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"Mature stapes of fowl, about x4; after Parker. st, its foot, fitting fenestra ovalis; mst, main shaft, or medio-stapedial element; sst, supra-stapedial; est, extra-stapedial; ist, infra-stapedial, its end representing a rudimentary stylo-hyal; f, a fenestra in the extra-stapedial." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Ear Bone of Fowl

"Mature stapes of fowl, about x4; after Parker. st, its foot, fitting fenestra ovalis; mst, main shaft,…

"Schizognathous skull of common fowl, nat. size, from nature, by Dr. R.W. Shufeldt, U.S.A. Letters as before; Pa, palatine. Schizognathism is a kind of " cleft palate" shown by the columbine and gallinaceous birds, by the wader at large, and many of the swimmers. In this general case, the vomer, whether large or small, tapers to a point in front, while behind it embraces the basisphenoidal rostrum, between the palatines; these bones and the pterygoids are directly articulated with one another and with the basisphenoidal rostrum, not being borne upon the divergent posterior ends of the vomer; the maxillo-palatines, usually elongated and lamelar, pass inwards over (under, when the skull is viewed upside-down, as it usually is) the anterior part of the palatines, with which they unite and then bend backwards, along the inner edge of the palatines, leaving a broader or narrower fissure between themselves and the vomer, on each side, and do not unite with one another or with the vomer." Elliot Coues, 1884

Common Fowl Skull

"Schizognathous skull of common fowl, nat. size, from nature, by Dr. R.W. Shufeldt, U.S.A. Letters as…

"Fulmarus. Fulmar. Adult: White; mantle pale pearly-blue, restricted to back and wings, or extending on head and tail; usually a dark spot in front of eye; quills dark ashy-brown. Bill yellow, tinged with sea-green on culmen and lower mandible, the opening of the nostrils black; feet drying dingy yellowish, said to be delicate French gray in life; iris brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Fulmar and Nest

"Fulmarus. Fulmar. Adult: White; mantle pale pearly-blue, restricted to back and wings, or extending…

"Priocella tenuirostris. Slender-billed Fulmar. Adult: Plumage white, with clear pearly-blue mantle, and black primaries, just like a gull; the mantle beginning faintly on the nape, continuing over whole back, rump, tail, wing-coverts and inner quills; edge of the wing slaty-gray; primaries black, their shafts yellowish-white at base, their inner webs pearly-white to near the ends; white of first primary extending to within two inches of the tip, further on the rest successively, reaching the end on the 6th; outer webs of secondaries slaty-black, inner white; a small dusky spot before eye; a faint pearly shade on sides of breast and body. Bill and feet (dry) yellow; nasal tube and hood obscured with bluish horn-color." Elliot Coues, 1884

Slender-billed Fulmar

"Priocella tenuirostris. Slender-billed Fulmar. Adult: Plumage white, with clear pearly-blue mantle,…

"Gallinula. Gallinules. Water Hens. Mud Hens. Bill not longer than head, stout at base, tapering, compressed, the culmen running directly up on the forehead and expanding into a frontal plate of different shape in different species. Nostrils near middle of bill, linear. Feet large and stout; tibia naked below; tarsus moderately compressed, scutellate; toes very long, the outer longer than the inner, with an evident though slight marginal membrane; claws long, slender, little curved, acute. Wings short and rounded, but ample. Tail very short, of 12 weak feathers, with long ample under coverts, as in Rails. Plumage not rich blue." Elliot Coues, 1884

Gallinule

"Gallinula. Gallinules. Water Hens. Mud Hens. Bill not longer than head, stout at base, tapering, compressed,…

"Glottis, or opening of trachea in the mouth; a, base of tongue; b, b, horns of hyoid bone; c, rima glottidis, cleft or chink of the glottis; d, a triangular vacuity; e, an elastic ligament; d, d and e represent an epiglottis; f, f, a papillose surface." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Glottis of a Rook

"Glottis, or opening of trachea in the mouth; a, base of tongue; b, b, horns of hyoid bone; c, rima…

"- a, head of a (Polioptila nigriceps) Black-capped Gnat-catcher. b, head of a(Polioptila caerulea) Blue-gray Gnat-catcher. c, tail of (Polioptila nigriceps) Black-capped Gnat-catcher. d, tail of (Polioptila plumbea) Plumbeous Gnat-catcher" Elliot Coues, 1884

Black-capped Gnat-catcher

"- a, head of a (Polioptila nigriceps) Black-capped Gnat-catcher. b, head of a(Polioptila caerulea)…

"Grayish-blue, bluer on the crown, hoary on the rump, the forehead black, continuous with a black superciliary line. Edges of eyelids white, and above these a shade on the breast. Wings dark brown, the outer webs, especially of the inner quills, edged with hoary, and the inner webs of most bordered with white. Tail jet-black, the outer feather entirely or mostly white, the next one about half white, the third one tipped with white. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Blue-gray Gnat-catcher

"Grayish-blue, bluer on the crown, hoary on the rump, the forehead black, continuous with a black superciliary…

"Limosa fedoa. Great Marbled Godwit. Marlin. Feathers not extending on side of lower mandible to a point far beyond those on upper. no white anywhere; rump, tail, and its coverts barred throughout with blackish and the body-color. Lining of wings chestnut; axillars the same, more or less barred with black. General color rufous or light dull cinnamon-red, uniform and nearly uninterrupted on all the under parts, richer and more chestnut on the lining of the wings and axillars; somewhat marked with dusky on the sides of the breast and body; on the whole upper parts variegated with the brownish-black central field of each feather, the blackish predominating, leaving the rufous chiefly as scallops and tips of the feathers. This rufous very variable in intensity; usually paler on upper than on under parts, and strongest under the wings. Primaries rufous, successively darkening from the last to first, the outer webs and ends of the few outer ones blackish, the shaft of the first white. Bill livid flesh-colored, blackish on about terminal third; legs ashy-blackish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Marbled Godwit

"Limosa fedoa. Great Marbled Godwit. Marlin. Feathers not extending on side of lower mandible to a point…

"Astragalinus lawrencii. Lawrence's Goldfinch. Gray, more or less tinged with yellowish, whitening on the belly and crissum; rump, a large breast-patch, and much of the back rich yellow; crown, face, and chin black; wings black, variegated with yellow, most of the coverts being of this color, and the same broadly edging the quills; inner secondaries edged with hoary gray; tail black, most of the feathers with large square white spots on the inner webs and whitish edging of the outer; bill and feet flesh-color more or less obscured." Elliot Coues, 1884

Lawrence's Goldfinch

"Astragalinus lawrencii. Lawrence's Goldfinch. Gray, more or less tinged with yellowish, whitening on…

"Astragalinus tristis. American Goldfinch. Yellow-bird. Thistle-bird. In summer: Rich yellow, changing to whitish on the tail-coverts; a black patch on the crown; wings black, ore or less edged with white; lesser wing-coverts white or yellow; greater coverts tipped with white; tail black, every feather with a white spot; bill and feet flesh-colored. In September, the black cap disappears; the general plumage changes to a pale flaxen-brown above and whitey-brown below, with traces of the yellow, especially about the head; wings and tail much as in summer; sexes then much alike: this continues until the following April or May." Elliot Coues, 1884

American Goldfinch

"Astragalinus tristis. American Goldfinch. Yellow-bird. Thistle-bird. In summer: Rich yellow, changing…

"Astragalinus psaltria. Arkansaw Goldfinch. Upper parts uniform olive-green, without any black; below yellow; crown black, this not extending below the eyes; wings black, most of the quills and the greater coverts white-tipped, and the primaries white at base; tail black, the outermost three pairs of feathers with a long rectangular white spot on the inner web." Elliot Coues, 1884

Arkansaw Goldfinch

"Astragalinus psaltria. Arkansaw Goldfinch. Upper parts uniform olive-green, without any black; below…

"Astragalinus mexicanus. Mexican Goldfinch. The upper parts continuously-black, and the black of the crown extending below the eyes, enclosing the olive under eyelid. Mexican border and southward. This bird looks quite unlike typical psaltria, but the gradation through var. arizonae is perfect; and mexicana, moreover, leads directly into var. columbiana, a Central American form in which the tail-spots are very small or wanting. The females of these several varieties cannot by distinguished with certainty." Elliot Coues, 1884

Mexican Goldfinch

"Astragalinus mexicanus. Mexican Goldfinch. The upper parts continuously-black, and the black of the…

"Fig 72 - Hyoid bones of a goose, nat. size; Dr. R.W. Shufeldt, U.S.A. a, cartilaginous end-piece of b, the great glosso-hyal, which has absorbed or replaced cerato-hyals or "lesser cornua"; c, basihyal, movably articulated with b, and combined completely with d, basibranchial, commonly called "urohyal;" e, ceratobranchial: f, epibranchial; e and f are together known as " thyrohayals," or "greater cornua." Elliot Coues, 1884

Goose Hyoid

"Fig 72 - Hyoid bones of a goose, nat. size; Dr. R.W. Shufeldt, U.S.A. a, cartilaginous end-piece of…

"Bernicla canadensis. Canada Goose. Common Wild Goose. Tail normally 18-feathered. Bill, feet, head, and neck black; on the chin a broad white patch mounting on sides of head behind eyes, sometimes broken on chin; not extending forward to jaws; white touches usually on eyelids. Upper tail-coverts definitely white; rump blackish; tail-feathers black. General color brownish-gray below, all the feathers with paler gray or whitish edges, those of sides of body usually darker than rest of under parts, the lower belly and crissum definitely white. Iris brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Canada Goose

"Bernicla canadensis. Canada Goose. Common Wild Goose. Tail normally 18-feathered. Bill, feet, head,…

"Philacte canagica. Painted Goose. Emperor Goose. Wavy bluish-gray, with lavender or lilac tinting, and sharp black crescentic mark; head, nape, and tail white, former often washed with amber-yellow; throat black, white-speckled; quills varied with black and white; eye brown; feet flesh-color." Elliot Coues, 1884

Emperor Goose

"Philacte canagica. Painted Goose. Emperor Goose. Wavy bluish-gray, with lavender or lilac tinting,…

"Astur atricapillus. American Goshawk. Blue Hen Hawk (adult). Chicken Hawk (young). Adult: Above, dark bluish-slate color, each feather black-shafted; top of head blackish, conspicuously different from other upper parts, the feathers there with fleecy white bases; a long white superciliary or rather post-ocular stripe; auriculars blackish. Ground color of under parts, including lining of wings, white, closely barred or vermiculated in narrow zigzag lines with slaty-brown, except on throat and crissum, and everywhere sharply pencilled with blackish shaft-lines, one on each feather. The barring is largest and most regular on the belly, flanks, and tibiae, but is for the most part much dissipated in a fine mottling. It varies greatly in coarseness in different specimens, some of which approach A. palumbarius in this respect. Tail like back, banded with four or five blackish bars, the terminal one much the broadest. Bill dark bluish; iris yellowish; feet yellow, claws black." Elliot Coues, 1884

American Goshawk

"Astur atricapillus. American Goshawk. Blue Hen Hawk (adult). Chicken Hawk (young). Adult: Above, dark…

"Quiscalus purpureus. Purple Crow Blackbird. Common Crow Blackbird. Purple Grackle. Of medium size, with moderately keeled and graduated tail, shorter than wings. Sexes subsimilar. Bill usually less tapering and deflected at tip, but very variable. Adult Male: Iridescence very variable with season, age, and sexual vigor, as well as on different parts of the body; but always intense in healthy adults, and at its height during the love-ardor; variously purple, green, blue, violet, and bronzy; not he extensive green of the last species, nor usually the decided brassy of the next variety; wings and tail mostly purplish; dark purplish and steel-blue on head, neck, and breast; back more greenish or bronzy. Bill and feet ebony black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Purple Grackle

"Quiscalus purpureus. Purple Crow Blackbird. Common Crow Blackbird. Purple Grackle. Of medium size,…

"F. Fibula; T, tibia, with a, its cnemial process, and P, large patella, of a grebe." Elliot Coues, 1884

Leg Bones of a Grebe

"F. Fibula; T, tibia, with a, its cnemial process, and P, large patella, of a grebe." Elliot Coues,…

"Black Throated Green Warbler or Dendroica virens. Back and crown clear yellow-olive; forehead, superciliary line, and whole sides of head rich yellow (in high plumage, middle of back with dusky marks, and dusky or dark olive lines through eyes and auriculars, and even bordering the crown); chin, throat, and breast jet black, prolonged behind as streaks on the sides; other under parts white; usually yellow-tinged; wings and tail dusky, former with two white bars and much whitish edging, latter with outer feathers nearly all white; bill and feet blackish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black Throated Green Warbler

"Black Throated Green Warbler or Dendroica virens. Back and crown clear yellow-olive; forehead, superciliary…

"Zamelodia melanocephala. Black-headed Song Grosbeak. Adult male with the crown, sides of head, back, wings, and tail black; the back usually varied with whitish or cinnamon-brown, the wings spotted with white on the ends of the coverts, and usually also towards the ends of the quills, and with a large white patch at the base of primaries; several lateral tail-feathers with large white spots on inner webs near their ends. Neck all round, rump, and under parts rich orange-brown, changing to bright pure yellow on the belly and under wing-coverts; bill and feet dark grayish-blue. Size of the last. The female and young differ much as in the last species, but may be recognized by the rich sulphur-yellow under wing-coverts; the bill is shorter and more tumid, along culmen, .60 deep at base." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black-headed Song Grosbeak

"Zamelodia melanocephala. Black-headed Song Grosbeak. Adult male with the crown, sides of head, back,…

"Guiraca caerulea. Blue Grosbeak. Adult male: Rich dark blue, nearly uniform, but darker or blackish across middle of back; feathers around base of bill, wings and tail, black; middle and greater wing-coverts tipped with chestnut; bill dark horn-blue, paler below; feet blackish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Blue Grosbeak

"Guiraca caerulea. Blue Grosbeak. Adult male: Rich dark blue, nearly uniform, but darker or blackish…

"Cardinalis virginianus. Cardinal Grosbeak. Cardinal Red-bird. Virginia Nightinggale. male, adult: Rich red, usually vermillion, sometimes rosy; pure and intense on crest and under parts, darker on back, where obscured with ashy-gray, as it is also on upper surfaces of wings and tail; the feathers of the wings fuscous on inner webs. A jet-black mask on the face, entirely surrounding the bill, extending on the throat. Bill coral-colored; feet brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Cardinal Grosbeak

"Cardinalis virginianus. Cardinal Grosbeak. Cardinal Red-bird. Virginia Nightinggale. male, adult: Rich…

"Hesperophona vespertina. Evening Grosbeak. General color sordid yellow, overlaid with sooty-olive shade, deepest on fore parts, quite black on crown, clearest below behind. forehead and line over eye, scapulars, and rump, yellow. Wings and tail black; several inner secondaries and inner half of the greater coverts white; lining of wings black and yellow. A narrow black line around base of upper mandible; tibiae black. Bill greenish-yellow; feet apparently dusky flesh-color." Elliot Coues, 1884

Evening Grosbeak

"Hesperophona vespertina. Evening Grosbeak. General color sordid yellow, overlaid with sooty-olive shade,…

"Pinicola enucleator. Pine Grosbeak. Light carmine or rosy-red, feathers of back with dusky centres; lower belly and under tail-coverts gray, and, in general, the red continuous only in highly plumaged specimens. Nasal tufts and lores blackish. Wings blackish; primaries with narrow white or rosy edging, inner secondaries more broadly edged with white, ends of greater and middle coverts white or rosy, forming conspicuous wing-bars. Tail like wings, with narrow edgings like those of primaries. Bill blackish, with or without paler base below; feet blackish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Pine Grosbeak

"Pinicola enucleator. Pine Grosbeak. Light carmine or rosy-red, feathers of back with dusky centres;…

"Zamelodia ludoviciana. Rose-breasted Song Grosbeak. Adult male with the head and neck all around and most of the upper parts black, the rump, upper tail-coverts and under parts white, the breast and under wing-coverts exquisite carmine rose-red; wings and tail black, variegated with white; bill white; feet grayish-blue; iris brown. Female above, streaked with blackish and olive-brown or flaxen-brown, with median white coronal and superciliary line; below, white, more or less tinged with fulvous and streaked with dusky; under wing-coverts saffron-yellow; upper coverts and inner quills with a white spot at end; bill brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Rose-breasted Song Grosbeak

"Zamelodia ludoviciana. Rose-breasted Song Grosbeak. Adult male with the head and neck all around and…

"Guiraca. Blue Grosbeak. Bill Commissure strongly angulated far beyond base, with deep under mandible and bristly rictus as in Zamelodia, but not so swollen, the culmen nearly straight. Wings long and pointed, folding about the middle of the tail; tip formed be the 2d-4th quills, 1st little shorter, 5th rapidly graduated. Tail shorter than wings, even. Tarsus rather less than middle toe and claw; outer lateral toe slightly longer than the inner, but scarcely reaching base of middle claw. One species, large, male blue, female brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Blue Grosbeak Bill

"Guiraca. Blue Grosbeak. Bill Commissure strongly angulated far beyond base, with deep under mandible…

"Zamelodia. Song Grosbeak. Bill extremely heavy, with the lower mandible as deep as the upper or deeper, the commissural angle strong, far in advance of the feathered base of the bill, the rictus overhung with a few long stiff bristles. Wing with outer 4 primaries abruptly longer than 5th. Tail shorter than wing, even or scarcely rounded. Feet short and stout. Embracing two larger species, of beautiful and striking colors, the sexes dissimilar. Male black and white, with carmine-red or orange-brown; Female otherwise, but with lining of wings yellow. Brilliant songsters; nest in trees and bushes; eggs spotted." Elliot Coues, 1884

Song Grosbeak Bill

"Zamelodia. Song Grosbeak. Bill extremely heavy, with the lower mandible as deep as the upper or deeper,…

"Bonasa umbella. Ruffed Grouse. "Partridge;" "Pheasant;" Above, variegate reddish- or grayish-brown, the back with numerous, oblong, pale, black-edged spots. Below, whitish, barred with brown. Tail brown or gray, numerously and narrowly black-barred, with a broad subterminal black zone, and tipped with gray. The neck-ruffle of the male mostly glossy black, and very full; of the female smaller and more brown. The colors are endlessly varied as well as blended, and the prevailing tone of the brown birds of the East shades insensibly into the Western varieties." Elliot Coues, 1884

Ruffed Grouse Head

"Bonasa umbella. Ruffed Grouse. "Partridge;" "Pheasant;" Above, variegate reddish- or grayish-brown,…

"Canace canadensis. Canada Grouse. Spotted Grouse. Spruce Grouse. Spruce "Partridge." Adult: Head smooth, but feathers susceptible of erection into a slight crest. A colored comb of naked skin over the eye, bright yellow or reddish when fully injected. Tail slightly rounded, of 16 feathers, a scant inch broad to their very ends. Tarsi full-feathered to the toes, which are naked, scaly, and fringed. Tail black, broadly tipped with orange-brown; its upper coverts without decidedly white tips. Under parts glossy black, extensively varied with white; under tail-coverts; sides and breast with white bars or semicircles; white spots bounding the throat; white spots on lore. Upper parts wavy - barred black and gray, usually also with some tawny markings on the back and wings." Elliot Coues, 1884

Canada Grouse

"Canace canadensis. Canada Grouse. Spotted Grouse. Spruce Grouse. Spruce "Partridge." Adult: Head smooth,…

"Bonasa umbella. Ruffed Grouse. "Partridge;" "Pheasant;" Above, variegate reddish- or grayish-brown, the back with numerous, oblong, pale, black-edged spots. Below, whitish, barred with brown. Tail brown or gray, numerously and narrowly black-barred, with a broad subterminal black zone, and tipped with gray. The neck-ruffle of the male mostly glossy black, and very full; of the female smaller and more brown. The colors are endlessly varied as well as blended, and the prevailing tone of the brown birds of the East shades insensibly into the Western varieties." Elliot Coues, 1884

Ruffed Grouse

"Bonasa umbella. Ruffed Grouse. "Partridge;" "Pheasant;" Above, variegate reddish- or grayish-brown,…

"Pediaecetes phasianellus Columbianus. Common Sharp-tailed Grouse. Upper parts closely and pretty evenly variegated with blackish-brown, reddish-brown, and grayish-brown, the pattern smallest on the rump and lower back, where the blackish is mostly in sharp-angled stars; the reddish most conspicuous on the upper back, and both the lighter colors everywhere finely sprinkled with blackish. Wing-coverts like the upper back, but with numerous conspicuous rounded white spots, one on the end of each feather. Crown and back of neck nearly like the back, but in smaller pattern, and the markings mostly transverse. An illy-defined white area on each side of the neck, over the tympanum, and slight whitish stripe behind the eye. Throat fine light buff, usually immaculate, but sometimes finely speckled quite across. Under parts white, more or less tinted with buff towards the throat; the breast with numerous regular dark-brown U-shaped spots, one on each feather; similar but smaller, sharper, and fewer such spots thence scattered over most of the under parts, only the middle of the belly being left unmarked. Long feathers of the sides under the wings matching the upper wing-coverts nearly; under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white, not marked; flanks with bars or U-spots of dark brown. Legs grayish-white, unmarked. Quills of the wings fuscous; outer webs of the secondaries with equidistant, squarish, white or tawny spots, the secondaries tipped and imperfectly twice or thrice barred with white, gradually becoming sprinkled with the varied colors of the back, so that the innermost of them are almost precisely like the greater coverts. Four middle tail-feathers variegated, much like the back; others white, or grayish-white, on the inner webs, the outer webs being mottled; a few under tail-coverts spotted, the rest white; upper tail-coverts nearly like the rump. Iris light brown; bill dark horn-color; part of under mandible flesh-colored; claws like bill; toes on top light horn-color, the soles darker." Elliot Coues, 1884

Sharp-tailed Grouse

"Pediaecetes phasianellus Columbianus. Common Sharp-tailed Grouse. Upper parts closely and pretty evenly…

"Lomvia troile. Common Guillemot, or Murre. Adult in summer: Head and neck all around rich dark maroon brown, changing on upper parts into dark slaty-brown, nearly uniform, but most of the feathers of the back and rump with slightly lighter, more grayish-brown, edges. Secondaries narrowly but distinctly tipped with white. Under parts from the throat pure white, the sides and flanks marked with dusky or slaty, the lining of the wings varied with white and dusky. Bill black; mouth yellow; eyes brown; feet blackish. In some cases, not in most, a white "eye-glass," consisting of a rim around eye and handle back of eye in the furrow of the plumage." Elliot Coues, 1884

Common Guillemot

"Lomvia troile. Common Guillemot, or Murre. Adult in summer: Head and neck all around rich dark maroon…

"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…

"Gular pouch of bustard; a, tongue; b, the pouch, opening under a, hanging in front of c, the trachea, behind which is the aesophagus, d, with its crop, e." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bustard Gular Pouch

"Gular pouch of bustard; a, tongue; b, the pouch, opening under a, hanging in front of c, the trachea,…

"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,…

"Larus heermanni. White-headed Gull. Bill shorter than head or tarsus, rather slender, moderately compressed, the tip rather acute; its color red in part in the adult. Folded wings reaching beyond the tail. Tail of moderate length, even, slightly emarginate in the young. Feet rather large. Tarsus equal to the middle toe and claw. General colors dark; tail mostly blackish. Adult, breeding plumage: Bill bright vermilion red, black for its terminal third, sometimes wholly red; a red ring around eye. Head white; this color gradually merging on the neck into plumbeous-ash, which extends over the whole under parts, being lighter on the abdomen and under tail-coverts than elsewhere. The back is deep plumbeous-slate, lighter on the rump. Upper tail-coverts clearly ashy. Upper surfaces of wings like the back; the primaries black; the tips of all, except the two or three outer ones, narrowly white. Tail black, narrowly tipped with white. Legs and feet reddish-black." Elliot Coues, 1884

White-headed Gull Head

"Larus heermanni. White-headed Gull. Bill shorter than head or tarsus, rather slender, moderately compressed,…

"Circinae. Harriers. Face surrounded with an incomplete ruff (as in most owls); orifice of ear about as large as the eye, and in some cases at least with a decided conch (in this picture). Bill rather weak, not toothed or notched. Bill thickly beset with many curved radiating bristles surpassing in length the cere, which is large and tumid; tomia lobed or festooned, but neither toothed nor notched. Nostrils ovate-oblong, nearly horizontal. Superciliary shield prominent. Tarsus long and slender, scutellate before and mostly so behind, reticulate laterally; toes slender, the middle with its claw much shorter than the tarsus; a basal web between the outer and middle; all tuberculate underneath; Claws very large and sharp, much curved. Wings very long and ample; 3d and 4th quills longest; 1st shorter than 6th; outer 3-5 (in our species 4) emarginate on inner webs; 2d-5th emarginate on outer webs. Tail very long, about 2/3rds as long as the wing, nearly even or rounded, the folded wings falling short of its end. " Elliot, Coues, 1884

Harrier Ear Parts

"Circinae. Harriers. Face surrounded with an incomplete ruff (as in most owls); orifice of ear about…

"Accipiter fuscus. Sharp-shinned Hawk. "Pigeon" Hawk. Above, dark plumbeous, slate-color, or bluish-gray, somewhat more fuscous on the wings and tail than on the body, the feathers of the hind-head with fleecy white bases, the scapulars with concealed white spots. Tail crossed by about 4 blackish bars, the first under the coverts, the last subterminal and broadest; extreme tips of the feathers white. Primaries also marked with blackish bars or spots, and whitening at their bases, in bars or indents of the inner webs. Under parts barred crosswise with rufous on a white ground, the bars on some parts cordate and connected along the shafts of the feathers, which are blackish; ear-coverts rufous; rufous mostly or entirely wanting on the cheeks, throat, and crissum, which are more or less finely pencilled with the black shafts of the feathers; crissum, however, often pure white. Axillars barred like other under parts; lining of wings white, with dusky spots." Elliot Coues, 1884

Sharp-shinned Hawk

"Accipiter fuscus. Sharp-shinned Hawk. "Pigeon" Hawk. Above, dark plumbeous, slate-color, or bluish-gray,…

"Falco sparverius. Rusty-crowned Falcon. Sparrow Hawk. Adults: Crown ashy-blue, with a chestnut patch, sometimes small or altogether wanting, sometimes occupying nearly all the crown. Conspicuous black maxillary and auricular patches which, with three others around the nape, make seven places in all, usually evident, but some of them often obscure or wanting. Back cinnamon-rufous, or chestnut, like the crown-patch, in the male with a few black spots or none, in the female with numerous black bars. Wing-coverts of the male fine ashy-blue, like the crown, with or without black spots; of the female cinnamon-rufous and black barred, like the back. Quill feathers in male, female blackish, usually with pale edges and tips, and the inner webs with numerous white indentations, or bars continuous along the inner webs, leaving the black chiefly in a series of dentations proceeding from the shafts; ends of secondaries usually also slaty-blue like the coverts. Tail bright chestnut, in the male with white tip, broad black subterminal zone, and outer feathers mostly white with several black bars, in the female the whole tail with numerous imperfect black bars. Under parts white, variously tinged with buff or tawny, in the male with a few black spots or none, in the female with many dark brown streaks; throat and vent usually immaculate. Bill dark horn; cere and feet yellow or orange. Elliot Coues, 1884

Sparrow Hawk

"Falco sparverius. Rusty-crowned Falcon. Sparrow Hawk. Adults: Crown ashy-blue, with a chestnut patch,…

"Accipiter fuscus. Sharp-shinned Hawk. "Pigeon" Hawk. Above, dark plumbeous, slate-color, or bluish-gray, somewhat more fuscous on the wings and tail than on the body, the feathers of the hind-head with fleecy white bases, the scapulars with concealed white spots. Tail crossed by about 4 blackish bars, the first under the coverts, the last subterminal and broadest; extreme tips of the feathers white. Primaries also marked with blackish bars or spots, and whitening at their bases, in bars or indents of the inner webs. Under parts barred crosswise with rufous on a white ground, the bars on some parts cordate and connected along the shafts of the feathers, which are blackish; ear-coverts rufous; rufous mostly or entirely wanting on the cheeks, throat, and crissum, which are more or less finely pencilled with the black shafts of the feathers; crissum, however, often pure white. Axillars barred like other under parts; lining of wings white, with dusky spots." Elliot Coues, 1884

Sharp-shinned Hawk - Small

"Accipiter fuscus. Sharp-shinned Hawk. "Pigeon" Hawk. Above, dark plumbeous, slate-color, or bluish-gray,…

"Cupidonia. Tarsi scant-feathered to the toes in front and on sides, bare on a strip behind; toes extensively webbed at base." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Foot of a Prairie Hen

"Cupidonia. Tarsi scant-feathered to the toes in front and on sides, bare on a strip behind; toes extensively…

"Cupidonia cupido. Pinnated Grouse. Prairie Hen. Above, variegated with black, brown, tawny, or ochrey, and white, the latter especially on the wings; below, pretty regularly barred with dark brown, white,and tawny; throat tawny, a little speckled, or not; vent and crissum mostly white; quills fuscous, with white spots on the outer webs; tail fuscous, with narrow or imperfect white or tawny bars and tips; sexes alike in color but female smaller, with shorter neck tufts." Elliott Coues, 1884

Prairie Hen

"Cupidonia cupido. Pinnated Grouse. Prairie Hen. Above, variegated with black, brown, tawny, or ochrey,…

"Ardea. Great Herons. Of largest size, former well feathered all around. Tibia extensively denuded below. Tarsus longer than middle toe and claw. Outer lateral toe longer than inner. Bill shorter than tarsus, equal to or longer than middle toe and claw. Colors dark and varied, exceptionally white; back without lengthened loosened plumes; scapulars lanceolate, lengthened, but not loosened; lower fore-neck with lengthened feathers; head crested, in breeding season with two long, slender, flowing, occipital plumes. Sexes alike; young similar, but lacking all lengthened feathers." Elliot Coues, 1884

Heron

"Ardea. Great Herons. Of largest size, former well feathered all around. Tibia extensively denuded below.…

"Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. Of large size, and varied dark colors, not dichromatic. Back without peculiar plumes at any season, but scapulars lengthened and lanceolate; an occipital crest, two deciduous feathers of which in the breeding season are long and filamentous; long loose feathers on the lower neck. Adult: Bill yellow, more or less blackened on culmen; lores blue; iris chrome yellow; legs and feet blackish, the soles yellowish. Tibia the edge of wing chestnut-brown. Forehead and middle of crown white; sides of of crown and occipital crest black. Neck pale purplish-gray, with a mixed white, black, and rust throat-line, yielding to white on chin and cheeks. Plumes of lower neck, the breast, and belly, black, more or less interrupted with white streaks on the middle line; crissum white. Upper parts in general slaty-blue; tail the same; long scapular feathers more pearly-gray; wing-quills deepening from this color to the black primaries." Elliot Coues, 1884

Great Blue Heron

"Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. Of large size, and varied dark colors, not dichromatic. Back without…

"Nyctiardea grisea naevia. Black-crowned Night Heron. Qua-bird. Squawk. Crown, scapulars and interscapulars very dark glossy green; other upper parts, wings and tail, pale bluish-gray with a lilac or lavender tinge, most decided on the neck. Forehead and throat-line white, shading into the lilaceous of the neck; under parts whitish,tinged with lilac. The long occipital plumes white. Eyes red; lores greenish; bill black; legs yellow; claws brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Night Heron

"Nyctiardea grisea naevia. Black-crowned Night Heron. Qua-bird. Squawk. Crown, scapulars and interscapulars…

"Trochilus colubris. Ruby-throated Humming-bird. Tail forked, its feathers all narrow and pointed; no scales on crown; metallic gorget reflecting ruby-red. Above, golden-green; below, white, the sides green; wings and tail dusky-purplish. Female: Lacking gorget; throat white, speckled with dusky; tail double rounded, the central feathers shorter than the next, the lateral then graduated; all broader than in males to near the end, then rapidly narrowing with concave inner margin; tail with black bars, and the lateral feathers white-tipped; no rufous on tail in either sex." Elliot Coues, 1884

Ruby-throated Humming-bird

"Trochilus colubris. Ruby-throated Humming-bird. Tail forked, its feathers all narrow and pointed; no…

Three Humming-birds feeding on the nectar of flowers as two birds fly by overhead.

Humming-Birds

Three Humming-birds feeding on the nectar of flowers as two birds fly by overhead.

"Hyoid bone; a, glosso-hyal, tipped with cartilage, its posterior horn being certo-hyals proper; b, basi-hyal; c, basi-branchial proper, commonly called uro-hyall d, d, cerato-branchials proper, commonly called apo-hyals; e, e, epibranchials proper, commonly called cerato-hyals, tipped with cartilage, f, f.

The Hyoid-bone of a Rook

"Hyoid bone; a, glosso-hyal, tipped with cartilage, its posterior horn being certo-hyals proper; b,…

"Tantalops loculator. American Wood Stork. Wood Ibis. Colorado Turkey. Plumage white, the wing-quills, primary coverts, alula, and tail, glossy black. The bald head livid bluish and yellowish. Bill dingy yellowish. Legs blue, becoming blackish on the toe, the webs tinged with yellow. Iris dark brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Wood Ibis

"Tantalops loculator. American Wood Stork. Wood Ibis. Colorado Turkey. Plumage white, the wing-quills,…

"Passerina cyanea. Indigo Painted Finch. Indigo-bird. Adult male: Indigo-blue, intense and constant on the head, glancing greenish with different lights on other parts; wings and tail blackish, glossed with greenish-blue; feathers around base of the bill black; bill dark above, rather paler below, with a curious black stripe along the gonys. Female: Above , plain warm brown, below whitey-brown, obsoletely streaky on the breast and sides; wing-coverts and inner quills pale-edged, but not whitish; no whitish wing-bars; upper mandible blackish, lower pale, with the black stripe just mentioned, - this is pretty constant feature, and will distinguish the species from any of our Eastern little brown birds." Elliot Coues, 1884

Indigo-bird

"Passerina cyanea. Indigo Painted Finch. Indigo-bird. Adult male: Indigo-blue, intense and constant…

"Parra. Jacanas. Bill plover-like, contracted in continuity, enlarged terminally; with culmen depressed to end of nasal groove, then convex and decurved; outline of mandibular rami about straight to the gonys, which is ascending; commissure about straight to the decurved end. Nasal grooves along the contracted portion of the bill; nostrils small, elliptical, situate in advance of the base of the bill. Angle of mouth with a leaf-like lobe of skin (rudimentary in our species). Forehead with a large leaf-like lobe of skin, with free lateral and posterior edges, adherent centrally and anteriorly where reaching base of upper mandible. A sharp horny spur on bend o wing Primaries 10, not peculiar in structure; outer 3 about equal and longest, overlaid by the inner quills in the closed wing. Tail very short, with soft rectrices concealed be the coverts. Tibia bare below, and with the tarsus scutellate before and behind, the scutella tending to become confluent in a continuous sheath. All the toes, claws included, longer than tarsus; middle toe alone nearly as long as tarsus; outer toe alone about as long as middle, its claw shorter than that of middle toe; inner toe a little shorter than outer, its claw longer; hind toe only about as long as basal joint of middle toe, but its claw much longer than itself; all the claws slender, about straight, very acute." Elliot Coues, 1884

Parra Jacana

"Parra. Jacanas. Bill plover-like, contracted in continuity, enlarged terminally; with culmen depressed…

"Cyanocitta cristata. Blue Jay. Male: Purplish-blue, below pale purplish-gray, whitening on throat, belly, and crissum. A black collar across lower throat and up the sides of the neck and head behind the crest; a black frontlet bordered with whitish. Wings pure rich blue, with black bars, the greater coverts, secondaries, and tail-feathers, except the central, broadly tipped with pure white; tail much rounded, the graduation over an inch." Elliot Coues, 1884

Blue Jay

"Cyanocitta cristata. Blue Jay. Male: Purplish-blue, below pale purplish-gray, whitening on throat,…

"Perisoreus canadensis. Canada Jay. Whiskey Jack. Moose-bird. Gray whitening on head, neck, and breast; a dark cap on hind and nape, separated by a gray cervical collar from ashy-plumbeous back; wings and tail plumbeous, the feathers obscurely tipped with whitish. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Canada Jay

"Perisoreus canadensis. Canada Jay. Whiskey Jack. Moose-bird. Gray whitening on head, neck, and breast;…

"Cyanocitta stelleri macrolopha. Long-crested Jay. Upper parts sooty umber-brown, with a faint blue tinge, blackening on head and neck all around in decided contrast, passing on rump and upper tail-coverts into beautiful light cobalt-blue; passing on fore breast into the same blue which occupies all the under parts. Crest black, but faced on forehead with bluish-white, which, when the feathers are not disturbed, runs in two parallel lines from the nostrils upward - these colored tips of the feathers of firmer texture than their basal portions. One or both eyelids patched with white. Chin abruptly whitish, streaky. Exposed surfaces of wings rich indigo-blue, most intense on the inner secondaries, which, with the greater coverts, are regularly and firmly barred across both webs with black; the outer webs of the primaries lighter blue, more like that of the rump or under parts, Upper surface of tail rich indigo, like the secondaries, and similarly black-barred; these bands most distinct towards the end and on the outer webs of the feathers; tail viewed from below appearing mostly blackish. Iris dark. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues , 1884

Long-crested Jay

"Cyanocitta stelleri macrolopha. Long-crested Jay. Upper parts sooty umber-brown, with a faint blue…

Tyrannus carolinensis. King-bird. Bee-martin. No olive nor decided yellow. Only outer primaries obviously emarginate. Tail nearly even - if anything a little rounded. Blackish-ash, still darker or quite black on head, crown with a flaming spot. Below, pure white, the breast shaded with plumbeous. Wings dusky, with much whitish edging. Tail black, broadly and sharply tipped with white, the outer feather sometimes edged with the same. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

King-bird

Tyrannus carolinensis. King-bird. Bee-martin. No olive nor decided yellow. Only outer primaries obviously…

"Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. Upper parts, broad pectoral bar, and sides under the wings, dull blue with fine black shaft lines. Lower eyelid, spot before eye, a cervical collar and under parts except as said, pure white; the female with chestnut belly-band and the sides of the same color. Quills and tail-feathers black, speckled, blotched or barred on the inner webs with white; outer webs of the secondaries and tail feathers like the back; wing-coverts frequently sprinkled with white. Bill black, pale at base below. Feet dark; tibiae naked below. A long, thin, pointed occipital crest; plumage compact and oily to resist water, into which the birds constantly plunge after their finny prey." Elliot Coues, 1884

Belted Kingfisher

"Ceryle alcyon. Belted Kingfisher. Upper parts, broad pectoral bar, and sides under the wings, dull…

"Upper parts olive-green, more or less bright, sometimes rather olive-ashy, always brightest on the rump; under parts dull ashy-white or yellowish-white. Wings and tail dusky, strongly edged with yellowish, the inner wing-quills with whitish. On the secondaries, this yellowish edging stops abruptly in advance of the ends of the coverts, leaving a pure blackish interval in advance of the white tips of the greater coverts: this, and the similar tips of the median coverts, form two white bars across the wings; inner webs of the quills and tail feathers edged with white. Supercilary line and extreme forehead hoary-whitish. Crown black, enclosing a large space, the middle of which is flame colored, bordered with pure yellow. The black reaches across the forehead; but behind, the yellow flame-color reach the general olive of the upper parts. Or, the top of the head may be described as a central bed of flame-color, bounded in front and on the sides with clear yellow, this similarly bounded by black, this again in the same manner by hoary-whitish. Smaller than R. calendula; overlying nasal plumes larger." Elliot Coues, 1884

Golden Crested Kinglet

"Upper parts olive-green, more or less bright, sometimes rather olive-ashy, always brightest on the…

"Elanoides forficatus. Swallow-tailed Kite. Adult: Head, neck, band on rump, and entire under parts, including lining of wings, snow-white; back, wings, and tail, glossy black, with various lustre, chiefly green and violet. Bill bluish-black; cere, edges of mandibles, and feet pale bluish, the latter tinged with greenish; claws light-colored." Elliot Coues, 1884

Swallow-tailed Kite

"Elanoides forficatus. Swallow-tailed Kite. Adult: Head, neck, band on rump, and entire under parts,…

Two Swallow-tail and One Mississippi Kite. "Ictinia subcaerulea. Mississippi Kite. General plumage plumbeous or dark ashy-gray, bleaching on the head and secondaries, blackening on the tail and wings, several primaries more (male) or less (female) suffused with chestnut-red on the inner web or on both webs. Forehead and tips of secondaries usually silvery-whitish; concealed white spots on the scapulars; bases of the head and under parts fleecy-white. Lores eyelids, and bill, including cere, black; gape of mouth and feet, orange, the latter obscures on the front tarsus, and along the tops of the toes; iris lake-red. Feet and cere drying to a nameless dingy color." And "Elanoides forficatus. Swallow-tailed Kite. Adult: Head, neck, band on rump, and entire under parts, including lining of wings, snow-white; back, wings, and tail, glossy black, with various lustre, chiefly green and violet. Bill bluish-black; cere, edges of mandibles, and feet pale bluish, the latter tinged with greenish; claws light-colored." Elliot Coues, 1884

Two Swallow-tail and One Mississippi Kites

Two Swallow-tail and One Mississippi Kite. "Ictinia subcaerulea. Mississippi Kite. General plumage plumbeous…