100 SCOLOPACIN.E. MACRORHAMPHUS. 



moderate length ; head small, oblong, convex above, nar- 

 rowed in front. Bill more than twice the length of the 

 head, straight, slender, compressed for more than half its 

 length, depressed, and a little widened toward the end ; 

 the sides of both mandibles grooved, their terminal third 

 scrobiculate, the tips hard, narrowly obtuse, that of the lower 

 shorter. Mouth very narrow, its roof with three longitudi- 

 nal series of papillae ; tongue very long, slender, channelled 

 above, tapering to a point ; oesophagus rather narrow ; sto- 

 mach an oblong muscular gizzard ; intestine of moderate 

 length and width ; coeca moderate, cylindrical, narrowed at the 

 commencement. Nostrils small, linear, lateral, basal. Eyes 

 small ; eyelids feathered. Aperture of ear rather large. 

 Legs of moderate length, slender ; tibia bare for nearly a 

 third ; tarsus compressed, scutellate before and behind ; first 

 toe very small, slender ; anterior toes of moderate length, 

 slender, scutellate, webbed at the base, the outer web large ; 

 claws small, slightly arched, slender, compressed, acute. 

 Plumage firm, but blended ; wings long, narrow, pointed ; 

 the first primary longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; inner 

 secondaries very long ; tail rather short, nearly even, of 

 twelve rounded feathers. 



The only species of this genus differs from the Scolopaces 

 in having the toes shorter and webbed at the base, in fre- 

 quenting the open sea-shore, and in changing its plumage 

 from grey in winter to red in summer. It thus forms the 

 transition from the Scolopacinas to the Godwits and Sand- 

 pipers. 



203. MACRORHAMPHUS GRISEUS. GREY LONGBEAK. 



About the size of our Common Snipe ; with the bill more 

 than twice the length of the head ; the tail nearly even ; the 

 outer and middle toes connected by a rather large basal web. 

 In winter, the plumage of the upper part of the head and 

 hind-neck brownish-grey ; the fore part of the back of the 

 same colour, spotted with dusky ; the rump and tail white, 

 transversely barred with blackish-brown ; the lower parts 

 white, the sides and lower tail-coverts barred with dusky. 

 In summer, the upper parts variegated with brownish-black 

 arid light reddish-yellow ; the lower light yellowish-red, more 

 or less spotted and barred with dusky. 



