90 THE BIEDS OF AUSTRALIA 



Breeds on the Tundras, making a depression in the mossy 

 vegetation for its nest. Two eggs are laid, of a dark greyish- 

 olive colour, marked with brownish spots of varying shades, 

 mostly at the larger end; they measure 2.27 x 1.8 inch. 



The Richardson Skua. 



Stercorarius crepidatus. 



Circumpolar and sub-Arctic regions. 



Dnll white at base of bill; forehead ash-brown, crown darker brown; 

 hind neck dull white, shading into ash-brown on the shoulders and 

 thickly streaked with straw-colour; mantle, wing and tail-coverts darker 

 brown; under wing and abdomen ash-brown; breast and chin dull white. 

 Some forms are darker throughout, the underparts being nearly as dark 

 as the mantle. Total length 20 inches; culmen 1.5, wing 13, tail 5 

 without the central pair, tarsus 1.75. 



Builds a slight nest of moss, &c., on the Tundras in Siberia, 

 although fairly plentiful in Port Phillip and round the 

 Tasmanian and Australian coasts. It lays two eggs, which are 

 dark olive, blotched with umber, especially on the larger end. 

 They measure about 2.30 x 1.58 inch. 



Ordee Chabadeiipormes. 

 Family Charadriidce. 



Nostrils schizorhinal : tarsus usually reticulated, sometimes 



scutellated. 



Key to Sub-families. 



Nasal grooves not extending beyond half length of the bill. 

 Bill not swollen at the tip. 



Bill moderate about as long as the toes. 



Toes without web. Arenariina. 



Outer toe connected by web. HsematopodiniB. 



T».n Bill much longer than toes. Himantopodinffi. 



Bill with marked swelhng at the tip. 



Tarsus reticulated behind, scaly in front. LobivanellinsB 



Tarsus reticulated, or with hexagonal scales both 



in front and behind. Charadriinas. 



Tr-rsus transversely scaled both in front and 



behind. Peltohyatins. 



Wasal grooves extending along the greater part of the bill. 



Toes webbed Totanina. 



Toes not webbed. Scolopaoinffi. 



Sub-family Arenariince. 



Genus Arenaria. 



Toes unwebbed, hind toe present. All parts of the world. 



