STMPHEMIA. 371 



SYMPHEMIA. 



Symphemia, Eafin. Journ. de Phys. kxxviii. p. 417 (1819) ; Sharpe^ Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. 

 p. 405 (1896). 



Symphemia belongs to the group of Sandpipers known as Tattlers (Totanus and the 

 allied genera). All these birds have a longer tarsus than the more typical and shorter- 

 billed Sandpipers, such as Bartramia, Pavoncella, Tringoides, &c. The bill is slightly 

 decurved at the tip, and the legs are rather long, the tarsus being longer than the 

 middle toe and claw. The genus is distinguished from its allies by having the outer 

 and inner toes joined to the middle one by a web at the base. 



Only a single species is known, S. semipalmata, which breeds in Temperate North 

 America, and visits our region, the Antilles, and the northern coasts of South America 

 in winter. 



1. Symphemia semipalmata. 



Semipalmated Snipe, Penn. Arctic Zool. ii. p. 469, t. 20. fig. 2 \ 



Scolopax semipalmata, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 659 '. 



Symphemia semipalmata, Scl. P.Z. S. 1860, p. 253'; Salv. Ibis, 1865, p. 190'; Ibis, 1866, 



p. 198'; Ibis, 1889, p. 379'; Dresser, Ibis, 1866, p. 37'; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix. 



p. 210'; Mem. Best. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 309'; BuU. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 47'°; 



Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 232 " ; Baird, Brew., & Eidgvr. Water-Birds N. Amer. i. p. 285 '" ; 



A. O. U. Check-1. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 94"; Elliot, N. Amer. Shore-Birds, 



p. 131 "; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 405" ; Gates, Cat. Eggs Brit. Mus. ii. 



p. 41 ". 

 Totanus semipalmatus, Seebohm, Geogr. Distr. Charadr. p. 358 ''. 

 Symphemia semipalmata inomata, Brewster, Auk, iv. p. 145"; A. O. U. Check-I. N. Amer. Birds, 



2Dd ed. p. 95 ". 



Ptil. Mem. Supra cineracea concolor ; tectrieibus minimis fusceseentioribus, medianis et majoribus dilute 

 eineraceis vel sepiariis, albo late marginatis, et fuseo vermiculatis ; remigibus brunneis, basin versus 

 albiSj secundariis albis, his intimis dorso concoloribus ; supracaudalibus albis, longioribus paUide einereis, 

 f usco vermiculatim fasciatis ; rectricibus eineraceis, extimis albis f usco vermiculatim f asciatis ; loris 

 fuscis ; facie lateral! et coUi lateribus paUide eineraceis ; corpore snbtus toto albo, lateribus paUide 

 eineraceis ; subalaribus et axillaribus nigricantibus, margine alari albo : rostro paUide cyaneo, apicem 

 versus fusco ; pedibus pallide cyaneis, unguibus nigris ; iride brunnea. Long, tota circa 14-5, ala S'O, 

 caudae 3'1, culm. 2-5, tarsi 2*45. (Descr. avis adultse ex Tehuantepec. Mus. nostr.) 

 Ptil. cestiv. Supra variegata, cinerea, pauUo vinaceo tincta, plumis medialiter nigris vel uigro transfasciatis ; 

 facie lateral! et gatture albis, minute nigro striolatis ; prsepectore et pectore summo et lateraU rufescenti 

 tinctis, nigricauti-brunneo fasciatis. Long, tota circa 13'0, alae 7'8, culm. 2-3. (Descr. maris adulti ex 

 Brownsville, Texas. Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. North America, breeding throughout its range ^^ i^. — Mexico, Matamoros, Boca 

 Grande {Dresser^), Mazatlan [Grayson^, Bischo^ ^), Presidio, Tres Marias Is. 

 {Forrer ^^), San Bias, Tepic {Eichardson ^^j, San Mateo, Tehuantepec {Sumi- 

 chr ast ^^ 1^), Orizaba {Salle ^), Merida, Yucatan {Schott ^}, Cozumel I. {Gaumer^ ^^) ; 

 Guatemala, Chiapam), San Jose {0. S.'^^ ^^) ; Ho]!irDUR.\s, San Pedro {Whitely ^^). 



47* 



