288 
ORNITHOLOGY. 
hibited more or less of the rich colouring of the breeding 
season^ but the males had quite lost their ruffs. 
882. Tringa subarquata (Gmel.). 
This species was common in the marshes in the imme- 
diate neighbourhood of Yarkand. Specimens obtained at 
the close of August were in a transitional stage between 
the breeding and winter plumage. I measured several in 
the flesh, which gave the following dimensions for males 
shot in Yarkand. — Length 8*5 to 8*75 ; expanse 15 25 
to 16'5; tail_, 2*25 ; feet, greatest length, 1*38; greatest 
breadth, 1*5 ; wings when closed exceed the tail by 0*25 ; 
bill black, legs and feet plumbeous black ; irides dark 
brown. The Turki name of both this species and the Ruff 
is said to be Kugnak, which very probably will turn out to 
mean long nose," and to be generally applicable to all 
Snipes, Snippets, et id genus omne. [G. H.'\ 
This species is in India at any rate continually con- 
founded with T. cinclus, but the latter is with us, an inland 
bird, rarely found near the sea, whereas the present species, 
as far as I have been able to ascertain, never occurs in 
Hindustan except as quite a straggler at a distance of more 
than from one to two hundred miles from the coast. Dr. 
Jerdon tells us that this species is common in the north of 
India generally, whereas neither I myself, nor any of my 
numerous coadjutors, have ever obtained it in the N. W. 
Provinces, Oudh, the Central Provinces, Rajputana or the 
Panjab. On the other hand he tells us that T. cinclus is a 
rare visitant to India, whereas it swarms by myriads (I have 
killed a score at a single shot), during the cold season along 
the banks of all the large rivers of Upper India, especially 
where any bed of kunkar, or rock cropping up affords a 
cluster of stones to scamper about. As regards the diffe- 
rence between the two species, Schlegel says correctly that 
T. subarquata differs in its less rounded, almost square tail, in 
its longer tarsi, somewhat larger size, more compressed and 
slender bill, which is also usually longer, and always some- 
what curved towards the base, and notably in its breeding 
plumage, which lacks the black of the breast, it having at 
