A Synopsis of the Birds of North America

by John James Audubon

GENUS II. APHRIZA, Aud. SURF-BIRD.

Bill a little shorter than the head, rather stout, compressed, tapering, straightish, being recurvate in a slight degree; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, and a little declinate as far as the middle, then concave, and towards the end convex, the nasal grooves extending to near the end, the ridge rather broad and flattened, the tip compressed and bluntish; lower mandible with the angle rather long and narrow, the dorsal line ascending, and slightly convex, the sides grooved for half their length, convex toward the end, the tip narrowed, but blunt. Nostrils subbasal, linear, near the margin. Head rather small, ovate, rounded in front; neck of ordinary length; body rather full. Feet of moderate length, rather stout; tibia bare at the lower part, and reticulated; tarsus roundish, with small angular scales all round, those on the fore part larger; toes four, with numerous scutella, the first very small, and placed higher, the anterior toes free to the base, distinctly margined on both edges, flat beneath, the inner considerably shorter than the outer. Claws rather small, curved, compressed, blunted. Plumage full, soft, rather dense, on the neck and lower parts blended. Wings very long, narrow, and pointed; first primary longest, inner secondaries much elongated. Tail rather short, even, of twelve moderately broad feathers. Name from [Greek: Aphros], foam; and [Greek: xaô], to live.

323. 1. Aphriza Townsendii, Aud. Townsend's Surf-Bird.

Plate CCCCXXVIII. Female.

Bill dusky, toward the base orange, feet bluish-green; upper parts blackish-grey; quills greyish-black; a broad band of white on the wing, occupying the tips of the primary coverts; the terminal third of the secondary coverts, the bases, and more or less of the margins and tips of the quills, several of the inner secondaries having only a streak of dusky on the inner web; shafts of quills also white, as are some of the feathers of the rump, the upper tail-coverts, and the basal half of the tail, of which the rest is black, the feathers narrowly edged with white at the end; throat greyish-white; cheeks, sides, and fore part of neck, and anterior part of breast, dull grey, of a lighter tint than the back; the rest of the lower parts white, with small longitudinal oblong dark grey streaks; axillaries and lower wing-coverts white.

Female, 11; wing, 7¹/₂.

Cape Disappointment, Columbia River.

Townsend's Surf-Bird, Aphriza Townsendi, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 249.

GENUS III. STREPSILAS, Illiger. TURNSTONE.

Bill a little shorter than the head, rather stout, compressed, tapering, straightish, being recurvate in a slight degree; upper mandible with the dorsal line very slightly concave, the nasal groove extending to the middle, the sides beyond it sloping, the tip depressed and blunted; lower mandible with the angle short, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp, the tip depressed and blunted. Nostrils subbasal, linear-oblong, pervious. Head rather small, ovate; neck of ordinary length; body rather full. Feet of moderate length, rather stout; tibia bare at the lower part, and covered with reticulated scales; tarsus roundish, with numerous broad anterior scutella; toes four, the first very small and elevated, anterior toes free to the base, distinctly margined, the inner a little shorter than the outer. Claws rather small, arched, compressed, blunted. Plumage full, soft, rather dense, and glossy. Wings long, pointed, of moderate breadth, first quill longest, inner secondaries elongated. Tail rather short, slightly rounded, of twelve moderately broad feathers.