134 Mr. J. E. Ilarting on Totainis liaughtoni. 



till published^ he has been obliged to condemn as inaccurate 

 and misleading [oj). cit. vol. iii. p. 403, 1880). 



It will be unnecessary to repeat here the measurements 

 and descriptions already published, as above stated ; and I will 

 therefore only ofter a few critical remarks which have oc- 

 curred to me upon the examination of the two specimens 

 above referred to, which, so far as 1 am aware, are the only 

 two to be found at present in any European collection. 



At first glance this bird looks like a small specimen of the 

 common Greenshank [Totanus canescens) in winter garb, the 

 upper portions of the plumage being of a nearly uniform 

 brownish grey, the rump and tail white, with very faint indi- 

 cations of having had bars across the tail-feathers when in 

 summer plumage, and the underparts pure white. 



It differs, however, from, Totanus canescens in its smaller 

 size, more robust bill with the lateral groove slightly more 

 prolonged in proportion to the length of the bill, shorter and 

 slightly more robust legs and feet, and in having a palma- 

 tion on both sides of the middle toe instead of on one side 

 only as in T. canescens. The tail does not extend beyond the 

 euds of the closed primaries ; and the tertials are not so long 

 in proportion to the length of the primaries. Besides I have 

 never seen any specimen of Totanus canescens in winter 

 plumage which had the back of such a uniform brownish 

 grey ; there is always a hoariness or mealiness (as ex- 

 pressed by the term canescens) in the dorsal plumage of 

 our Greenshank. 



It does not appear that there is much difference in the bills 

 of the two species ; but there is a noticeable difference in the 

 semipalmation of the toes. This, however, T do not regard as 

 sufficient to render generic distinction either necessaiy or 

 desirable, although there is a precedent for adopting such a 

 course in the case of the American Totanus semipabnatus 

 (Gm.), for which the generic name Symphemia of Rafinesque 

 was proposed on account of a similar peculiarity. 



In an editorial note appended to the original description 

 above cited, Mr. Hume wrote, " I do not, however, think 

 generic separation necessary, and prefer to consider this an 



