SCOLOPACINiE. MACRORHAMPHUS. 99 
ish. Legs short ; tibia bare for a very short space ; tar- 
sus short, anteriorly scutellate ; toes four, the first very 
small and elevated ; the anterior toes long, slender, scu- 
tellate, the fourth little longer than the second, the third 
much longer ; claws slender, little arched, acute. Plu- 
mage moderately compact ; wings long, pointed, of 
twenty-five quills, of which the first is generally longest, 
the inner secondaries much elongated ; tail short, of 
twelve or more narrow feathers. 
These birds reside in marshy places, in which they 
search for food by thrusting their delicately sentient hills 
into the mud or soft ground, and apparently sucking in 
the worms and larvse with which they come in contact. 
They are true probers, never feeding in any other man- 
ner, and differ from the birds of the other families in 
leading a skulking sort of life, being generally concealed 
among the herbage, seldom or never uttering cries unless 
when on wing, and crouching when apprehensive of dan- 
ger, in which circumstances they differ from all the 
Tringinse and Totaninse. They walk well, but run little, 
have a rapid flight, alight abruptly, utter harsh shrill 
cries ; nestle on the ground, and lay four very large, py- 
riform, spotted eggs. The young, covered with thick 
variegated down, run from the first, and squat to conceal 
themselves. The plumage of the adults is variegated 
with tints of brown, red, and dusky. The females are 
larger than the males. Species of this family occur in 
marshy places in all parts of the globe. In Britain, one 
is permanently resident, two common in winter, and four 
more have been met with as stragglers. 
GENUS CYI. MACRORHAMPHUS. LONGBEAK. 
This germs, scarcely distinguishable from the next, con- 
tains only a single species, of which the generic characters 
may be thus briefly given. Body ovate, compact ; neck of 
