SCOLOPACID^. 323 



and coverts, greyish- white, barred with dusky ; chin, hind 

 part of breast, and abdomen, white ; fore part of breast 

 streaked ; sides and lower wing-coverts barred with dusky. 

 Length, 17", wing, 9" 9'"; tail, 4"; bill, 3" 2'". 



The Whimbrel is a rare bird in South Africa, only three specimens 

 having reached my hands : one of these was procured in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Walwich Bay by the Messrs. Chapman ; the other two 

 were shot near Cape Town, one by my son, the other by Mr. Butler, 

 the Taxidermist of the Museum. From the statements of the two 

 latter, it appears the birds were feeding in company with the common 

 curlew, and may be others of the same species were with them, as 

 they were killed by chance, and the difference not observed till 

 submitted to me for inspection. 



Genus LIMOSA, Brisson. 

 Bill long, rather slender, and more or less inclined up- 

 wards towards the tip, with the sides compressed and 

 grooved on both mandibles to nearly their entire length ; 

 the nostrils lateral, basal, and placed in the groove, with 

 the opening longitudinal, and closed with a membrane; 

 wings long and pointed, with the first quill the longest; 

 tail short and even ; tarsi longer than the middle toe, 

 rather slender, and covered in front with narrow transverse 

 scales ; toes long, the outer toe united to the middle toe by 

 a membrane as far as the first joint ; the inner toe slightly 

 united ; the hind toe long, slender, and partly resting upon 

 the ground ; the claws short and obtuse. 



609. LimOSa Cinerea. (GUld.) TereUa Oinerea; 

 Scolopax Cinerea, Gmel. ; Sc. Terek, Lath. ; Sc. Suma- 

 trana, Kaffles ; Limosa Recurvirostra, Pallas ; " Terek 

 Sandpiper." 



Upper parts, brown- grey, shot with greenish, and with a 

 slender black streak along the shaft of each feather ; forehead, 

 chin, throat, and chest, white, mottled finely with grey 

 streaks and spots ; under parts, and bar along the wing, pure 

 white. Length, 9" (of which the bill is 1" 9", and curved 

 upward) ; wing, 4" 9" ; tail, 2" 3'". 



Mr. Ayres records the shooting of a specimen at Natal " from a 

 flock of four or five amongst the mangroves in the bay ;" and adds : 

 " they are scarce birds here." I have not met with it. 



The Sub-Family, TOTANIN^, or Longshanks, 



have the bill long, slender, compressed, and grooved on the 

 sides, with the culmen more or less straight, curved, and 

 acute at the tip ; the nostrils linear, and placed in the lateral 



