402 Lieut. W. V. Legge on the Birds of t/ie 



98. Rhyncilea bexgalensis, Linn. 



Frequeut in suitable localities. I shot a male in July, at 

 which season they may be found occasionally anywhere in the 

 low country. It may not be out of place to mention here 

 that I identified the European Snipe from the Trincomalie 

 district last year, an account of which was published in the 

 J. A. S. B. 



99. NUMENIUS ARQUATA (LiuU.). 



100. NuMENius PHiEOPUs (Linn.). 



Both these Curlews occur in suitable localities along the 

 coast, the latter not so frequently as in the north-east. 



101. Tringa subarquata (Giild.). 



102. Tringa minuta, Leisler. 



103. Tringa submixuta, Midd. 



T. minuta is the most abundant of these three Stints, fre- 

 quenting the muddy shores of the leways. Of all, I saw many 

 examples round these lakes during the S.W. monsoon; but 

 none were so plentiful at that season as T. subarquata. I shot 

 a pair one day which were bowing and walking round each 

 other, executing various little manoeuvres typical of this family 

 in the breeding-season ; but they surely, in spite of the ex- 

 ample set them by ^gialitis cantiana, cannot nest within 

 our limits. Females, as far as my examples go to prove, are 

 rather smaller than males. The dimensions of the above- 

 mentioned pair were: — ^ , length 8"6 inches, wing 5'25, bill 

 at front, straight, 1'65; ? , length 7*9, wing 5, bill at front, 

 straight, 1'4; other examples of this sex in my collection are 

 larger than the above. At Hambantotta, during the season 

 in question, they w^ere generally seen in small parties, in 

 which manner I have observed them to associate in the cool 

 season in the north of Ceylon. 



104. Totanus glottis (Linn.). 



105. Totanus stagnatilis (Bechst.). 



106. Totanus calidris (Linn.). 



All abundant during the N.E. monsoon round the leways ; 



