HYPERBOREAN PHALAROPE. 371 



leiinion, being in this one precisely similar to those of the flat-billed 

 species. 



The bill of the Lobefoot is moderate in length, slender, smooth, cylin- 

 drical throughout, and a little stoutish at base, subulate to the tip, with 

 the point narrow and sharp : the upper mandible curves slightly upon 

 the lower at tip, where they do not quite meet, as occurs in some Totani: 

 the nostrils are not quite basal, as in the Holopodius, and are linear 

 instead of the subovate form of the Grymophilus, or true Phalarope : 

 the tongue is also filiform and acute, and by no means broad, fleshy, and 

 obtuse, as in the same group. The tarsi are however longer than in 

 this, though shorter and less compressed than in the Holopodius : the 

 toes are likewise intermediate as to length between the two other 

 groups : the middle one is connected with the inner to the first joint, 

 and with the outer to the second ; the edging membrane is broad, deeply 

 scallopped, and finely pectinated : the hind toe is very short, only the 

 nail touching the ground. The wings are more elongated than in Cry- 

 mophilus : the tail on the contrary is shorter, and the general form 

 slender, in which respect, and some others also, they bear a resemblance 

 to Totanus. , 



The Hyperborean Lobefoot, as represented in its summer, though not 

 its perfect plumage, is seven and a half inches long, and fourteen and 

 a quarter in extent. The bill is less than an inch long, black, exceed- 

 ingly slender, and with both mandibles remarkably acute, the upper 

 being rather longer and somewhat inflected at tip. The irides are 

 brown. The head, neck above, back, and wing-coverts, are very dark 

 gray, which comes forward and round on the lower part of the neck, 

 thus encircling the white throat : through the eye from the bill passes a 

 broad dusky stripe to the hind head ; a rufous line arises behind the 

 eye, which dilates into a large patch on each side of the neck, the two 

 nearly joining at the back part : the sides of the neck and throat are 

 white, the eyelids white ; the back and scapulars are of a darker color 

 than the adjoining parts, with large spots of ferruginous on the upper 

 part of the back, occupying the outer side of the feathers : the rump 

 and upper tail-coverts are banded dusky and white. The sides of the 

 breast are dark cinereous, all the remaining lower parts are white, the 

 base of the plumage being blackish ash, which rather predominates on 

 the flanks, giving to these parts a very dark mixed appearance. The 

 wings are four and a quarter inches long, and when closed reach pre- 

 cisely to the tip of the tail ; the under wing-coverts are varied with 

 white and blackish ash ; the lesser and middle upper coverts are dark 

 blackish gray, the latter with a few white streaks at the tip of the outer 

 one : the greater are almost blackish, and broadly pure white at the 

 tips, which makes a conspicuous band of pure white across the wings: 

 tlie primaries are blackish, slightly edged with paler, and with whitish 



