RHYNCHOPS. 731 



Length about 13 inches ; tail 5 ; wing 9 5 tarsus 0^95 ; bill from gape 2' 2. 

 Hal, Bay of Bengal. 



Gygis alba, Sparrm,, The White Noddy, with the whole plumage white, 

 except the feathers round the eye and the shafts of the quills, which are 

 black, is said to have been procured in the Bay of Bengal by Dussumier. 

 As there is no further record of its occurrence, except Mr. Hume's belief 

 that he has seen it twice in the same seas, I do not include it in the 

 Avifauna. 



Sub-Family, RHYNCHOPSIN^E. Bonap. 



Upper mandible shorter than the lower, and grooved to receive the sharp 

 cutting edge of the lower one ; claws long and curved ; tail forked. 



Gen. Rhynchops. Linn. 



Characters same as those of the Sub-Family. Hind toe elevated, the tip 

 touching the ground. 



1445. RhynchOpS albiCOlliS, Swains., Anim. inMenag.p. 360; 

 Jerd^ B. Ind. iii. p. 847; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 656; id., Str. F. iii. 

 p. 193; Blyth, B. Burnt, p. 164; War dlaw- Ramsay, Ibis, 1877, p. 472; 

 Hume, Str. F. viii. p. 116; Oates, Str. F. x. p. 247; Murray, Vert. Zooi., 

 Sind, p. 327 ; Oates, B. Br* JBurm. ii. p. 436. The INDIAN SKIMMER. 



Forehead, lores, sides of the face, ear coverts, chin, throat, neck all round 

 breast and entire lower parts white ; crown of the head, nape, back, lesser 

 and median coverts glossy, sooty blackish brown ; lower back and rump and 

 lateral tail feathers white ; primaries black ; secondaries and tertials tipped 

 with white ; bill orange, yellowish at the tip ; irides brown ; legs and feet 

 bright vermilion. 



Length. \ to 16-5 inches ; wing 16; tail 4*75 to 5 ; bill, upper mandible, 

 2*9 to 3; lower mandible to gape, 375 to 3*9. 



Hab. Throughout India nearly, on the larger rivers and lakes. Occurs in 

 large flocks of several hundreds or in small companies of 6 or a dozen. 

 Breeds throughout the Empire on sandbanks ; the ground colour of the eggs 

 is very variable, from a pale pinky buff to stone colour, and the markings are 

 bold blotches, streaks and spots of chocolate and reddish brown. In size 

 they vary from 1-45 to 176 inches in length and from ro8 to 1-28 in 

 breadth. 



ORDER- STEGANOPODES. 



Feet entirely webbed ; hind toe articulated on the inner side of the tarsus 

 and joined to the inner front toe by the web ; legs short ; wings long. 



