SQUATAROLA HELVETICA. 933 



whistle, the second syllable having a lower intonation than the first and third. This latter is not so commonly 

 used, and appeal's to be the call-note of the males to one another when flying apart from the females, and is 

 generally uttered when the birds are flying high in the air. The males associate in small parties of three and 

 four ; and a peculiar phase of flight is then observable. They rise to a great height and dash about in erratic 

 curves, or diving down impetuously, rapidly rise again; they then remain almost stationary like aTemminck's 

 Stint, raising the wings over the back until they nearly meet, and finally, flying with long Tern-like sweeps of 

 the wings, utter their musical treble note." A fine series of eggs in the collection of Mr. Seebohm, which 

 I have examined, vary in ground-colour, being olive stone, greyish stone, and yellowish stone-colour, the grey 

 eggs having the smallest markings. They are blotched and clouded boldly on the larger half, and chiefly 

 round the end, with irregular-edged blotches of blackish sepia, running mostly in a longitudinal direction ; the 

 markings are smaller near the minor end, and beneath the dark colouring are smears and traces of bluish 

 grey. In shape some are rather pointed and others slightly rounded at the small end. They vary in length 

 from 2 - 15 to l - 96inch, by from 1"42 to 1 - 41 respectively in breadth. 



Genus CHARADEIUS. 

 Bill much as in Sguatarola, tip not so elevated, and gonys less pronounced. Wings and 

 tail as in that genus. Legs and feet moderate ; toes furnished with a narrow lateral membrane, 

 as in the last ; outer toe united at the base to the middle ; hind toe wanting ; claws straight 

 and concave. 



6d2 



