SCOLOPACIN^E. MACRORHAMPHUS. 99 



ish. Legs short ; tibia bare for a very short space ; tar- 

 sus short, anteriorly scutellate ; toes four, the first very 

 small and elevated ; the anterior toes long, slender, scu- 

 tellate, the fourth little longer than the second, the third 

 much longer ; claws slender, little arched, acute. Plu- 

 mage moderately compact ; wings long, pointed, of 

 twenty-five quills, of which the first is generally longest, 

 the inner secondaries much elongated ; tail short, of 

 twelve or more narrow feathers. 



These birds reside in marshy places, in which they 

 search for food by thrusting their delicately sentient bills 

 into the mud or soft ground, and apparently sucking in 

 the worms and larvae with which they come in contact. 

 They are true probers, never feeding in any other man- 

 ner, and differ from the birds of the other families in 

 leading a skulking sort of life, being generally concealed 

 among the herbage, seldom or never uttering cries unless 

 when on wing, and crouching when apprehensive of dan- 

 ger, in which circumstances they differ from all the 

 Tringinse and Totaninse. They walk well, but run little, 

 have a rapid flight, alight abruptly, utter harsh shrill 

 cries ; nestle on the ground, and lay four very large, py- 

 riform, spotted eggs. The young, covered with thick 

 variegated down, run from the first, and squat to conceal 

 themselves. The plumage of the adults is variegated 

 with tints of brown, red, and dusky. The females are 

 larger than the males. Species of this family occur in 

 marshy places in all parts of the globe. In Britain, one 

 is permanently resident, two common in winter, and four 

 more have been met with as stragglers. 



GENUS CVI. MACRORHAMPHUS. LONGBEAK. 



This genus, scarcely distinguishable from the next, con- 

 tains only a single species, of which the generic characters 

 juay be thus briefly given. Body ovate, compact ; neck of 



