372 CHAEADEIID^. 



— South Ameeica in winter i^; West Indies i^; Bahama Is. i^, — Incidental in 



EUKOPE ^5. 



Two races of Symphemia are recognized by American ornithologists, an Eastern 

 and a Western. The former, the true S. semipalmata, inhabits Eastern Temperate 

 JSforth America, breeding from Florida to New Jersey i^, while the Western bird, 

 S. inornata of Brewster, is found in Western North America, east to the Mississippi 

 Valley and the Gulf States, breeding from Texas to Manitoba, and found sparingly 

 during migration along the coast of the Southern Atlantic States ^^. Mr. Seebohm i'', 

 however, could not separate these two races, finding intermediate specimens; and 

 Dr. Sharpe agrees with him that only one form can be properly distinguished ^^. 



Grayson says that at Mazatlan the " Willet " is common throughout the entire year, 

 from which we may infer that it breeds in Western Mexico, The species has beeh 

 found in Guatemala in winter, as Salvin procured a specimen at San Jose ^^ and 

 noticed it at Chiapam and in the lagoons of the Pacific coast ^ °. 



S. semipalmata is mostly found in small flocks, and is a shy and wary bird when 

 frequenting the marshes, and in habits appears to be not unlike the Godwits, retiring 

 to fields and open grounds when the tide covers its feeding-places. It may also be 

 noticed on sand-spits, either singly or a few together, not allowing any near approach. 

 In the breeding-season the bird becomes much tamer, and will swoop down on any 

 one who approaches its nest. The latter is a mere depression in a tussock of grass. 

 The eggs (four in number) vary in colour, from pale greyish-green to pale buff or 

 brownish-buff, spotted or blotched \?ith yellowish-brown, umber, or dark chocolate- 

 brown, with some underlying spots of inky purple, the spots being generally more 

 thickly collected round the larger end ^* ^^. 



TOTANUS. 

 Totanus, Bechst. Om. Tasch. ii. p. 282 (1803) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 409 (1896). 



'the true Tattlers have the tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw, as in the 

 preceding genus, but only the outer toe is joined to the middle one by a distinct web, 

 and there is scarcely any indication of a web between the base of the inner and middle 

 toes. The tarsus is longer than the middle toe and claw, being more than one and a 

 half times as long as the toe. The bill, as in Symphemia, is slightly deflected towards 

 the end. 



Members of the genus Totanus are found over the entire globe, nesting in the 

 sub-arctic and temperate areas of both Northern Hemispheres, and travelling south 

 in winter. Two species are peculiar to America, and both of these occur in winter 

 within our limits. 



