208 BLACK SKIMMER.
weré, and earnestly urging you and your cruel sailors to retire and
leave them in the peaceful charge of their yonng, or to settle on their
lovely rounded eggs, should it rain or feel chilly.. , >
The Skimmer forms no other nest than a slight hollow in the
sand. The eggs, I believe, are always three, and measure an inch and
three quarters in length, an inch and three-eighths in breadth. As if
to be assimilated to the colours of thé birds themselves, they hat e a
pure white ground, largely patched Or blotched with black or very dark
.umber, with here and there a large spot of a light purplish tint; They
are as good to eat as those of most Gulls, but inferior to the éggs of-
Plovers, and other, birds of that tribe. The young are clumsy, mugît
of the same colour as the sand on which they lie, and are not able to fly
until about six weeks, when you now perceive their resemblance to their
parents. They are fed at first by the: regurgitation of the finely macerated
contents of the guBets of the old birds, and ultimately pick up the shrimps,
prawns, small crabs, and fishes dropped before: them. As soon as they are
able to walk about, they cluster together in the manner of the young
of the Common Gannet, and it is really marvellous how the parents
can distinguish them individually on such occasions. This bird walks
in the manner of the Terns, with short steps,, and the tail slightly
elevated. Wïufti gorged and fatigued, both old and young birds are
wont to lie flat on: the sand,, and extend their bills before them ; and
when thus reposing:, in fancied security, may sometimes be slaughtered
in "Teat numbers by the single discharge of a gun. When shot at while
on wing, and brought to the w.ater, thin- merely float, and aré easily
secured. If the sportsman is desirous of obtaining more, he may easily
do so, as others pass in full clamour close over the wounded bird.
RHYNCHOPS XIBBA, IAm. Syst Nat vol i p. 228.—Lath, Ind. Oàitï. vol fi. p. 802.
" " /teiw^ irW, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 352.
BLACK SKIMMEB, or SHEIN^ATIA, Baî^oHoïs KIBBA, Wife. Aner. Omith-vol.
TO. p. 85; pi, 60¡ fig. i —ÑtUtaU, Manual, vol. ii. pi 264.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXIII.
Bill longer than the head, nearly straight, tetragonal at thé base,
suddenly extremely compressed, and continuing so to the end. Upper
mandible much shorter than the lower, its dorsal outline very slightly
convex, its ridge sharp, the sides erect, more or less convex, the edges
BLACK SKIMMER. 209
approximated so a.s to l e a v e merely a very narrow groove between them;
the tip a little Sounded when viewed laterally, Nasal groove rather
short, narrow near the margin i nostrils linear-oblon«, sub-basal in the
soft membrane, T.ower mandible with the angle cxttcinely short, the
dorsal outline straight or slightly decurved, the Sides erect, the edges
united, into a Very thin blade which fits into the narrow groove of the
upper mandible, the tip rounded or abrupt when viewed laterally.
Head rather large, obi%'considerably elevated infront. N»«kshort
and thick. Body short, ovate, and compact. Feet short, moderately
stout; tibia bare below, with n.u-nnV'transvCTse'scnitella before and behind;
tarsus short, moderately compressed, anteriorly covered with
broad scutella, reticulated I f ths sides and behind-; toes very small;
the first extremely short, and free ; the inner much shorter than the
outer, which is but slightly exceeded by the middle toe; the webs very
deeply concave at the margin, especially fte inner. Claws long, compressed,
tapering, slightly arched, rafter obtuse, the inner edge of the
middle toe dilate,I and extremely thin. Plumage moderately full, soft,
and blended; the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings extremely
elongated, and vffly narrow: the primary quffls, excessively long:; the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; the secondaries short, broad,
' incurved, obliquely pointed, some of the inner more elongated. Tail
rather short, deeply forked, of twelve feathers, disposed in two inclined
planes.
Bill of a rich carmine, inclining to vermilion for about half its
length, the rest black. Iris hazel. Peet of the same, colour as the base
of the bill, claws black. The upper' parts are deep brownish-black ;
the secondary quills, and four or five of the primaries, tipped with white ;
the latter on their inner web chiefly. Tail-feathers black, broadly margined
on both sides with white, the outer more extensively ; the middle
tail-coverts black, the lateral black on the inner and white on the outer
web. A broad band of. white over the forehead, extending to the fore
part of the e j ® cheeks and throat of t h e same colour; the rest of the
neck and lower parts in spring and summer of a delicate cream-colour ;
axillary feathers, lower wing-coverts, and a large portion of the secondary
quills, white; the coverts along the edge .of the wing black.
Length from point of upper' mandible to end of tail 20 inches, to
end of wings 244, to end of claws 17; to carpal joint 8|;' extent of
wings 48; upper mandible 3 f ; its edge 3?; from base to point of lower
vot. IV. °