the 
back and tail light ashy grey, and the scapulars and wing- 
coverts edged with the same colour, or with white. He gives 
careful measurements of bill, wing, tarsus, &c., and some use¬ 
ful remarks on the trachea, gizzard, and intestines as noted 
by him on the dissection of specimens of both sexes. 
Recurvirostra Americana, Gmelin. 
Recurvirostra americana, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 693 (1788); 
Wilson, Am. Orn. vii. p. 126, pi. 63 (1813); Swainson, Faun. 
Bor.-Amer. ii. p. 375 (1831); Audubon, Orn. Biog. iv. p. 168 
(1838); id. Birds Amer. vi. p. 24, pi. 353 (1843); Baird, 
Birds N. Amer. p. 703 (1858); Cones, Key N. Amer. Birds, 
p. 247 (1872). 
Recurvirostra occidentals, Vigors, Zool. Journ. iv. p. 356 
(1829); id. Zool. Voy. f Blossom/ p. 28, pi. xii. (1839); Cas- 
sin, Illustr. B. Californ. & Tex. p. 232, pi. xl. (1856); id. U. S. 
Expl. Exped. p. 324 (1858) id. Perry's Exped. Japan, ii. 
p. 246 (1856). 
Hab. Temperate parts of North America, California, Mex¬ 
ico, Central America. 
Diagn. R. alba; capite colloque ferrugineis colore antice 
ad pectus producto (ptil. aestiv.), aut albidis, nonnunquam 
cinerascentibus (ptil. hiem. & juv.), scapularibus nigris; tec- 
tricibus alarum et remigibus primariis nigris cineraceo lim- 
batis; rostro nigro ; iride rufescenti-fusca; pedibus cseruleis. 
Long. tot. circa 18 poll., rostr. 3 75, alee 8*75-9’0, tib. 
nud. 1‘9, tars. 3*75, dig. med. F75. 
The present species appears to be pretty generally distri¬ 
buted throughout the temperate parts of North America, but 
is more abundant on the western coast. In the vicinity of 
Hudson's Bay, in the summer season, it was observed to be plen¬ 
tiful ; and Nuttall found it breeding on the islands of shallow 
ponds throughout the Rocky Mountains. It is common on 
the Saskachewan plains, where, according to Richardson and 
ser. in.—VOL. iv. 
T 
