RECURVIROSTEIN^. 25? 



linear lower down and on the sides and flanks, forming interrupted 

 lines ; abdomen and under tail-covevts white ; upper back, scapulars 

 and tertials ashy brown, the feathers dark shafted ; the tertials reach 

 beyond the fourth quill, and are edged and tipped with fulvous white; 

 primaries dark hrown, nearly hlach, paler on their inner webs, and all 

 white shafted, e£cept at their tips ; secondaries ashy grey, white-shafted 

 and margined and tipped with white; greater, median and lesser coverts 

 ashy grey, the feathers dark-shafted and edged and tipped with white, 

 more broadly on the median and lesser wing-coverts ; first two rows of 

 feathers on the shoulder earthy brown, edged rufescent; axillaries and 

 thigh-coverts white; lower back and rump dusky brown, the feathers 

 edged and tipped with white ; upper tail-coverts the same, but the brown 

 very much paler ; tail pale earthy brown, the feathers with distinct pale 

 margins and tips, the central feathers very slightly darker ; tarsi short, 

 1"37 inches ; toes slender, fringed on the sides and webbed about | 

 inch; mid-toe and claw 1'12; tail from vent 2-62 ; bill at front 1' 62 > 

 upper mandible slightly the longer and bent over at the tip ; wing 

 7'12, 1st quill longest; irides dark brown. 



Length. — About 11'5 inches (mounted specimen); legs and feet 

 greenish yellow. This is either a new species or an aberrant from of 

 Totanus. It is quite unlike any of the other species, except Totanus 

 Haughtoni with the figure of which in the April number of the Ibis, 

 1883, pi. iv, it agrees in a few characters. The markings of the breast 

 and upper parts agree very well, but the lower back, rump and upper 

 tail-coverts are not white as in that species or form. These are dusky 

 with whitish edges and tips. Again in the webbing of the toes, this 

 Kurrachee specimen difiers from T. Haughtoni in having only one-eighth 

 inch of a web, the fringe however is quite apparent. The palatal 

 recurved horny papillae referred to by Mr. Hume are also present. 



In measurements however there is a wide difference. Mr. Hume 

 gives : — 



Length. Expanse. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill at Gape. Bill at front. 



Male 13-2 22-25 7-3 8-0 1-85 2-5 2-1 



Females ... 12- 9 22- 3 7" 3- 1-65 2- 2 1-92 

 The Kurrachee specimen is a female and measures — 



11- 5 7-12 2-62 1-37 1-75 1-62 



These measurements it will be seen will not fit any of the other 

 species of the genus- 



Hal). — Kurrachee (Sind) in the harbour during winter. This single 

 specimen was obtained in November 1882. 



Sub-Family RECUEVIROSTRIN^.— J5|). 



Nostrils narrow, membranous ; tail short and rounded ; tarsi long, 

 covered with reticulated scales ; bill long and slender, recurved in one 

 genus. 



33 z 



