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"Simorhynchus pusillus. Least Auk. Knob-nosed Auk. Bill small and simple. but stout for its length, scarcely higher than wide at base, rather obtuse at tip. A small knob or tubercle at the base of the culmen, which is deciduous." Elliot Coues, 1884

Least Auk Adult

"Simorhynchus pusillus. Least Auk. Knob-nosed Auk. Bill small and simple. but stout for its length,…

"Simorhynchus pusillus. Least Auk. Knob-nosed Auk. Bill small and simple. but stout for its length, scarcely higher than wide at base, rather obtuse at tip." Elliot Coues, 1884

Least Auk Adult

"Simorhynchus pusillus. Least Auk. Knob-nosed Auk. Bill small and simple. but stout for its length,…

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…

"Icterus. Orioles. Bill averaging as long as head (more or less); very acute, sometimes decurved." Elliot Coues, 1884

Oriole Bill

"Icterus. Orioles. Bill averaging as long as head (more or less); very acute, sometimes decurved." Elliot…

"Fig. 26 - Parts of a Bill. a, side of upper mandible; b, culmen; c, nasal fossa; d, nostril; e(see below); f, gape, or whole commissural line; g, rictus; h, commissural point or angle of the mouth; i, ramus of under jaw; j, tomia of under mandible (the reference lines e should have been drawn to indicate the correct tomia of upper mandible):k, angle of gonys; l, gonys; m, side of under mandible; n, tips of mandibles." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Parts of a Bird Bill

"Fig. 26 - Parts of a Bill. a, side of upper mandible; b, culmen; c, nasal fossa; d, nostril; e(see…

"Botaurus. Bittern. Bill moderately longer than head, shorter than tarsus, which is shorter than middle toe and claw." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Bill of a Bittern

"Botaurus. Bittern. Bill moderately longer than head, shorter than tarsus, which is shorter than middle…

"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…

"Carpodacus. Purple Bullfinch. Bill smaller and less turgid than in Pinicol or Pyrrhula, more regularly conic and more acute; sides convex in all directions, but with distinct ridge prolonged in a point on forehead where not concealed by the antiae, its outline moderately curved; commissure decidedly angulated, about straight before and behind the bend; gonys quite straight. Nasal ruff little developed, barely cocealing the slight nasal fossae, thence falling over sides of bill, but discontinuous across culmen." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Bill of a Purple Finch

"Carpodacus. Purple Bullfinch. Bill smaller and less turgid than in Pinicol or Pyrrhula, more regularly…

"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;…

"Uria grylle. Black Guillemots. Bill much shorter than head, about equal to tarsus, straight, rather stout, moderately compressed; culmen at first straight, then decurved; gape straight to near tip; gonys short straight, ascending, about 1/2 as long as culmen. No nick or groove near tip of upper mandible; its tomial edge scarcely inflected. Nasal fossae large and deep, partially filled with feathers which do not entirely cover the nostrils." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black Guillemot Bill

"Uria grylle. Black Guillemots. Bill much shorter than head, about equal to tarsus, straight, rather…

"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…

"Haematopus. Oyster-catcher. Bill peculiar - longer than tarsus, twice as long as head, constricted near the base, much compressed, almost like a knife-blade toward end, and truncate, something like a woodpecker's (it is an efficient instrument for prying open shells of bivalve mollusks), hard, straight or or deflected sideways, highly colored. Nasal groove very short, broad, and shallow; grooving of lower mandible slight; interramal space very short, scarcely a third the length of the long ascending gonys. Nostrils remote from the feathers, linear, close to edge of bill." Elliot Coues, 1884

Oyster-catcher Bill

"Haematopus. Oyster-catcher. Bill peculiar - longer than tarsus, twice as long as head, constricted…

"Squatarola. Four-toed Plover. A small but distinct hind toe, contrary to the rule in this family. Tail less than half as long as wing. Tarsus much longer than middle toe and claw. Tibia bare below, reticulate like the tarsus. Basal web between outer and middle toes. Upper plumage speckled, lower black or white; no rings or bars of color about head or neck. Legs dark-colored. Tail fully barred. Seasonal changes of plumage very; sexes alike." Elliot Coues, 1884

Four-toed Plover Bill and Hind Toe

"Squatarola. Four-toed Plover. A small but distinct hind toe, contrary to the rule in this family. Tail…

"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…

"Ortyx. Quail. Outstretched feet reaching beyond end of tail. Bill black or blackish-brown. " Elliot Coues, 1884

Quail Foot and Bill

"Ortyx. Quail. Outstretched feet reaching beyond end of tail. Bill black or blackish-brown. " Elliot…

'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…