322 



ORNITHOLOGY, 



at once from any other species known to us, by its small and slender 

 bill. The legs and feet are, however, strong and fully developed, and 

 the tail unusually long and wide. 



Several specimens in the collection of the Expedition are very simi- 

 lar to each other in their colors and other characters, differing only 

 slightly in the shade of the brown color of the upper parts, and in the 

 greater or less prevalence of the brown spots and bars on the under 

 parts. In dimensions they agree almost exactly. Our description is 

 from the most mature specimens ; in others, the brown spots of the 

 •breast are more numerous, and extend further downwards, but in all, 

 the throat and middle of the abdomen are white, as described above. 



To this bird, Mr. Peale alludes as follows: 



" Found in considerable abundance on Dog Island, one of the Pau- 

 motu Group, on the 21st of August. At that time they had both eggs 

 and young, and were so tame as almost to allow themselves to be 

 taken by hand. They had a plaintive, wailing note, and alighted 

 indiscriminately on bushes or on the ground. Their eggs were Ibund 

 in slight nests, constructed of pieces of broken corals and shells, on the 

 ground, and are large in proportion to the size of the bird, much 

 pointed at one end, and large at the other, of a pale brown ochre-color, 

 spotted with sooty-black. 



" Subsequently, this bird was observed at Raraka, another island of 

 the same group, but was not so plentiful." 



This singular little bird has the bill unusually short and straight, 

 though it otherwise presents the characters of the genus Tringa. It 

 is very probably entitled to a distinct generic or subgeneric designa- 

 tion. Specimens in the collection are in good condition and mature 

 plumage. 



Our plate represents this bird of the natural size, and was prepared 

 from a specimen which we regard as an adult male. 



7. Genus STREPSILAS, lUvjcr, Prodromus, p. 263 (1811). 

 1. Strepsilas interpres [Linn.). — The Turnstone. 



Tringa interpres, LiNN. Syst. Nat, I, p. 248 (17G6). 



Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, Plate LVII, fig. 1 ; Aud. B. of Am. Plate 

 CCCIV; oct. ed. V, Plate CCCXXIII. 



