RANGOON DISTRICT OF THE IRRAWADDY DELTA. 347 
and the membrane between the outer and middle toes, is 
also proportionately larger. 
The bill is something like that of Tringa crassirostris, but 
stouter, broader, and longer, and with the lateral grooves 
extending only for 11-20ths of the length of the bill, and this 
peculiarity, of course, equally with the comparative shortness 
of the bill separates it from the God-wits in which the lateral 
grooves run quite or very nearly to the point. 
* Again the webbing of the feet reminds one of TZ. semipal- 
matus, Gmel. but that is altogether a larger bird, (wing 8°25,) 
with a longer and much slenderer bill (at front, 2-42) with very 
much longer tarsi (2°58), and a huge, unmistakable, white patch 
on the wing. 
In the short tarsus and stout bill, this species is allied to 
T. incanus, Gmelin, but that is a decidedly a smaller bird, with 
as extreme dimensions, wing, 6°95; tarsus, 1:27; and bill at 
front, 1°55 ; with a proportionally longer and more rounded tail, 
and shorter mid toe, with a less stout bill, and scarcely any 
webbing to the feet. The plumage further of our birds (at any 
rate in winter, for we know as yet nothing of the summer garb) 
differs entirely from that of the Ashcolored, Yellow-shanks, 
indeed toa casual observer is precisely that of the Green- 
shanks. 
On the other hand the bill is not a bit that of a typical 
Totanus compressed throughout, and tapering from the base, 
and Isee that Dr. Finsch places the species (incanus), the bill 
of which most resembles that of our bird, under Aectitis. 
Possibly, these birds should form the type of a distinct 
genus, which might be thus defined :—Bill considerably longer 
than the head, stout, nearly straight, but the culmen perceptibly 
recurved, tapering quite at the base, after that of nearly 
uniform width throughout, rather obtusely pointed just at the 
tip, which is bent down over the lower mandible. Culmen broad, 
slightly flattened towards the tip. Nostrils, lateral, sub-basal 
(commencing nearly a quarter of an inch from the base) placed 
inamembranous groove which extends rather beyond half 
the length of the bill (say 11-20ths.) The wings reaching 
considerably beyond the end of the tail and pointed. 
The first quill longest ; tail, moderate and nearly even. Tarsi, 
slender, one-fifth longer than mid toe and claw, covered in front 
by numerous narrow faintly marked scales. Toes, slender, 
moderately long, anterior toes united by a membrane. The 
outer and middle toes quite to the first joint of the middle, 
nearly, if not quite, to the second joint of the outer. The inner 
and middle to the first joint of both, but the membrane rather 
deeply scalloped. Hind toe, long, slender somewhat elevated. 
