142 A MANUAL OF THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
purplish-red and underlying ones of lavender; axis 35-36.5 mm., diameter 
26-27. 
Breeding-season.—June and July. (Siberia) 
Distribution and forms.— Breeding throughout northern Europe and Asia, 
migrating southward in winter. Mathews recognised an eastern form as smaller 
and paler which recently has not been accepted, but we anticipate that on later 
reconsideration this will be allowed. 
Genus HETERACTITIS. 
Heteractitis Stejneger, Auk, Vol. I., p. 236, July 1884. New name for Heteroscelus Baird 
1858. Type (by monotypy): Totanus brevipes Vieillot = Scolopax incanus Gmelin. 
Heteroscelus Baird, Rep. Expl. Surv. Pac. Ocean, Vol. IX., p. 734, Oct. ? 1858. Type (by 
monotypy): Z'. brevipes Vieillot. 
Not Heteroscelis Boisduval, Voy. Astrol., Entom., Vol. II., p. 25, 1835. 
Medium Totanine Waders with short, somewhat stout bills, long wings, medium 
tails, short stout legs, and strong feet. 
This genus is easily recognisable by the stout bill in conjunction with the nature 
of the metatarsal covering from which it gains its name. 
The culmen is stout and short, being less than one-fourth the length of the 
wing and almost exactly half the length of the tail. The nasal groove varies from 
one-half to two-thirds the length of the culmen. Wings long and pointed, the 
first primary Jongest. Tail doubly emarginate like that of Pisobia, rather less 
than half the length of the wing. Metatarsus short, less than the culmen, but 
longer than the middle toe and claw, the exposed tibia being about half the length 
of the metatarsus. There is a distinct web between the outer and middle toes 
towards the base, but only an indistinct webbing between the middle and inner 
toes. The hind-toe and claw are proportionately long. The metatarsus is covered 
with transverse scutelle in front and the sides are coarsely reticulate ; the back 
is clothed with little larger reticulation in some, in hexagonal scales approaching 
transverse scutes in others, and in apparently regular scutelle in others. 
98. Heteractitis incanus—WANDERING TATTLER. 
Mathews, Vol. III., pt. 3, pl. 152, Aug. 18th, 1913. 
Scolopax incana Gmelin, Syst. Nat., Vol. I., pt. m., p. 658, April 20th, 1789: Eimeo and 
Palmerston Islands, Pacific Ocean. 
Scolopaa solitaris Bloxham, Voy. “‘ Blonde,” Sandwich Is., p. 252, “ 1826” = Feb. 20th, 
1827: Sandwich Islands. 
Totanus fuliginosus Gould, Voy. ‘‘ Beagle,’’ Birds, p. 130, March 1841: Galapagos Islands. 
Scolopax undulata Forster, Deser. Anim., ed. Licht., p. 173, (pref. Jan. Ist) 1844: Tahiti. 
Not of Boddaert, Tabl. Planch. Enlum., p. 54, (after Dec.) 1783. 
Scolopax pacifica Forster, 7b., p. 174: Tahiti. 
Totanus oceanicus Lesson, Descr. Mamm. et Ois., p. 244, April 1847: Pacific Ocean. 
Totanus polynesie Peale, Zool. U.S. Expl. Exped., Vol. VIII., p. 237, 1848 (cf. 2nd ed., p. 318, 
1858): Fiji. 
Hae ieie incanus porteri Mathews, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, Vol. XXXVI., p. 82, May 25th, 
1916: Cape York, Queensland. 
DisTRIBUTION.—Cape York in winter, as far as yet recorded. 
Adult male in summer-plumage.—Upper-parts olive-giey including the crown 
of the head, entire back, wings and tail; the small marginal upper wing-coverts 
dark brown fringed with white like some of the major and primary-coverts ; primary- 
and secondary-quills dark brown, paler on the inner webs, the shaft of the outer 
primary inclining to white ; an ill-defined white line running from the base of the 
bill over the eye and along the sides of the crown ; sides of face, ear-coverts, sides 
of neck, and fore-neck streaked with brown and white; chin and upper throat 
with small ovate spots of slate-brown ; remainder of the under-surface slate-grey 
