248 Contributions to the Ornithology of India, 8fS. 



as they were pretty tame and uncommonly g-ood eating, we shot 

 a g-ood number of them for the pot. In Sindh the/ were by no 

 means scarce either on the Indus or inland ; but they were in 

 notliing^ like the numbers in which we noticed them hig-her up. 

 A male measured in the flesh, levig'th, 13 ; expanse, 24'25 ; 

 tail from vent, 3"4! ; wing, 7"5 ; wing, when closed, reached 0*5 

 beyond the end of tail ; bill at front, 3"05 ; tarsus, 2'36. 



896,— Totanus fuscus, L. 



Almost equally common with the preceding in the rivers of 

 the Punjab, and common enough in Sindh, especially about the 

 larger lakes, where we occasionally met with enormous flocks of 

 it. Specimens measui'ed, length, 13*9 to 13*3 ; expanse, 21 to 

 22 ; tail from vent, 2-9 to 3'2 ; wing, 6*5 to 6'9 ; wings when 

 closed, reached exactly to end of tail ; bill at front, 2*3 to 2'4 ; 

 tarsus, 2*3 to 2*4 ; weight, 7 "5 to 9 oz. 



897.— Totanus calidris, L, 



I met with this species only on the larger rivers and in the 

 Kurrachee Harboiir where it was very abundant. I do not 

 remember ever noticing it on any of the inland waters. A male 

 measured, length, 11'5 ; expanse, 21'35 ; tail from vent, 2*7 ; 

 wing, 6 "45 ; wings, when closed, reached to end of tail ; bill at 

 front, 1*7 ; tarsus, 2 ; weight, 6 ozs. 



898.— Himantopus intermedius, Blyth. 



Under this name Mr. Gray separates the Indian stilt, assign- 

 ing to the European and African bird v. Hasselquist^s name 

 autumnaXis as having priority over candidus,. Bonn., sind melanop- 

 terus, Flem., the names by which that species is most commonly 

 known. The Australian race he separates as leiicocephalue , Gould. 

 Personally I suspend my opinion as to the distinctness of these 

 three supposed species ; in the mean time I may mention that 

 be its correct scientific name what it may, our stilt was not un- 

 common in suitable localities any where in Sindh, though it was 

 less common, than in Upper India. 



899.— Recurvirostra avocetta, L, 



Yery common about the larger inland lakes ; at the Muncher 

 lalce especially, I noticed it in large parties, certainly a hundred 

 in a single flock. They are very busy active birds, trotting 

 about very rapidly with their whole bill immersed in the water,, 

 moving their heads from side to side as they trot along and 

 reminding one very nxuch in their actions of the spoonbill. 



