British Birds in their Haunts Part 6

ORDER LIMICOLae (WADERS)

Leg and tarsus long, the lower portion of the former generally dest.i.tute of feathers; bill long or moderate; toes three or four, more or less connected by a membrane at the base, sometimes lobated.

Primaries eleven; fifth secondary wanting; after shaft to contour feathers present.

Adapted by structure for feeding in marshes, on the muddy or sandy sea-sh.o.r.e, or on the banks of lakes and rivers. Some, which feed on fish, have unusually long legs and powerful bills; others, owing to their length of bill and legs, are able to search muddy places for worms and insects, without clogging their feathers; and others, again, are decidedly aquatic, and have considerable swimming powers, thus approaching the next order; the majority have great power of flight, and lay their eggs on the ground.

FAMILY GLAREOLIDae

108. GLAReOLA (Pratincole). Bill short, convex, compressed towards the point; upper mandible curved throughout half its length; nostrils basal, oblique; legs feathered nearly to the knee; tarsus long; three toes in front, one behind, the latter joined on the tarsus; wings very long; first primary longest. _Page 238_

FAMILY CHARADRIIDae

Hind toe absent in most species; tarsus usually reticulate, sometimes scutellate.

109. OEDICNeMUS (Thick-knee). Bill stout, straight, longer than the head, slightly compressed towards the end; nostrils in the middle of the bill, narrow, with the aperture in front, pervious; toes three, united by a membrane as far as the first joint; wings as in the last. _Page 239_

110. CURSORIUS (Courser). Bill shorter than the head, depressed at the base, slightly curved, pointed; nostrils basal, oval, covered by a little protuberance. Legs long, slender; toes three, very short, divided nearly to the base, inner toe half the length of the middle one; its claw serrated; claws very short; wings moderate; first primary nearly as long as the second, which is the longest in the wing. _Page 240_

111. CHARaDRIUS (Plover). Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, compressed, somewhat swollen towards the tip; nasal channel reaching from the base through two-thirds of the bill, covered by a membrane; nostrils basal, very narrow; tarsi moderate, slender; toes three, the outer and middle connected by a short membrane; wings moderate; first primary longest. _Page 240_

112. SQUATaROLA (Grey Plover). Bill shorter than the head, straight, swollen and hard towards the tip; nostrils basal, narrow, pierced in the membrane of a long groove; legs slender; outer and middle toe connected by a short membrane, hind toe rudimentary, jointed on the tarsus, not touching the ground; wings long, pointed; first primary longest. _Page 242_

113. EUDROMIAS (Dotterel). Bill shorter than head, slender, compressed; nasal channel reaching about half length of bill. Wings moderate; inner secondaries much longer than in Charadrius.

_Page 244_

114. aeGIALITIS (Ringed and Kentish Plovers). Bill much shorter than head, slender, straight to end of nasal channel, which extends beyond middle of bill, then slightly raised, but decurved at tip; wings long, pointed. _Page 245_

115. VANELLUS (Lapwing). Wings large, quills broad and rounded, the fourth and fifth primaries longest. In other respects resembling Squatarola. _Page 247_

116. HaeMaTOPUS (Oyster Catcher). Bill longer than the head, stout, straight, forming a wedge; legs moderate, stout; toes three, bordered by a narrow membrane; wings long; first primary longest.

_Page 248_

117. STRePSILAS (Turnstone). Bill short, thickest at the base and tapering; nostrils basal, narrow, pervious; legs moderate; three front toes connected at the base by a membrane, fourth rudimentary, jointed on the tarsus, touching the ground with its tip. _Page 250_

FAMILY SCOLOPACIDae (SNIPES, ETC.)

Bill long and slender; toes four, the hind one weak and elevated, very rarely wanting.

118. RECURVIROSTRA (Avocet). Bill very long, slender, weak, much curved upwards, pointed; legs long, slender; front toes connected as far as the second joint; hind toe very small. _Page 252_

119. PHALaROPUS (Phalarope). Bill as long as the head, slender, weak, depressed and blunt; front toes connected as far as the first joint, and bordered by a lobed and slightly serrated membrane; hind toe not bordered. _Page 253_

120. SCoLOPAX (Woodc.o.c.k). Bill long, compressed, superior ridge elevated at base of mandible, prominent. Legs rather short, anterior toes almost entirely divided. _Page 254_

121. GALLINaGO (Snipe). Bill very long; legs rather long and slender; anterior toes divided to the base. _Page 256_

122. CALIDRIS (Sanderling). Bill as long as the head, slender, straight, soft, and flexible, dilated towards the end; nostrils basal, narrow, pierced in the long nasal groove which reaches to the tip; legs slender; toes three, scarcely connected by a membrane; wings moderate; first primary longest. _Page 260_

123. TRINGA (Sandpiper, Knot, Dunlin, Stint). Bill as long as the head or a little longer, straight or slightly curved, soft and flexible, dilated, and blunt towards point; both mandibles grooved along sides; nostrils lateral wings moderately long, pointed, first quill longest; legs moderately long; three toes in front, divided to origin; one behind, small, articulated upon tarsus. _Page 361_

124. MACHeTES (Ruff). Bill straight, as long as the head, dilated and smooth at the tip; nasal channel reaching to nearly the end of the bill; nostrils basal; first and second primaries longest; toes four, the outer and middle connected as far as the first joint; neck of the male in spring furnished with a ruff. _Page 266_

125. ToTa.n.u.s (Redshank, Sandpiper). Bill moderate, slender, soft at the base, solid at the end; both mandibles grooved at the base, upper channelled through half its length; nostrils pierced in the groove; legs long, slender; toes four. _Page 267_

126. LIMoSA (G.o.dwit). Bill very long, slender, curved upwards, soft and flexible throughout, dilated towards the tip, and blunt; upper mandible channelled throughout its whole length; nostrils linear, pierced in the groove, pervious; legs long and slender; toes four, the outer and middle connected as far as the first joint; wings moderate; first primary longest. _Page 272_

127. NUMENIUS (Curlew, Whimbrel). Bill much larger than the head, slender, curved downwards. _Page 273_

ORDER GAVIae

Front toes entirely connected by webs. Primaries, ten large and visible, one minute and concealed.

FAMILY LARIDae (GULLS, TERNS, SKUAS)

_SUB-FAMILY STERNINae_

Bill straight, rather slender; mandibles of about equal length.

128. HYDROCHELIDON (Black, White-winged, and Whiskered Terns). Tail feathers rounded or slightly pointed; tail short, less than half length of wing. _Page 275_

129. STERNA (Other Terns). Outer tail feathers longest, pointed; tarsus short; tail at least half length of wing; bill compressed and slender; tarsus never exceeds length of middle toe with claw.

_Page 276_

_SUB-FAMILY LARINae_

Bill with upper mandible longer and bent over tip of under one.

130. LARUS (Gull). Bill moderate, strong, sharp-edged above, compressed, slightly decurved; hind toe high on the tarsus; first primary nearly equal to the second, which is longest; tail even, or but slightly forked. _Page 281_

131. RISSA (Kittiwake). Bill rather short and stout, considerably decurved; hind toe minute and usually obsolete; first primary slightly exceeding second; tail perceptibly forked in young, nearly square in adult. _Page 287_

_SUB-FAMILY STERCORARIINae_

Bill with a cere; claws large, strong, hooked.

132. STERCORARIUS (Skua). Bill moderate, strong, rounded above, compressed towards the tip, which is decurved; nostrils far forward, diagonal, pervious; hind toe very small, scarcely elevated; the middle tail-feathers more or less elongated. _Page 288_