GAVia: 421 



Moreover, it is believed that the male undertakes the duty of incu- 

 bation, though I have not met with any definite statement in regard 

 to this matter, so far as South African birds are concerned. 



Layard found this bird breeding in marshy ground close to Cape 

 Town, and describes the eggs as like those of the Ethiopian Snipe 

 but with yellower ground and with more defined, darker markings 

 all of one shade. Andersson found it breeding near Ondonga, in 

 Damaraland ; he states that it makes no nest, but that the eggs, 

 three or four in number are laid near water. Gates gives the 

 dimensions as 1-5 to 1-29 x 1'05 x 0-89. 



Mr. Lawrence informs me that this Snipe breeds in Lady Grey, in 

 the north-east of the Colony in January, making no nest, but deposit- 

 ing its eggs, four to five in number, among stones or on gravel. 



There are no eggs of this species in the South African Museum, 

 nor does the bird, so far as I am aware, still breed close to Cape 

 Town. 



Order XVII. GAYIiE. 



The members of this order, which includes the Gulls, Terns, 

 Skimmers and Skuas, are undoubtedly closely allied to the Limicolcs , 

 from which indeed they can hardly be separated, so far as anatomical 

 characters are concerned. 



They are all birds of moderate size with moderate-sized bills 

 and long wings bearing eleven primaries, the first being minute ; 

 the rectrices are twelve in number and the feet have the three front 

 toes webbed, generally completely ; a small hind toe not connected 

 with the others and jointed at a higher level than the others, is 

 generally present. 



The skull is schizognathous and schizorhinal ; there are no 

 basipterygoid processes ; cervical vertebrae fifteen in number ; the 

 fifth cubital remex absent and the' contour feathers with an after- 

 shaft ; oil gland tufted ; two carotids ; caeca present, but very small 

 in some families. 



There is a good deal of disagreement among authors as to the 

 classification of this order ; perhaps the simplest and most satisfac- 

 tory solution is to divide it into four families, containing the Gulls, 

 Terns, Skimmers and Skuas respectively, though the distinctions 

 between the first two are not of such importance as those between 

 the others. 



