DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL OBSERVATIONS.
Genus Recurvirostra. Linn., Syst. Nat, I. p. 256. (1766.)
Bill depressed, smooth, recurved; wing rather long, pointed; first quill longest; tail short; legs long, moderately strong; toes rather short, partially webbed. A peculiar and somewhat isolated genus, of which a few species only are known, though inhabiting nearly all parts of the world.
Recurvirostra occidentalis. Vigors, Zool. Journal, IV. p. 356. (1829.)
Form. General form rather robust; bill depressed, soft at the tip; wing with the first quill longest; tertiaries longer than secondaries; tail quite short; legs long; tibia feathered nearly one-half of its length; tarsus covered with scales.
Dimensions. Total length of skin, from tip of bill to end of tail, about 16½ inches; Wing, 9; tail, 3; tarsus, 3½; bill, 3½ inches.
Colors. Back and upper surface of wings brownish black, lightest on the tertiaries, and darkest on the primaries; all other parts white, slightly tinged with ashy on the head above and neck behind; secondary quills white; greater coverts of the wing widely tipped with the same.
Hab. California. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada., and Nat. Museum, Washington.
Obs. This strongly-marked species bears some resemblance to the European Avocet, and in fact is more closely allied to it than to the only American species previously known. It is, however, a well characterized and distinct bird.
The sexes of this species differ somewhat in size, the female being slightly the smaller; and in the male, the dark tints are stronger. The latter is represented in our plate.