Mr. R. Swinhoe on Amoij Ornithology. 401 



cases. I cannot tell whether it differs in other respects in 

 plumage, without having specimens from Europe to compare 

 with it. But in comparing its head with that figured by Wolf 

 in Gray's ' Genera' I notice that in ours the beak is much more 

 bent upwards, and is strongly hooked at the tip of the upper 

 mandible, instead of being straight. Wolf's sketch, however, is 

 evidently from a dried skin, as it does not show the roundness 

 of the forehead and crown which most sea-birds possess before 

 the fleshy pads above the eyes are removed by the knife of the 

 stuffer. 



Recurvirostra sinensis, sp. nov. 



Arrangement of black and white apparently the same as in 

 7?. avocetta. Lower eyelids white. Back of lower neck and 

 upper back light ashy-grey, the feathers with paler edges. Tail 

 of twelve feathers, the two outer ones on each side white, the 

 rest light pearl-grey, edged with white ; the two middle ones 

 marked at tip with a broken blackish-brown spot, the next on 

 each side less conspicuously so ; the greyish feathers with more 

 or less brown on their shafts. Round the coccygeal protube- 

 rance a curious tuft of short brown feathers occurs, which is 

 concealed by the overlapping white feathers of the rump. This 

 tuft I do not see noticed in any books of reference on the allied 

 species, though it is remarkable enough. Length of female 

 17*25 in., tail 3"7in. ; under tail-coverts as long as tail, upper 

 tail-coverts '75 in. short of tail-tip. Wing 8*75 in., tertiaries 

 •75 in. short of quill-tip. Closed wing reaching to '25 in. from 

 tip of tail. Bill from gape to hooked tip 3" 5 in., from forehead 

 '2 in. shorter. Bare tibia 2*3 in., tarse 3*4 in., middle toe and 

 claw 1*7 in.; middle and inner claw falcated internally, outer 

 toe much longer than inner, hind toe well raised and very 

 diminutive. Legs, feet, and webs throughout a delicate bluish- 

 grey, with bluish-black claws ; soles of feet tinged with buff". 

 Iris deep reddish-brown. Bill brownish-black. 



Dissection, ? . Cluster of numerous small eggs. Right csecum 

 2*5 in., from anus 2'25 in. long; left csecum '2 in., nearer anus 

 '7 in. longer, both worm-like. Proventriculus smooth, '8 in. 

 long by 'Gin. wide. Gizzard covered with fat, rounded, 1'25 in. 

 long by 1 in. broad, and '7 in. deep, flattened at sides with 



N. S. VOL. III. 2 E 



