290 SANDERLING SANDPIPER. 



larger, and on the scapulars disposed in bars; the tips of most of the feathers 

 greyish-white, the wings and tail are as in winter. 



Mouth extremely narrow, its width only 2 twelfths. Palate moderately 

 concave, as in the Snipes, with two series of reversed papillae. Tongue 11 

 twelfths long, slender, tapering, concave above, horny toward the end. 

 (Esophagus 3 inches 2 twelfths long, 2 twelfths wide; proventriculus 3 

 twelfths in breadth. Stomach large, roundish, oblique, 10 twelfths long, 9 

 twelfths in breadth; its lateral muscles large; the epithelium dense, longi- 

 tudinally rugous, and of a reddish colour. Contents of stomach remains of 

 insects and sand. Intestine 9f inches long, its width 2\ twelfths; cceca 1 

 inch 1 twelfth long, 1^ twelfths in width, their distance from the extremity 

 li inches; rectum slightly dilated at the end. Trachea 2j inches long, its 

 breadth 2 twelfths, much flattened; the rings very narrow, unossified, 130 

 in number. Bronchial half rings about 15. Muscles as in other genera of 

 this family. 



Genus II.— PHALAROPUS, Briss. PHALAROPE. 



Bill scarcely longer than the head, straight, slender, at the base somewhat 

 cylindrical, toward the end broader and flattened, the tips narrowed; upper 

 mandible with the dorsal line straight, excepting at the end, where it is a 

 little decurved, the ridge convex, flattened at the broad part, the sides 

 slightly sloping, the edges rounded, and near the tip inflected; nasal groove 

 linear, extending to near the tip; lower mandible with the angle very long 

 and narrow, the sides convex and sloping outwards, the tip narrowed. Nos- 

 trils basal, linear-elliptical. Head small, with the fore part high and round- 

 ed; neck of moderate length; body rather full. Feet rather short, slender; 

 tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus much compressed, narrowed 

 before and behind, covered anteriorly with numerous scutella; toes very 

 slender, first extremely small, free, with a slight membrane beneath; second 

 shorter than the fourth; third toe much longer, all scutellate above, the 

 anterior margined on both sides with lobed and pectinated membranes, 

 which are united at the base, so as to render the foot nearly half-webbed, the 

 outer web much longer than the inner. Claws very small, compressed, 



