251 
HIMANTOPUS. 
These appear to be an enumeration of all the 
species of true Tringa now known to frequent suit- 
able localities in the British Islands, or to be met 
with as occasional stragglers along their shores ; 
many parts of their history are yet incomplete, to- 
gether with their range of distribution, and both are 
worthy of the attention of our ornithologists. The 
remarkable bird which we place nest, has an alliance 
with the Scolopacidce, sufficient, by preference, to 
place it among them, particularly by its resemblance 
to the Totani and Tringce, both in form and habits, 
and leading, by means of a curious New Holland 
bird figured by Mr. Gould, to the Ayosets, it assists 
to form one point of connexion between the Gralla- 
tores and truly aquatic birds. 
Himantoi'us, Briss Generic characters . — Bill 
long, slender, round, drawn to a fine point; 
tip of the mandible slightly bending oyer that 
of the maxilla (bill sometimes 'slightly turned 
upwards) ; nostrils linear, elongated, removed 
from the base ; wings very long and pointed ; 
tibiae and tarsi very long and slender, the for- 
mer naked for the greater part of their whole 
length ; feet proportionally small, three toes, 
outer and middle connected by a broad mem- 
brane, which diminishes between the middle 
and inner; claws small, inner edges dilated. 
Types, IF. nielanopterus, leucocephalus, &c. — 
Cosmopolite. 
