SCOLOPACIDiE — THE SNIPE FAMILY — TOTANUS. 
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to the wing ; but the bill is much thicker, and decidedly recurved terminally, while it is also 
longer in proportion to the tarsus. “ Glottis ” canescens is very much like melcmoleuca, but the 
same characters which separate the latter from flavipes are in this more exaggerated ; the resem- 
blance, however, being much closer between canescens and melcmoleuca than between the latter and 
flavipes. T. calidris (L.) is exactly intermediate in form and proportions between “ Gambetta” 
melanoleuca and flavipes. Rhyacophilus ochropus has the bill only as long as the tarsus, instead of 
very much longer, as in all the foregoing species ; but R. solitarius and R. glareola have it shorter, 
the latter species (the type of Rhyacophilus) differing from the typical species of Totanus {stagnatilis 
and flavipes) in the longer toes, the middle toe very nearly equalling the bill in length. Upon the 
whole the Wood Sandpipers ( Rhyacophilus ) and the Redshank ( Erythroscelus fuscus ) seem suffi- 
ciently different from the species of Totanus to warrant their generic separation, the following 
being the chief distinctive characters : — 
Totanus. Middle toe not more than half as long as the tarsus ; bill decidedly shorter than 
tarsus : 1. T. stagnatilis; 2. T. flavipes ; 3. T. calidris ; 4. T. melanoleucus ; 5. T. glottis. 
Rhyacophilus. Middle toe nearly or quite as long as the tarsus : 1. R. glareola ; 2. R. soli- 
tarius ; 3. R. ochropus. 
Erythroscelus. Middle toe about half the tarsus ; bill longer than tarsus. Lower parts 
dusky in adult : 1. E. f uscus. 
Synopsis of the American Species. 
The three American species of Totanus may be distinguished as follows, one of them being a 
mere straggler from Europe : — 
A. Size large (wing more than 7 inches) ; terminal half of bill slightly recurved. 
1. T. nebularius. Entire rump, upper tail-coverts, and lower parts, pure white, without 
markings on the crissum ; wing-coverts unspotted. Wing, 7.00-7.80 ; culmen, 2.15-2.20; 
tarsus, 2.25-2.65 ; middle toe, 1.12-1.30. Hah. Europe ; accidental in Florida! 
2. T. melanoleucus. Rump mottled dusky ; upper tail-coverts white, barred with dusky ; 
wing-coverts spotted with white ; sides, flanks, and lower tail-coverts irregularly barred 
with dusky. Wing, 7.40-8.00 ; culmen, 2.05-2.40 ; tarsus, 2.35-2.70 ; middle toe, 1.25- 
1.50. Hub. North America ; Central and South America and West Indies in winter. 
B. Size small (wing less than 7 inches) ; bill slender, not recurved terminally. 
3. T. flavipes. Colors of T. melanoleucus. Wing, 6.10-6.65; culmen, 1.30-1.55; tarsus, 
2.00-2.15; middle toe, 1.00-1.15. Hah. North America, breeding northward; Central 
and South America and West Indies in winter. 
Totanus nebularius. 
THE GREENSHANK. 
Scolopax nebularius, Gunnerus, in Leem, Lapp. Beschr. 1767, 251. 
Scolopax glottis, Lath. Synop. Suppl. 1787, 292 (nec Linn.). 
Totanus glottis, Bf.chst. Rating. Deutschl. IV. 1789-1795, 249. — Keys. & Blas. Wirb. Ear. 1831, 
72. — Schleg. Rev. Crit. 92. — Gray, Gen. B. III. 1849, 573 ; Cat. Brit. B. 1863, 160. — Aud. 
Orn. Biog. III. 1835, 483, pi. 269 ; Synop. 1839, 244 ; B. Am. V. 1842, 321, pi. 346. — Ridgw. 
Nom. N. Ain. B. 1881, no. 547. — Coues, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 635. 
Scolopax canescens, Gmel. S. N. I. 1788, 668. 
“ Glottis canescens, Strickl.” (Gray). 
Scolopax totanus, Linn. S N. ed. 12, I. 1766, 245 (nec ed. 10, 1758). 
Limosa totanus, Pall. Zoogr. Rosso-As. IT. 1831, 183. 
Totanus fistula, ns, Beciist. Naturg. IV. 1809, 241. 
Totanus griseus, Bechst. t.c. 231. 
Glottis chloropus, Nilss. Orn. Suee. II. 1817-1821, 57. — Bonap. Comp. List, 1838, 51. — Macgill. 
Man. II. 91. 
Totanus chloropus, Meyer & Wolf, Taschb. Vog. Deutschl. II. 1810, 371. —Coues, Key, 1872, 
259 ; Check List, 1873, no. 434. 
