THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



(Lobivanellus lobatus), conspicuous by its yellow 

 face- wattles, is also a well-known bird in its own 

 country. 



The Woodcocks and Snipes also have a wide 

 distribution ; the American Woodcock (PMlohela 

 minor) is smaller than ours, and has not the dark 

 and light markings on the breast and primary quills ; 

 the American Snipe, however (Scolopax wilsoni), 

 is almost identical with ours. Some very big 

 Snipes (S. gigantea, S. nobilis) inhabit South 

 America. The Australian Snipe breeds in Japan. 

 The so-called Painted Snipes (Rostratuld) are 

 confined to warm climates all round the world ; 

 they are not nearly related to the true Snipes, 

 and have the bill slightly bent down and the wings 

 beautifully spotted. The Indian species (R. 

 bengalensis) is also found in Africa, and is very 

 close to the Australian form.- Its general hue is 

 olive green, the quills French-grey spotted with 

 buff. The hen is larger and brighter than the cock. 



The Avocets (Recurvirostra), Stilts (Himantopus), 

 and Oyster -catchers (Haematopus) are usually pied 

 birds, the first with up-turned bills, the second 

 with very long legs, and the third with strong 

 chisel-tipped red beaks ; all have representatives 

 everywhere ; and our two species of Phalaropes 

 (Phalaropus), which have the toes fringed with 

 a web as in coots^ and swim much, are widely 

 spread, though breeding in the north only* 



The Sandpipers are of universal distribution, 

 and the Curlews, with their down-bent beaks, 

 nearly so, but no Curlew is found in New Zealand; 

 An inland Sandpiper (Bartramia longicauda), with 

 a rather long tail, is a well-known and esteemed 

 game-bird in North America, and called there 

 Upland Plover. The Ruff (Machetes pugnax), of 

 the Old World, is renowned for the male's frill 



