THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



155 



{Lohivanellus lohatus), conspicuous by its yellow 

 face- wattles, is also a well-known bird in its own 

 country. 



The Woodcocks and Snipes also have a wide 

 distribution ; the American Woodcock {Philohela 

 minor) is smaller than ours, and has not the dark 

 and light markings on the breast and primary quills ; 

 the American Snipe, however {Scolopax wilsoni), 

 is almost identical with ours. Some very big 

 Snipes (S. gigantea, S. nohilis) inhabit South 

 America. The Australian Snipe breeds in Japan. 

 The so-called Painted Snipes (Rostratula) are 

 confined to warm climates all round the world ; 

 they are not nearly related to the true Snipes, 

 and have the bill slightly bent down and the wings 

 beautifully spotted. The Indian species {R. 

 bengalensis) is also found in Africa, and is very 

 close to the Australian form.- Its general hue is 

 olive green, the quills French-grey spotted with 

 buff. The hen is larger and brighter than the cock. 

 The Avocets (Recurvirostra), Stilts (Himantopus), 

 and Oyster -catchers {Haematopus) are usually pied 

 birds, the first with up-turned bills, the second 

 with very long legs, and the third with strong 

 chisel-tipped red beaks ; all have representatives 

 everywhere ; and our two species of Phalaropes 

 (Phalaropus), which have the toes fringed with 

 a web as in coots, and swim much, are widely 

 spread, though breeding in the north only: 



The Sandpipers are of universal distribution, 

 and the Curlews, with their down-bent beaks, 

 nearly so, but no Curlew is found in New Zealand. 

 An inland Sandpiper {Bartramia longicauda), with 

 a rather long tail, is a well-known and esteemed 

 game-bird in North America, and called there 

 Upland Plover. The Ruff {Machetes pugnax), of 

 the Old World, is renowned for the male's frill 



