"Diomedea brachyura. Short-tailed Albatross. Bill 5.00 or 6.00 inches long, with long, with moderately concave culmen and prominent hook. Frontal feathers forming almost no reentrance on culmen, running nearly straight around whole base of upper mandible, and extending scarcely farther on sides of under mandible, with hardly any convexity. Tail very short, contained rather more than 3 times in length of wing. Adult plumage white, the head and neck usually washed with shining rusty-yellow; wings and tail dark or blackish, with a wholly indeterminate amount of white on the coverts and inner quills - sometimes nearly all the wing-coverts white excepting a line along the border of the fore-arm - sometimes the white restricted to a small space at the elbow. Bill pale reddish-yellow, drying pale dingy-yellowish; feet flesh-color." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bill and Foot of a Short-tailed Albatross

"Diomedea brachyura. Short-tailed Albatross. Bill 5.00 or 6.00 inches long, with long, with moderately…

"Phoibetria fuliginosa. Sooty Albatross. Plumage ordinarily uniform sooty-brown; quills and tail blackish with white shafts; eyelids white; bill black, with long yellow (perhaps in life pink or red) groove; feet pale or flesh-color, drying yellow. In some cases the plumage lightens to a clearer more ashy-gray coloration on various prats. The head and neck frequently washed with rusty-yellow. Pacific ocean at large; off coast of N. Am." Elliot Coues, 1884

Sooty Albatross

"Phoibetria fuliginosa. Sooty Albatross. Plumage ordinarily uniform sooty-brown; quills and tail blackish…

"Crotophaga ani. Smooth-billed Ani. Black Witch. Savanna Blackbird. Bill smooth or with a few transverse; culmen regularly curved. Color black, with violet and steel-blue reflections, duller below, the lanceolate feathers of the head and neck with bronze borders. Iris brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Smooth-billed Ani

"Crotophaga ani. Smooth-billed Ani. Black Witch. Savanna Blackbird. Bill smooth or with a few transverse;…

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left subclavian; rs, right subclavian; lc, left carotid; rc, right carotid. Aves bicarotidinae normales, with two carotids, both alike." Elliot Coues, 1884

Carotid Arteries of Birds

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left…

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left subclavian; rs, right subclavian; lc, left carotid; rc, right carotid. Aves laevo-carotidinae, with left carotid only." Elliot Coues, 1884

Carotid Arteries of Birds

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left…

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left subclavian; rs, right subclavian; lc, left carotid; rc, right carotid. Aves bicarotidinae abnormalis, certail parrots, with two carotids, not alike." Elliot Coues, 1884

Carotid Arteries of Birds

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left…

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left subclavian; rs, right subclavian; lc, left carotid; rc, right carotid. Aves conjuncto-carotidinae, with two carotids, which speedily unite in one.Bittern, both alike." Elliot Coues, 1884

Carotid Arteries of Birds

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left…

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left subclavian; rs, right subclavian; lc, left carotid; rc, right carotid. Aves conjuncto-carotidinae, with two carotids, which speedily unite in one. Flamingo, left very small" Elliot Coues, 1884

Carotid Arteries of Birds

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left…

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left subclavian; rs, right subclavian; lc, left carotid; rc, right carotid. Aves conjuncto-carotidinae, with two carotids, which speedily unite in one. Cockatoo, right very small." Elliot Coues, 1884

Carotid Arteries of Birds

"h, root of aorta; 1, arch of aorta, to the right side; li, left innominate; ri, innominate; ls, left…

"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,…

"Simorhynchus cristatellus. Crested Auk. Snub-nosed Auk. Bill fundamentally small and simple, compressed-conic, with convex culmen and little sinuate horizontal commissure; but in the breeding season developing several corneous appendages, which alter its shape greatly, make it singularly irregular, and modify even the outline of the feathers at its base. These accessory pieces are: a nasal plate, filling the nasal fossa, separate from its fellow of the opposite side; a subnasal strip prolonged on the cutting edge of the upper mandibles backwards from the nostrils; a rosette-like plate at base of upper mandible just over angle of the mouth; a large shoe encasing the posterior part of the under mandible; the latter single, the other three pieces in pairs, making seven in all which are moulted; all these elements vermilion or coral-red; end of the bill enamel-yellow. (Before acquiring these growths the young bird is tetraculus of authors; the adult in winter, after shedding the, is dubius.)" Elliot Coues, 1884

Crested Auk in Summer

"Simorhynchus cristatellus. Crested Auk. Snub-nosed Auk. Bill fundamentally small and simple, compressed-conic,…

"Ceratorhina monocerata. Unicorn Auk. Horn-bill Auk. Adults in summer: Bill orange-yellow. Culmen and base of upper mandible dusky; feet some yellow color, the tarsi behind and the soles blackish; claws black. The sharp feathers of the head white, about an inch long. Entire upper parts glossy blue-black; a line of white along edge of forearm. Sides of head and neck, of body along under the wings, with chin, throat, and fore-breast, clear grayish-ash, or pale bluish-gray; under parts from breast pure white, shading insensibly into the color of the sides and flanks. Inner webs of wing- and tail-feathers grayish-brown, paler toward base, the shafts of the primaries dull whitish at base." Elliot Coues, 1884

Horn-billed Auk in Summer

"Ceratorhina monocerata. Unicorn Auk. Horn-bill Auk. Adults in summer: Bill orange-yellow. Culmen and…

"Simorhynchus cristatellus. Crested Auk. Snub-nosed Auk. A beautiful crest of 12-20 slender feathers springing from the forehead, curling over forward in arc of a circle to fall gracefully upon the bill; this helmet is blackish; at full length about 2 inches long; the feathers are not filamentous, but have well formed webs, and are bundled or impacted together, owning to the oblique divergence of the webs from the shaft, as in the genus Laphortyx. A slender series of white filamentous feathers over and behind each eye, drooping downwards and backwards." Elliot Coues, 1884

Crested Auk in Winter

"Simorhynchus cristatellus. Crested Auk. Snub-nosed Auk. A beautiful crest of 12-20 slender feathers…

"Ceratorhina monocerata. Unicorn Auk. Horn-bill Auk. In winter: Bill orange-yellow. Culmen and base of upper mandible dusky; feet some yellow color, the tarsi behind and the soles blackish; claws black. The sharp feathers of the head white, about an inch long. Entire upper parts glossy blue-black; a line of white along edge of forearm. Sides of head and neck, of body along under the wings, with chin, throat, and fore-breast, clear grayish-ash, or pale bluish-gray; under parts from breast pure white, shading insensibly into the color of the sides and flanks. Inner webs of wing- and tail-feathers grayish-brown, paler toward base, the shafts of the primaries dull whitish at base." Elliot Coues, 1884

Horn-billed Auk in Winter

"Ceratorhina monocerata. Unicorn Auk. Horn-bill Auk. In winter: Bill orange-yellow. Culmen and base…

"Simorhynchus cristatellus. Crested Auk. Snub-nosed Auk. The whole plumage otherwise sooty - more brownish-black above, more brownish-gray below. Feet bluish, with dark webs. Aside the transformation of the bill, the young differ in lacking the crest and white filaments; but both are early acquired; there is a white spot below eye. The summer and winter plumages are alike. Iris said to be in winter white, in summer with a blackish outer and bluish inner ring; in the young, brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Crested Auk

"Simorhynchus cristatellus. Crested Auk. Snub-nosed Auk. The whole plumage otherwise sooty - more brownish-black…

"Alca Impennis. The Great Auk. A great white oval spot between eye and bill. Hood and mantle dark; under parts white, extending in a point on the throat; ends of secondaries white. Bill black, with white grooves; feet dark." Elliot Coues, 1884

Great Auk

"Alca Impennis. The Great Auk. A great white oval spot between eye and bill. Hood and mantle dark; under…

"Simorhynchus psittaculus. Parroquet Auk. Pug-nosed Auk. Adult in summer with the nasal saddle, moulted in one piece in winter; shape of bill not materially altered, however, the piece being small and flattish. Bill vermillion or coral-red, usually enamel-yellow at tip and along edges. No curly crest on forehead, but a series of long white filamentous feathers from the eye downward and backward. Entire upper parts, with chin, throat, breast, and flanks sooty brownish-black, grayer below than above; other under parts white; lining of wings dark. Feet dull greenish or yellowish, darker behind and below." Elliot Coues, 1884

Parroquet Auk

"Simorhynchus psittaculus. Parroquet Auk. Pug-nosed Auk. Adult in summer with the nasal saddle, moulted…

"Simorhynchus pygmaeus. Whiskered Auk. Red-nosed Auk. Bill (dry) orange-red, more salmon color or yellow enamel at end. feet (dry) undefinably dark." Elliot Coues, 1884

Whiskered Auk

"Simorhynchus pygmaeus. Whiskered Auk. Red-nosed Auk. Bill (dry) orange-red, more salmon color or yellow…

"Ceratorhina monocerata. Unicorn Auk. Horn-bill Auk. Young: Bill like that of adults in winter, lacking horn, but every way weaker, hardly more than half as large. Mostly dark-colored. No white feathers on side of head. White under parts overlaid and marbled with dark-gray ends of the feathers; black of upper parts brownish. The first spring the horn grows, the accessory piece develops, and the plumage clears up. Nestlings are covered with smoky-brown down." Elliot Coues, 1884

Young Horn-billed Auk

"Ceratorhina monocerata. Unicorn Auk. Horn-bill Auk. Young: Bill like that of adults in winter, lacking…

"Simorhynchus pygmaeus. Whiskered Auk. Red-nosed Auk. Bill very small and weak, much compressed. No sign of crest nor of white feathers on head. Above blackish-cinereous, quite black on head, wings, and tail; under parts lighter and more grayish-plumbeous, bleaching on the belly and crissum. Bill reddish-dusky; tarsi behind and soles black; eye black and white." Elliot Coues, 1884

Young Whiskered Auk

"Simorhynchus pygmaeus. Whiskered Auk. Red-nosed Auk. Bill very small and weak, much compressed. No…

" A needle rock tenanted by Cormorants, Auks, etc." Elliot Coues, 1884 The rock is protruding from the ocean as the birds fly through the air in the sunshine

Auks and Cormorants

" A needle rock tenanted by Cormorants, Auks, etc." Elliot Coues, 1884 The rock is protruding from the…

"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. No crest; but front, and sides of head more or less thickly lined with delicate white thready feathers; a similar series, exceedingly fine, from the eye along sides of hind head and nape. Excepting these filaments, the entire upper parts glossy black; region about under mandible, and a few feathers along the sides of body and flanks, blackish; under parts white, more or less extensively mottles or clouded with blackish. Lining of wings white, with dark feathers along edge. Bill red, the know and base of upper mandible dark. Legs (dry) undefinably dark, the front of tarsus and tops of toes lighter." Elliot Coues, 1884

Least Auks

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

"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…

"Recurvirostra. Avocets. Bell slender, more or less recurved, then the upper mandible hooked at the extreme tip; much longer than head, more or less nearly equalling tail and tarsus; flattened on top, without culminal ridge. Wings short (for a wader). Tail very short, square, less than half the wing. Legs exceedingly long and slender; tibiae long-denuded; tarsus nearly twice as long as middle toe and claw; covering of legs skinny. Feet 4-toed; the front toes full-webbed, hind toe short, free. Body remarkably depressed and feathered underneath with thick duck-like plumage; altogether, as in swimming rather than as in wading birds. Altogether, as in swimming rather than as in wading birds. It is a modification like that seen in the lobe-footed phalaropes. Sexes and young alike; winter and summer plumage different." Elliot Coues, 1884

Avocets

"Recurvirostra. Avocets. Bell slender, more or less recurved, then the upper mandible hooked at the…

"The arrangement shown in fig. 22, where a, a, a, a, are four barbs in transverse section, viewed from the cut surfaces, with their anterior, b, b, b, b, and posterior, c, c, c, c, barbules, the former bearing the hooklets which catch over the edge of the latter." Elliot Coues, 1884

Barbs

"The arrangement shown in fig. 22, where a, a, a, a, are four barbs in transverse section, viewed from…

"Fig. 21. -A single barbule, baring barbicels and hooklets; magnified; after Nitzsch. ...barbicels (another dimin. of barba), also called cilia, or lashes (fig. 21); and hamuli, or hooklets (Lat. hamulus, a little hook; fig 21). These are simply a sort of fringe to the barbules, just as if the lower edge of the barbules were frayed out, and only differ from each other in that barbicels are plain hair like processes, while hamuli are hooked at the end; they are not found on all feathers, nor on all parts of some feathers." Elliot Coues, 1884

Single Barbule

"Fig. 21. -A single barbule, baring barbicels and hooklets; magnified; after Nitzsch. ...barbicels (another…

"Speotyto. Burrowing Owls. tarsi long, about twice as long as the middle toe without its claw, very scant-feathered in front, bare behind; toes bristly. The long slim legs are quite peculiar.

The Beaks and Claws of a Burrowing Owl

"Speotyto. Burrowing Owls. tarsi long, about twice as long as the middle toe without its claw, very…

"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…

"North American White Pelican. Bill and feet ordinarily yellow; much reddened in the breeding season, when the general tone of the bill is reddish salmon color, the under mandible brighter than the upper, which has the ridge whitish; pouch passing from livid whitish anteriorly through yellow and orange to red at base. Bill a foot or more." Elliot Coues

Pelican Bill

"North American White Pelican. Bill and feet ordinarily yellow; much reddened in the breeding season,…

"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…

"Fig. Typical passerine feet. The right hand fig. is plectrophanes lapponicus." Elliot Coues, 1884

Typical Passerine Bird Feet

"Fig. Typical passerine feet. The right hand fig. is plectrophanes lapponicus." Elliot Coues, 1884

"fig. 25 - Topography of a Bird. 1, forehead (frons). 2, lore. 3, circumocular region. 4, crown (vertex). 5, eye. 6, hind head (occiput). 7, nape (nucha). 8, hind neck (cervix). 9, side of neck. 10, interscapular region. 11, dorsum, or back proper, including 10. 12, notaeum, or upper part of body proper, including 10, 11, and 13. 13, rump (uropygium). 14, upper tail-coverts. 15, tail. 16, under tail-coverts (crissum). 17, tarsus. 18, abdomen. 19, hind toe (hallux). 20, gastraeum, including 18 and 24. 21, outer and fourth toe. 22, middle and third toe. 23, side of the body. 24, breast (pectus). 25, primaries. 26, secondaries. 27, tertiaries; nos. 25, 26, 27 are all coverts. 28, primary coverts. 29, alula, or bastard wing. 30, greater coverts. 31, median coverts. 32, lesser coverts. 33, the "throat," including 34, 37, 38. 34, jugulum or lower throat. 35, auriculars. 36, malar region. 37, gula, or middle throat. 38, mentum, or chin. 39, angle of commissure, or corner of mouth. 40, ramus of under mandible. 41, side of under mandible. 42, gonys. 43, apex, or tip of bill. 44, tomia, or cutting edges of the bill. 45, culmen, or ridge of upper mandible, corresponding to gonys. 46, side of upper mandible. 47, nostril. 48, passes across the bill a little in front of it base." Elliot Coues, 1884

Topography of a Bird

"fig. 25 - Topography of a Bird. 1, forehead (frons). 2, lore. 3, circumocular region. 4, crown (vertex).…

"Botaurus. Bittern. Bill moderately longer than head, shorter than tarsus, which is shorter than middle toe and claw. tarsus broadly scutellate in front. No crests or peculiar dorsal plumes; neck-feathers long and loose; plumage blended, spotty and streaky. Neck in part bare behind. Sexes and young alike." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bittern

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

"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…

"Botaurus mugitans. American Bittern. Indian Hen. Stake-driver. Bog-Bull. Plumage of the upper parts singularly freckled with brown of various shades, blackish, tawny, and whitish; neck and under parts ochrey or tawny-white, each feather marked with a brown dark-edged stripe, the throat-line white, with brown streaks. A velvety-black patch on each side of the neck above. Crown dull brown, with buff superciliary stripe. Tail brown. Quills greenish-black, with a glaucous shade, brown-tipped. Iris yellow. Bill on the ridge brownish-black, the rest pale yellowish; a dark brown loral strip. Legs dull yellowish-green; claws brown.

American Bittern

"Botaurus mugitans. American Bittern. Indian Hen. Stake-driver. Bog-Bull. Plumage of the upper parts…

"Agelaeus phoeniceus. Blackbird. marsh Blackbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Red-and-buff-shouldered marsh Blackbird. Male: Lesser wing-coverts scarlet, like arterial blood, broadly bordered by brownish-yellow, or brownish-white, the middle row of coverts being entirely of this color; sometimes the greater row, likewise, are mostly similar, producing a patch on the wing nearly as large as the red one; occasionally, there are traces of red on the edge of the wing and below; in some specimen the bordering is almost pure white, instead of buff." Elliot Coues, 1884

Red-winged Blackbird

"Agelaeus phoeniceus. Blackbird. marsh Blackbird. Red-winged Blackbird. Red-and-buff-shouldered marsh…

"Xanthocephalus icterocephalus. Yellow-headed Blackbird. Male: Black, including lores and small space around eye and bill; whole head otherwise, with the neck and breast, rich yellow, orange in high feather, the color extending interruptedly to or towards the belly; some feathers around vent, and the tibiae, usually yellow also. A large white patch on the wing, formed by the primary and many of the greater secondary coverts, interrupted by black of the bastard quills. Bill and feet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Yellow-headed Blackbird

"Xanthocephalus icterocephalus. Yellow-headed Blackbird. Male: Black, including lores and small space…

"Ortyx virginiana. Virginia Partridge or "Quail". Bobwhite. Male: Forehead, superciliary line, and throat, white, bordered with black; crown, neck all round,and upper part of breast, brownish-red; other parts tawny-whitish, all with more or fewer doubly-crescentic black bars; crissum rufous; sides broadly striped with brownish-red; upper parts variegated with chestnut, black, gray and tawny, the latter edging in the inner quills, forming a continuous line when the wing in closed. Female: Known by having the throat buff instead of white, less black about the fore-parts, and general coloration subdued. The reddish of this bird is of a peculiar dull pinkish shade. The black crescents of the under parts are scarcely or not half the width of the intervening white spaces; the bill is not jet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bob-white Family

"Ortyx virginiana. Virginia Partridge or "Quail". Bobwhite. Male: Forehead, superciliary line, and throat,…

"Ortyx virginiana. Virginia Partridge or "Quail". Bobwhite. Male: Forehead, superciliary line, and throat, white, bordered with black; crown, neck all round,and upper part of breast, brownish-red; other parts tawny-whitish, all with more or fewer doubly-crescentic black bars; crissum rufous; sides broadly striped with brownish-red; upper parts variegated with chestnut, black, gray and tawny, the latter edging in the inner quills, forming a continuous line when the wing in closed. Female: Known by having the throat buff instead of white, less black about the fore-parts, and general coloration subdued. The reddish of this bird is of a peculiar dull pinkish shade. The black crescents of the under parts are scarcely or not half the width of the intervening white spaces; the bill is not jet black." Elliot Coues, 1884

Male and Female Bob-whites

"Ortyx virginiana. Virginia Partridge or "Quail". Bobwhite. Male: Forehead, superciliary line, and throat,…

"Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. Meadow-wink. Skunk Blackbird (Northern States), Reed-bird (Middle States), Rice-bird (Southern States). Male, in breeding plumage: Black; cervix buff; scapulars, rump and upper tail-coverts ashy-white; interscapulars streaked with black, buff, and ashy; outer quills edged with yellowish; bill blackish-horn; feet brown. The faultless full dress of black, white, and buff is worn only for a brief period; and even in spring and summer, most males are found to have yellowish touches in the black, especially of the under parts. The "delirious song" is only heard while the males re trooping their way to their breeding-grounds, and before the midsummer change of feather." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bobolink

"Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Bobolink. Meadow-wink. Skunk Blackbird (Northern States), Reed-bird (Middle…

"Bernicla nigricans. Black Brant. Bill, feet, and claws black; iris brown. Head and neck all around, and a little of fore part of body, glossy-black, well defined against the color of the breast; on each side of the neck a small patch of white streaks; frequently also white touches on eyelids and chin. Breast ashy-gray, abruptly from the black, fading on the belly and crissum into white, shaded along the sides of the body; upper parts brownish-gray, the feathers of the dorsal region with paler gray tips; rump darker; upper tail-coverts white. Tail-feathers, wing-quills, and primary-coverts blackish, the inner quills whitish toward base." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black Brant Head

"Bernicla nigricans. Black Brant. Bill, feet, and claws black; iris brown. Head and neck all around,…

"Bernicla nigricans. Black Brant. Bill, feet, and claws black; iris brown. Head and neck all around, and a little of fore part of body, glossy-black, well defined against the color of the breast; on each side of the neck a small patch of white streaks; frequently also white touches on eyelids and chin. Breast ashy-gray, abruptly from the black, fading on the belly and crissum into white, shaded along the sides of the body; upper parts brownish-gray, the feathers of the dorsal region with paler gray tips; rump darker; upper tail-coverts white. Tail-feathers, wing-quills, and primary-coverts blackish, the inner quills whitish toward base." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black Brant

"Bernicla nigricans. Black Brant. Bill, feet, and claws black; iris brown. Head and neck all around,…

"Bernicla brenta. Brant Goose. Bill, feet, and claws black; iris brown. Head and neck all around, and a little of fore part of body, glossy-black, well defined against the color of the breast; on each side of the neck a small patch of white streaks; frequently also white touches on eyelid and chin. Beast ashy-gray, beginning abruptly from the black, fading on the belly and crissum into white, shaded along the sides of the body; upper parts brownish-gray, the feathers of the dorsal region with paler gray tips; rump darker; upper tail-coverts white. Tail-feathers, wing-quills, and primary-coverts blackish, the inner quills whitish toward base." Elliot Coues, 1884

Common Brant

"Bernicla brenta. Brant Goose. Bill, feet, and claws black; iris brown. Head and neck all around, and…

"Sterna anaisthetikos. Bridled Tern. The foot of a Bridled Tern; Tarsus .85; middle toe the same, with the claw 1.20; outer toe 1.00; inner .75." Elliot Coues, 1884

The Foot of a Bridled Foot

"Sterna anaisthetikos. Bridled Tern. The foot of a Bridled Tern; Tarsus .85; middle toe the same, with…

"Clangula albeola. Buffle-head. Butter-ball. spirit-duck. Dipper. Bill with nostrils rather behind than before its middle line. Adult male: Head particularly puffy with much lengthened feathers of lateral and and hind parts, splendidly various with purple-violet and green iridescence; a large snowy patch on each side behind eye, blending on nape with its fellow. Bill dull bluish with dusky nail and base. Eyes brown. Feet pale flesh-color, with blackish claws. Upper parts at large black, fading to grayish-white posteriorly. Lower neck all around, under parts at large, scapulars in part, nearly all the wing-coverts, and most of the secondaries, white. Outer scapulars white, edged with black; inner secondaries velvet-black; sides and sometimes across lower belly shaded with dusky; lining of wings mixed dusky and white. Female much smaller than male; head scarcely puffy, but a thin compressed nuchal elongation of the feathers; dusky gray, with trace at least of the white space of the male, and common a white touch under eye. Bill dusky; feet livid bluish-gray, with dusky webs. above at large dusky-gray or blackish, with white speculum on outer webs only five or six secondaries; below white, shaded into dark along sides and across fore-breast and lower belly." Elliot Coues, 1884

Buffleheads

"Clangula albeola. Buffle-head. Butter-ball. spirit-duck. Dipper. Bill with nostrils rather behind than…

"Pyrrhula cassini. Cassin's Bullfinch. Above, clear ashy-gray; below, cinnamon-gray; rump and under wing- and tail-coverts white; wings and tail, crown, chin and face black; outer tail-feathers with a white patch, greater wing-coverts tipped and primaries edged with whitish; bill black; feet dusky." Elliot Coues, 1884

Cassin's Bullfinch

"Pyrrhula cassini. Cassin's Bullfinch. Above, clear ashy-gray; below, cinnamon-gray; rump and under…

"Pooecetes gramineus. Grass Finch. Bay-winged Bunting. Vesper-bird. Above, grayish-brown, closely and uniformly marked with dusky-centered brown-edged streaks, and further variegated by pale gray edging of the feathers. Crown quite like back, though the marking is in smaller pattern; superciliary line and eye-ring whitish. Under parts dull white, usually noticeably buff-tinged in the streaked areas, thickly streaked across breast and along sides with dusky-centered brown-edged streaks, anteriorly tending to concentrate in lateral chains bounding the white throat; above this chain a maxillary brown stripe; auriculars varied with light and dark brown. Quills fuscous, the longer ones with grayish-white edging, the secondaries and greater and median coverts with broad firm brown and white edges and tips; lesser coverts bright chestnut, whence the name "bay-winged". Outer-feather largely or wholly white, next pair or two airs largely white in decreasing amount. Upper mandible brown; lower, and the feet, flash-colored or yellowish." Elliot Coues, 1884

Bay-winged Bunting

"Pooecetes gramineus. Grass Finch. Bay-winged Bunting. Vesper-bird. Above, grayish-brown, closely and…

"Spiza americana. Black Throated Bunting. Above, grayish-brown, the middle of the back streaked with black, the hind neck ashy, becoming on the crown yellowish-olive with black touches. A yellow superciliary line, and maxillary touch of the same; eyelid white; ear-coverts ashy like the cervix; chin white; throat with a large jet-black patch. Under parts in general white, shaded with gray on the sides, extensively tinged with yellow on the breast and belly. Edge of wing yellow; lesser and middle coverts rich chestnut, other coverts and inner secondaries edged with paler. Bill dark horn-blue; feet brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Black-throated Bunting

"Spiza americana. Black Throated Bunting. Above, grayish-brown, the middle of the back streaked with…

"Calamospiza bicolor. Lark Bunting. White-winged Blackbird. Black, with A large white patch on the wings; the quills and tail-feathers frequently marked with white; bill dark horn-blue above, paler below; feet brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Lark Bunting

"Calamospiza bicolor. Lark Bunting. White-winged Blackbird. Black, with A large white patch on the wings;…

"Plectrophanes nivalis. Snow Bunting. Snowflake. Pure white; the bill, feet, middle of back, scapulars, primaries except at base, most inner secondaries, bastard quills, and and several tail-feathers, black." Elliott Coues, 1884

Snow Bunting

"Plectrophanes nivalis. Snow Bunting. Snowflake. Pure white; the bill, feet, middle of back, scapulars,…

"Lanius borealis. Great Northern Shrike. Butcher-bird. Great Grey Shrike. Above, clear bluish-ash, blanching on rump and scapulars; below, white, always vermiculated transversely with fine wavy blackish lines; a broad black bar along side of head, not meeting its fellow across forehead, interrupted by a white crescent on under eyelid, and bordered above by hoary white that also occupies the extreme forehead; wings and tail black, the former with a large white spot near base of the primaries, and white tips of most of the quills, the latter with the outer web of the outer feather edged, and all the feathers excepting the middle pair broadly tipped, with white, and with concealed white bases; bill and feet bluish-black; eyes blackish. Elliot Coues, 1884

Butcher-bird

"Lanius borealis. Great Northern Shrike. Butcher-bird. Great Grey Shrike. Above, clear bluish-ash, blanching…

"Lanius borealis. Great Northern Shrike. Butcher-bird. Great Grey Shrike. Above, clear bluish-ash, blanching on rump and scapulars; below, white, always vermiculated transversely with fine wavy blackish lines; a broad black bar along side of head, not meeting its fellow across forehead, interrupted by a white crescent on under eyelid, and bordered above by hoary white that also occupies the extreme forehead; wings and tail black, the former with a large white spot near base of the primaries, and white tips of most of the quills, the latter with the outer web of the outer feather edged, and all the feathers excepting the middle pair broadly tipped, with white, and with concealed white bases; bill and feet bluish-black; eyes blackish. Elliot Coues, 1884

Butcher-bird Head

"Lanius borealis. Great Northern Shrike. Butcher-bird. Great Grey Shrike. Above, clear bluish-ash, blanching…

"Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. American Rough-legged Buzzard. "Black Hawk" Adult: Too variable in plumage to be concisely described. In general, the whole plumage with dark brown or blackish and light brown, gray, or whitish, the lighter colors edging or barring the individual feathers; tendency to excess of the whitish on the head, and to the formation of a dark abdominal zone or area which may or may not include the tibiae; usually a blackish anteorbital and maxillary area. Lining of wings extensively blackish. Tail usually white from the base for some distance, then with dark and light barring. The inner webs of the flight-feathers white from the base, usually with little if any of the dark barring so prevalent among buteonine hawks. From such a light and variegated plumage as this, the bird varies to more or less nearly uniform blackish, in which case the tail is usually barred several times with white. Our lighted-colored birds are not fairly separable from the normal European A. Lagopus; but our birds average darker, and their frequent melanism does not appear to befall the European stock. But in any plumage the rough-leg is known at a glance from any Buteo by the feathered shanks; while the peculiar coloration of A. ferrugineus i highly distinctive of the latter." Elliot Coues, 1884

American Rough-legged Buzzard

"Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis. American Rough-legged Buzzard. "Black Hawk" Adult: Too variable…

"Buteo borealis. Red-tailed Buzzard. "Hen Hawk". Upper surface of tail rich chestnut, with white tip and usually a black subterminal zone, with or without other narrower and more or less imperfect black bars; sometimes barred throughout. From below, the tail appears pearly whitish with a reddish tinge, wither quite uniform, or barred throughout with the whitish and blackish. In general, it is the female with the most barred or completely barred tail, the male with the uniform tail, only subterminally once-zoned. Upper parts blackish-brown, with a thoroughly indeterminate amount of light variegation, gray, fulvous, and whitish; feathers of hind head and nape with cottony white bases, showing when disturbed; those of hind neck usually with fulvous edging; of scapular region showing most variegation with tawny or whitish, or both, the scapulars and adjoining feathers being largely barred, and only blackish on their exposed portions; upper tail-coverts showing much tawny and white. Ground color of under parts white, more or less buff-toned, the dark color of the upper parts reaching nearly or quite around the throat, the flanks and lower belly heavily marked with dark brown or blackish, but a large pectoral area, with the tibiae and crissum, mostly free from markings, as a rule; but no description will cover the latitude of coloration. Primaries blackening on their exposed portions, for the rest lighter grayish-brown, dark-barred across both webs, and extensively white-areated on inner webs basally." Elliot Coues, 1884

Red-tailed Buzzard

"Buteo borealis. Red-tailed Buzzard. "Hen Hawk". Upper surface of tail rich chestnut, with white tip…

"Cathartes aura. Turkey Buzzard. Blackih-brown, grayer on the wing-coverts; quills black, ashy-gray on their under surface; tail black, with pale brown shafts. Head red, from livid crimson to pale carmine, with whitish specks usually; bill dead white; feet flesh-colored; iris brown." Elliot Coues, 1884

Turkey Buzzard

"Cathartes aura. Turkey Buzzard. Blackih-brown, grayer on the wing-coverts; quills black, ashy-gray…

"Fuligula vallisneria. Canvas-back. Adult male: The head close-feathered. Bill high at the base and narrow throughout or scarcely widened toward end, sloping gradually up to the top of the head in line with the sweep of the forehead, altogether somewhat like a goose's in shape; decidedly longer than head, 2 &1/2 inches to nearly or quite 3 in length, measured along the culmen; the nostrils reaching the middle of the bill, their fore end half-way from the upper corner to end of bill. Bill not blue, black-belted, but blackish throughout. Eyes red. Feet grayish-blue. Head and upper neck not coppery brownish-red, but dark reddish-brown, further much obscured with dusky or quite blackish about the bill and on top. Ground color of back white, very finely vermiculated with zigzag blackish bars much narrower than the intervening spaces, and tending to break up, or mostly broken up, into little chains or dots across the feathers; the resulting silvery-gray tone consequently several shades lighter than in the red-head." Elliot Coues, 1884

Canvas-back Head

"Fuligula vallisneria. Canvas-back. Adult male: The head close-feathered. Bill high at the base and…

"Fuligula vallisneria. Canvas-back. Adult male: The head close-feathered. Bill high at the base and narrow throughout or scarcely widened toward end, sloping gradually up to the top of the head in line with the sweep of the forehead, altogether somewhat like a goose's in shape; decidedly longer than head, 2 &1/2 inches to nearly or quite 3 in length, measured along the culmen; the nostrils reaching the middle of the bill, their fore end half-way from the upper corner to end of bill. Bill not blue, black-belted, but blackish throughout. Eyes red. Feet grayish-blue. Head and upper neck not coppery brownish-red, but dark reddish-brown, further much obscured with dusky or quite blackish about the bill and on top. Ground color of back white, very finely vermiculated with zigzag blackish bars much narrower than the intervening spaces, and tending to break up, or mostly broken up, into little chains or dots across the feathers; the resulting silvery-gray tone consequently several shades lighter than in the red-head." Elliot Coues, 1884

Large Canvas-backs Head

"Fuligula vallisneria. Canvas-back. Adult male: The head close-feathered. Bill high at the base and…

"Fuligula vallisneria. Canvas-back. Adult male: The head close-feathered. Bill high at the base and narrow throughout or scarcely widened toward end, sloping gradually up to the top of the head in line with the sweep of the forehead, altogether somewhat like a goose's in shape; decidedly longer than head, 2 &1/2 inches to nearly or quite 3 in length, measured along the culmen; the nostrils reaching the middle of the bill, their fore end half-way from the upper corner to end of bill. Bill not blue, black-belted, but blackish throughout. Eyes red. Feet grayish-blue. Head and upper neck not coppery brownish-red, but dark reddish-brown, further much obscured with dusky or quite blackish about the bill and on top. Ground color of back white, very finely vermiculated with zigzag blackish bars much narrower than the intervening spaces, and tending to break up, or mostly broken up, into little chains or dots across the feathers; the resulting silvery-gray tone consequently several shades lighter than in the red-head." Elliot Coues, 1884

Canvas-backs

"Fuligula vallisneria. Canvas-back. Adult male: The head close-feathered. Bill high at the base and…

"Fig. 41 shows phalanges of caprimulgines foot, where the ratio is 2, 3, 4, 4." Elliot Coues, 1884

Phalanges of Caprimulgine

"Fig. 41 shows phalanges of caprimulgines foot, where the ratio is 2, 3, 4, 4." Elliot Coues, 1884