198 



TOTANUS. 



IN the next genus, some of the species are of com- 

 paratively small size, and resemble the true sand- 

 pipers or tringae ; the typical birds, however, are 

 equal in size to the snipes, and stand higher 

 upon their legs, have the bill hard at the tip, and 

 seek their food without boring for it among the 

 soft mud or sand ; they are more fluviatile or 

 lacustrine in their habits, most of them frequent- 

 ing the sea coasts less frequently ; the seasonal 

 changes of plumage are less marked in many than 

 in Limosa, but in some it is as complete, the 

 colour in summer being black or very deep grey, 

 instead of red and chestnut, changing in winter 

 to pale clear shades of grey. 



TOTANUS, Bechstein. Generic characters. Bill 

 of mean length, sometimes slightly bending 

 upwards, rather slender, rounded, the tip of 

 the mandible bending over that of the max- 

 illa, hard and sharp pointed ; legs long, slen- 

 der, naked above the tarsal joint ; the toes, in 

 front, connected with a slight basal membrane ; 

 wings rather long ; scapulars elongated. 



Types, T.fuscus, glottis,hypoUucus, macularius* 

 &c. 



Note. Cosmopolite (N. H. excepted?) Breed 

 in marshes, habits more lacustrine than ma- 

 ritime, plumage in some undergoing a sea- 

 sonal change. 



