PHALAROPINiE. 695 



from the nearly allied Tringince, placing them between Recurvi- 

 rostra and Scolopacince. Yarrell classes them with the Coots. They 

 have dense plumage, are said to swim well and even dive, and 

 frequent lakes and rivers as well as sea-coasts. They have the 

 extraordinary habit of the males alone incubating, the females 

 forsaking their nests and leading a wandering life. They are 

 very Northern birds, and their occasional occurrence in India 

 appears almost accidental. Only two species are known, both of 

 which have been procured in India. 



Gen. Phalaropus, Brisson. 

 Char. — Bill somewhat broad and depressed ; the feet lobed ; 

 otherwise as in Tringa. 



889. Phalaropus fulicarius, Linn2eus. 



Tringa, apud LiNNiEUS — Blyth, Cat. 1603 — Gould, Birds of 

 Europe, pi. 337 — Phal. platyrhynchus, Temminck. 



The Coot-footed Stint. 

 Descr. — In winter plumage, the forehead and crown white ; 

 occiput, ear-coverts, and a streak down the nape of the neck, 

 dusky grey ; back, scapulars, and rump, bluish-ashy, with the 

 shafts dusky, some of the scapulars edged with white ; wing- 

 coverts tipped with white, forming a transverse bar on the wing ; 

 tail dusky grey, the feathers edged with cinereous ; throat, sides 

 of the neck, middle of the breast, and all the under parts pure 

 white, the sides of the breast ashy. 



Bill yellowish red at the base, dusky brown at the tip ; irides 

 reddish-yellow ; legs greenish grey. Length 8^ inches ; wing 

 5 ; tail 2\ ; bill at front f ; tarsus \ . 



This species has only been obtained once, I believe, by 

 Mr. Blyth, in the Calcutta market, and is not recorded by any 

 other observer. It chiefly inhabits high Northern latitudes in 

 both Continents, is somewhat rare in England and the South 

 of Europe, and breeds very far North. The eggs of both this 

 and the next species are described as being stone-green, thickly 

 spotted with dark green or black. 



The next species has the bill slender and pointed, and has been 

 separated generically as Lobipes. 



