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"Another small family, characterized by the extreme length of the slender legs, and the extreme slenderness of the long acute bill, which is either straight or curved upward. Recurvirostra is a 4-toed, and full-webbed; the bill is decidedly recurved, flattened, and tapers to a needle-like point; the body is depressed; the plumage underneath is thickened as in water-birds. The species swim well. Himantopus is 3 toes, semipalmate, the bill nearly straight, and not flattened; in relative length of leg it is probably not surpassed by any bird whatsoever. " Elliot Coues, 1884

Avocets Head and Foot

"Another small family, characterized by the extreme length of the slender legs, and the extreme slenderness…

Aerial (top) view of Barn Swallow's bill "Hirundo horreorum. Barn Swallow. Bill of moderate size for this family, of the usual shape, with straight commissure; nostrils lateral overarched by a membranous scale." Elliot Coues, 1884

Barn Swallow Bill

Aerial (top) view of Barn Swallow's bill "Hirundo horreorum. Barn Swallow. Bill of moderate size for…

"Alle. Sea Dove. Size small. Bill very short, stout, and obtuse, as well as high at base, the sides of both mandibles turgid, the edge of the upper much infected; culmen very convex; rictus ample, decurved at end; gonys straight, very short, the mandibular rami correspondingly long, and widely divaricated; nasal fossae short, wide, deep, partly, patly feathered. Nostrils sub basal, more nearly circular than in any other genus excepting the next." Elliot Coues, 1884

Sea Dove Bill

"Alle. Sea Dove. Size small. Bill very short, stout, and obtuse, as well as high at base, the sides…

"Details of Engyptila albifrons (White-fronted Dove); head and foot natural size; wing and tail reduced.

White-fronted Dove Details

"Details of Engyptila albifrons (White-fronted Dove); head and foot natural size; wing and tail reduced.

"Bill averaging somewhat longer, about 1.90; culmen, commissure, and gonys nearly straight; upper mandible somewhat dilated toward the base along the cutting edges, and less feathered; gonydeal angle prominent. Bill consequently approaches that of the next species, in width and depth, but exaggerates the length and straightness of that of the last species." Elliot Coues, 1884

Californian Guillemot Bill

"Bill averaging somewhat longer, about 1.90; culmen, commissure, and gonys nearly straight; upper mandible…

"Bill black; bill along culmen 1.75; gape 2.50; gonys 1.15; depth at base .55; width .30." Elliot Coues, 1884

Common Guillemot Bill

"Bill black; bill along culmen 1.75; gape 2.50; gonys 1.15; depth at base .55; width .30." Elliot Coues,…

"Uria columba. Pigeon Guillemot. Bill stouter than that of grylle, and more obtuse." Elliot Coues, 1884

Pigeon Guillemot Bill

"Uria columba. Pigeon Guillemot. Bill stouter than that of grylle, and more obtuse." Elliot Coues, 1884

"Bill larger than Pigeon Guillemot, 1.5-1.70 along culmen, along gape 2.20, from feathers on side of lower mandible 1.50; depth at base .50; width .38."

Sooty Guillemot Bill

"Bill larger than Pigeon Guillemot, 1.5-1.70 along culmen, along gape 2.20, from feathers on side of…

"Lomvia arra. Thick-billed Guillemot. Arrie. Bill short, stout, wide, deep; culmen curved throughout; commissure decurved at end; gonys if anything concave in outline, the angle very protuberant; cutting edges of the upper mandible dilated and denuded toward the base, this bare turgid space flesh-colored in life, drying pale yellowish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Thick-billed Guillemot Bill

"Lomvia arra. Thick-billed Guillemot. Arrie. Bill short, stout, wide, deep; culmen curved throughout;…

"Chroicocephalus atricilla. Laughing Gull. Black-headed Gull. Bill longer than middle toe and claw, shorter than tarsus or head, moderately compressed, rather stout for this genus. Culmen and commissure both decurved and the end, the latter somewhat sinuate at the base. Gonys considerably concave in front of the angle, somewhat so between the angle and tip; although the angle id well defined, the tip of the bill is so decurved that a chord from tip to base does not touch it." Elliot Coues, 1884

Laughing Gull Bill

"Chroicocephalus atricilla. Laughing Gull. Black-headed Gull. Bill longer than middle toe and claw,…

"Synthliborhamphus antiquus. Nipper-nosed Murrelet. Bill somewhat as in Brachyrhamphus, but stouter and deeper for its length; greatly compressed throughout, its depth at base about half as much as length of culmen; culmen moderately convex, gonys ascending. Nostrils sub-basal, broadly oval or nearly circular; nasal fossae small and shallow, feathered to nostrils." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black-throated Murrelet

"Synthliborhamphus antiquus. Nipper-nosed Murrelet. Bill somewhat as in Brachyrhamphus, but stouter…

"Synthliborhamphus umizusume. Japanese Murrelet. Temminck's Auk. Bill more elongate and acute than in the type of the genus, less compressed, not so deep for its length. Bill yellow, with black ridge; feet livid-bluish, with dusky webs. A large crest, of a dozen (more or fewer) feathers springing from extreme forehead, not recurved, but drooping backward over the occiput." Elliot Coues, 1884

Japanese Murrelet Bill

"Synthliborhamphus umizusume. Japanese Murrelet. Temminck's Auk. Bill more elongate and acute than in…

"In ornithology, having the beak broad and deeply cleft, as a swallow, swift, or goatsucker" or nightjar. -Whitney, 1911

Fissirostral Bill of Nightjar

"In ornithology, having the beak broad and deeply cleft, as a swallow, swift, or goatsucker" or nightjar.…

"Lunda cirrata. Tufted Puffin. Crests about 4 inches long, straw-yellow, some of the posterior feathers black at base; these bundles of silky, glossy feathers with very delicate shafts and loosened webs; they chiefly sprout from what corresponds to the furrow in the plumage of F. artica. Face white, broadly of this color on sides of head to beyond eyes (as far as the crests), narrowly across forehead and chin, the bill being thus entirely surrounded by white. Crown between the crests, and entire upper parts, excepting the extreme forehead and a line along the forearm, glossy blue-black. Entire under parts, excepting extreme chin, and including sides of hind head and sides of neck, sooty brownish-black, more grayish on the belly, the lining of wings smoky-gray, the under tail-coverts quite black. Wings and tail black, their inner webs brownish-black, the shaft of the primary whitish underneath near base. Bill, feet, and eye-ring vermilion-red; the basil parts of the bill when about to desquamate showing more yellowish or enamel color, or even showing the living color of the subjacent membrane. Rosette of mouth yellow. Claws black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Tufted Puffin Bill

"Lunda cirrata. Tufted Puffin. Crests about 4 inches long, straw-yellow, some of the posterior feathers…

'Rhynchops. Skimmer. Bill hypognathous Among the singular bills of birds that frequently excite our wonder, that of the skimmers as one of the most anomalous. The under mandible is much longer than the upper, compressed like a knife-blade; its end is obtuse; its sides come abruptly together and are completely soldered; the upper edge is as sharp as the under, and fits a groove in the upper mandible; the jawbone, viewed apart, looks like a short-handled pitchfork. The upper mandible in also compressed, but less so, nor is it so obtuse at the end; its substance is nearly hallow, with light cancellated structure, much as in a toucan; it is freely movable by means of an elastic hinge at the forehead." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Bill of a Skimmer

'Rhynchops. Skimmer. Bill hypognathous Among the singular bills of birds that frequently excite our…

"Ammodramus. Seaside Sparrow. Bill remarkably slender and lengthened for this family, with culmen toward end, gonys straight, and sometimes an evident lobation of the cutting edge of the upper mandible. Wings short and rounded, yet longer than tail; inner secondaries, though not elongate, reaching nearly to end of primaries when wing is closed; point formed by 2d-4th quills. Feet large and stout, reaching outstretched about to the end of tail; tarsus about equal to middle toe and claw in length; lateral toes of equal lengths, very short, their claws under reaching base of middle claw. Tail shorter or not longer than wings, much rounded, of narrow, stiffish, sharp-pointed feathers. Embracing small streaky marsh sparrows, especially of the sea-coast, but not exclusively maritime, as long supposed; remarkable for slenderness of the bill, sharp narrow tail-feathers, and stout feet fitted for grasping slender swaying reeds. Edge of wing bright yellow; a yellow spot of buff stripe on head; upper parts olive-gray or quite blackish, streaky." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Details of a Seaside Sparrow

"Ammodramus. Seaside Sparrow. Bill remarkably slender and lengthened for this family, with culmen toward…

"Fig 181 - Generic details of Hirundo horreorum(Barn Swallow) Deep lustrous steel-blue; forehead and entire under parts rufous, generally deepest on the forehead and throat; an imperfect steel-blue collar. Wings and tail blackish, with steel-blue or somewhat greenish gloss; the lateral pair of tail-feathers much lengthened and filiform at the end, all but central pair with white spot." Elliot Coues, 1884

Barn Swallow Details

"Fig 181 - Generic details of Hirundo horreorum(Barn Swallow) Deep lustrous steel-blue; forehead and…