Page:The birds of America, volume 7.djvu/253



Bill shorter than the head, strong, slightly compressed, straight, with the tip curved; upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, toward the tip decurved, the ridge broad and convex, formed by two plates, which overlap the nostrils, the sides narrow and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip or unguis decurved, compressed, acute; nasal groove long, narrow; the nostrils in its fore part medial, lateral, longitudinal, broad before, extremely narrow behind, open and pervious; lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity, beyond which the dorsal line is slightly concave, the sides erect, and slightly convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely truncate. Head rather large; neck of moderate length; body rather full. Feet of moderate length, rather stout; tibia bare at its lower part, and rough all round, with small convex scales; tarsus compressed behind and scabrous, anteriorly scutellate; hind toe extremely small and elevated; fore toes of moderate size, connected by convex webs, the third toe longest, the fourth little shorter. Claws strong, much curved, very acute, compressed. Plumage full, soft, blended, on the back rather compact. Wings very long, rather broad, pointed, the first quill longest. Tail of moderate length, or elongated, of twelve feathers, of which the middle are longest. Tongue broadly channelled above, contracted and induplicate toward the end, with the point slit; oesophagus very wide; stomach small, moderately muscular, with the epithelium thin, dense, and longitudinally rugous; intestine rather short and wide; coeca rather long; cloaca oblong.