SQITATAROLA HELVETICA. 
933 
whistle the second syllable having a lower intonation than the first and third. This latter is not so commonly 
Used, and appears to be the call-note of the males to one another when flying apart from the females, and is 
generally uttered when the birds are flying high in the air. The males associate in small parties of three and 
four • and a peculiar phase of flight is then observable. They rise to a great height and dash about in erratic 
curves, or diving down impetuously, rapidly rise again; they then remain almost stationary like aTemminck’s 
Stint, raising the wings over the back until they nearly meet, and finally, flying with long Tern-like sweeps of 
the wings utter their musical treble note.” A fine series of eggs in the collection of Mr. Seebohm, which 
I have examined, vary in ground-colour, being olive stone, greyish stone, and yellowish stone-colour, the grey 
eggs having the smallest markings. They are blotched and clouded boldly on the larger half, and chiefly 
round the end, with irregular-edged blotches of blackish sepia, running mostly in a longitudinal direction ; the 
markings are smaller near the minor end, and beneath the dark colouring are smears and traces of bluish 
grey. In shape some are rather pointed and others slightly rounded at the small end. They vary in length 
from 2T5 to T96inch, by from 142 to T41 respectively in breadth. 
Genus CTIAKADEIUS. 
Bill much as in Squatarola, tip not so elevated, and gonys less pronounced. Wings and 
tail as in that genus. Legs and feet moderate ; toes furnished with a narrow lateral membrane, 
as in the last ; outer toe united at the base to the middle ; hind toe wanting ; claws straight 
and concave. 
