CEYLON RAILS, WADERS, GULLS, AND TERNS. 233 
TRINGA PLATYRHYNCHA (Blanford, Vol. IV., p. 279). 
LIMICOLA PLATYRHYNCHA (Legge, p. 896). 
The Broad-billed Stint. 
Description.—The colouration is similar to that of the last 
species, but the bird is slightly smaller. The shaft-stripes of 
the upper plumage are more developed, while the rump, upper 
tail coverts, and tail are blackish-brown with paler edges. 
The under parts are white with a few narrow dark streaks on 
the foreneck and upper breast. In the summer the upper 
parts are velvety black with narrow whitish or buff edges ; 
the crown is almost unstreaked, and there are narrow rufous 
borders to the tertiaries. The throat, the sides of the neck, 
the foreneck, and upper breast are tinged with rufous and 
spotted with dark brown. In both stages the.bird may be 
recognized by the bill. The ridge between the nasal grooves 
is not continued far down the upper mandible, which is 
flattened out for about two-thirds of its length. 
Bill brownish-black ; iris dark brown ; legs olive-brown. 
Length 7; wing 4°2; tail 1-5; tarsus -08 ; bill from gape 
1:3. 
Distribution —Another rare straggler noted from Point 
Pedro and the Hambantota District. Possibly not so rare as 
would appear, as it may pass unnoticed among commoner 
species. Scattered locally over the Indian and Burmese 
coasts. Breeds in the north of Europe and Asia, wintering 
round the Mediterranean and in Southern Asia. 
Habits —May be looked for among flocks of other Stints on 
sandy or muddy flats by the sea and round lagoons. It 
seldom ventures inland. 
Sub-family Scolopacine. 
Woodcocks and Snipes. 
These are a group of birds with well-marked external 
characteristics familiar to every sportsman. The bill is long 
and slender, well provided with nerves, slightly swollen at the 
tip, and, save in the case of the aberrant genus Rostratula, 
straight and pitted. The eyes are large and set far back in the 
