682 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



excellent eating. It varies very much in size, and in the length 

 of the bill, the female being much larger than the male. It 

 breeds in Northern Europe and Asia. Pallas remarks that in 

 summer it is very clamorous, having a whistling call something 

 like the hinny of a foal. 



Other Godwits are L. lapponica, L., the large Godwit of 

 Europe, stated to have occurred in Nepal ; two or three species 

 are recorded from Australia and .New Zealand, and two from 

 America ; all very closely related to each other. 



Gen. Terekia, Bonaparte. 



Syn. Fedoa, Stephens — Xennas, Kaup. — Limicola, Vieillot. 



Char. — Bill very long, slender, recurved; tarsus rather short; feet 

 with the front toes joined by a web, narrow and short between the 

 inner and mid-toes. Of small size. 



This genus is united by some Ornithologists to Limosa, but 

 seems distinct enough in form to allow of its separation : it tends 

 towards the Totanina. 



876. Terekia cinerea, Gmelin. 



Scolopax, apud Gmelin — Blyth, Cat. 1587 — Scol. terek, 

 Latham — Limosa terek, Jekdon, Cat. 341 — Totanus Javanicus, 

 Horsfield — Lim. recurvirostra, Pallas — Limicola indiana, 

 Vieillot — Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 307. 



The Avoset Sandpiper. 



Descr. — Upper plumage bluish-ashy, the stems of the feathers 

 dark, with some broadish dark streaks ; forehead and cheeks 

 white, with ashy striae ; shoulder of wings, edge of wing, and quills 

 blackish brown, the 1st primary with a white stem ; secondaries 

 tipped with white ; tail ashy, with the lateral feathers paler and 

 bordered with white ; throat whitish ; neck in front and top of 

 breast pale ashy, with streaks of reddish brown ; lower breast, 

 belly, and under tail-coverts white. 



Bill orange-yellow at the base, with a dusky tip ; irides brown ; 

 legs pale orange. Length nearly 9 inches ; extent 16£; wing 5 ; 

 tail 2 ; bill at front lj 8 ^ ; tarsus ly^ ; mid-toe nearly 1. 



