198 
TOTANCS. 
In the next genus, some of the species are of com- 
paratively small size, and resemble the true sand- 
pipers or tringse ; the typical birds, however, are 
equal in size to the snipes, and stand higher 
upon their legs, have the bill hard at the tip, and 
seek their food without boring for it among the 
soft mud or sand ; they are more fluviatile or 
lacustrine in their habits, most of them frequent- 
ing the sea coasts less frequently ; the seasonal 
changes of plumage are less marked in many than 
in Limosa, but in some it is as complete, the 
colour in summer being black or very deep grey, 
instead of red and chestnut, changing in winter 
to pale clear shades of grey. 
Totanus, Bechstein . — Generic characters. — Bill 
of mean length, sometimes slightly bending 
upwards, rather slender, rounded, the tip of 
the mandible bending over that of the max- 
illa, hard and sharp pointed ; legs long, slen- 
der, naked above the tarsal joint ; the toes, in 
front, connected witha slight basalmembrane; 
wings rather long ; scapulars elongated. 
Types, T. fuscus, glottis, hijpoleucus, macularius, 
&c. 
Note. — Cosmopolite (N. H. excepted?) Breed 
in marshes, habits more lacustrine than ma- 
ritime, plumage in some undergoing a sea- 
sonal change. 
