PSF.UDOTOTANUS GUTTIFER (NORDM.). ±20 



should have escaped detection, as it by no means could be regarded as 

 a form of restricted local occurence, I, as a last refuge went through 

 all the Synonyms of Totanine birds given in the «Hand list». In going 

 through the synonymy of Terekia cinerea I was Struck by the suggestive 

 name guttifera Nordm. 



A specimen of Terekia cinerea was just laying on the table before 

 me, but a glance at its dark uropygium, the gray neck slightly streaked 

 with dusky, its whole coloration and small size as compared with the 

 white rump and lower back, rounded black spots on the breast, the 

 blackish coloration of the upper parts and the much superior size of my 

 bird, which is nearly as large as Totanus nebularius (Gunn.) (= glottis 

 Bechst.), made the idea of a confusion of these two species appear so 

 absurd, that I proceeded further on through the list. As I did not succeed 

 in finding what I looked for, I once more returned to Terekia cinerea 

 and its synonym guttifera. The latter name seemed to me so inappro- 

 priate to the Terek Sandpiper, that I sent to the library for Erman's 

 « Natur-historischer Atlas», although I did it more in order to con- 

 vincemyself, than with the hope of finding the original description of 

 my bird. 



Nevertheless, v. Nordmami's description proved to belong to it ! 

 It was my good luck to revive this very distinct and interesting form (so 

 distinct that it constitutes the type of a well defined genus) after having 

 been forgotten, almost completely for 49 years ! 



As already indicated, its resemblence to Terekia is so slight, that 

 no further comparison is needed. In general style it somewhat resembles 

 Totanus nebularius (T. glottis Bcchst.) and if specimens have been col- 

 lectedsince Erman's time, they have, in all probability, been confounded 

 with the latter species. A closer comparison will soon show liow 

 different they are. 



1. In T. nebularius only ther outer toe is united with the middle 

 one by a membrane ; in Ps. guttifer both the outer and the inner toes 

 are united with the middle one by large webs. 



2. In T. nebularius the tarsus is longer than the exposed culmen 

 while in guttifer the tarsus is shorter than the culmen. 



3. In T. nebularius the naked part of tibia is equal in leogth to the 

 middle toe without claw; in Ps. guttifer it is much shorter, scarcely ex- 

 ceeding the two basal joints of the middle toe. 



Zeitschrift f. Ornithologie. 



