Genus — L I M 0 S A . 
Limosa Schaeffer, Mus. Ornith., p. 52, 1789 
Limicula Vieillot, Analyse nouv. Ornith., p. 56, 1816 
Gamhetta Koch, Syst. baier. ZooL, pp. xlii., 307, 1816 
Fedoa Stephens, in Shaw’s Gen. Zool., Vol. XII., pt. i., 
p. 70, 1824 
Actites Billberg, Synops. Faunae Scand., Vol. I., pt. 2, 
tab. A, and page 153, 1828 
Type L. limosa. 
Type L. liinosa. 
Type L. li^nosa. 
Type L. fedoa. 
Type L. limosa. 
Large Scolopacine Wading-birds with very long straight bills, long wings, 
very long legs, and long toes. 
The cuhnen is very long and straight but with a faint upward tendency 
towards the tip ; the tip is slightly expanded and projects beyond the lower 
mandible but it is not curved down over the latter. A slight vertical com- 
pression is noticeable towards the tip of the upper mandible. Nostrils are 
hnear and placed near the base of the culmen, in a groove which extends the 
length of the bill until stopped by the expanded tip. In the lower mandible 
a similar groove is observed, quite as distinct as that in the upper, while the 
tip is similarly expanded. The culmen is longer than the tail or tarsus. 
Wings long with j&rst primary longest. Tail rounded or almost square, 
longer than the tarsus but less than half the length of the wing. The legs 
are very long ; the exposed portion of the tibia being longer than the middle 
toe ; the metatarsus is very long, being more than one third the length of 
the wing and more than twice that of the middle toe ; it is regularly scutel- 
lated both before and behind. The outer and middle toes are connected 
by a web at the base, but only the indication of a web exists between the 
middle and inner one. Hind toe long. The claw of the middle toe is 
pecuhar, being very long. Unear, fragile, and strongly pectinate ; it is more 
than one-fourth and almost one-third the length of the middle toe. 
The preceding diagnosis covers Limosa limosa (Linne) but is not appUcable 
to Scolopax lapponica Linne, which has been considered by most writers 
absolutely congeneric. While these Scolopacine Wading-birds have been 
much sub-divided, especially as regards the smaUer forms, these two have 
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