MACttORIIAMPHUS. 257 



winter associating with other waders. It is almost exclusively a 

 coast bird, feeding on small Crustacea, annelida, and mollusca, and 

 its flesh is inferior to that of the Black-tailed Godwit. 



Genus MACRORHAMPHITS, Leach, 1816. 



Bill like that of a Snipe, long, straight, slender ; both mandibles 

 broader towards the end and pitted ; the upper mandible grooved 

 above near the end, and both mandibles grooved at the side ; 

 nostrils near the base. Wing long and pointed, 1st quill longest, 

 2nd subequal ; tail of moderate length. Tarsus shorter than bill, 

 lower part transversely shielded in front (and in one species, M. 

 r/mcw-5, behind) ; hind toe well developed, anterior toes webbed 

 near base, the web between the outer arid middle toes the larger. 

 Summer plumage rufous, winter plumage grey as in Godwits. 



Two species are known, one American, the other an occasional 

 winter visitor to India and Burma. 



1458. Macrorhamphus semipalmatus. The Sni-pe-billed Goduif. 



Macrorhamphus semipalmatus, Jerdon, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xvii, p. 252 



(1848) ; id. Cat. p. 271 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 679 ; Hume, S. F. vii, 



p. 484. 

 Pseudoscolopax semipalmatus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxviii, p. 280; id. 



Ibis, 1867, p. 167 ; Hume, Cat. no. 874 ; id. $ Marsh. Game B. 



iii, p. 395, pi. ; Oates, S. F. x, p. 239 ; id. B. B. ii, p. 408. 

 Micropalama tackzanowskia, Verreaux, Rev. et Mag. ZooL. I860, 



p. 206, pi. xiv. 

 Macrorhamphus taczanowskii, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 4CO. 



Coloration hi winter. Upper plumage brown, with whitish edges 

 to feathers ; broad whitish supercilia ; forehead and lores dark ; 

 quills dark brown, mottled with white on inner margin ; inner 

 primaries and all secondaries more or less bordered with white ; 

 rump and upper tail-coverts white, with irregular arrowhead-shaped 

 bars of brown ; tail-feathers more regularly barred brown and 

 white ; lower parts white ; sides of head, chin, throat, fore neck, 

 and upper breast streaked with brown, sometimes forming wavy 

 bands ; axillaries, flanks, and under tail-coverts irregularly spotted 

 and barred with brown. 



In summer the upper parts are described as bright rufous with 

 brown streaks and spots and the lower parts uniforui rufous. 



Bill black, plumbeous at the base; irides dark brown ; legs and 

 feet dark plumbeous (Oates). 



Length 13*25 ; tail 2-5 ; wing 7 ; tarsus 2 ; bill from gape 2-9 to 

 3-25. 



Distribution. This rare bird breeds somewhere in Siberia, its 

 breeding-haunts being, however, unknown, and a very few indi- 

 viduals have been obtained in Mongolia, China, and Japan. One 

 specimen was procured by Jerdon in Madras, one by Blyth arid 

 three by Hume in Calcutta, brought from the neighbourhood, two 

 were shot by Oates at Kyeikpadein in Pegu, and one by Colonel 

 McMaster at Rangoon, all in the cold season. Lately Captain 1\ 



VOL. IV. S 



