328 
THE SEMIPALMATED SNIPE, OR WILLET. 
wards convex, the edges broad and flattened, the breadth of the mandible a 
little increased towards the point, which is narrowed, slightly deflected and 
obtuse. Nostrils sub-basal, linear, pervious, nearer the edge than the dorsal 
line. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow and medial, beyond it 
the outline slightly ascending and straight, sides grooved as far as the angle, 
and convex, the edges broad and flat, the point narrow and slightly incurved 
Head small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck rather long, slender. Body 
slender. Feet long and slender; tibia bare for nearly half its length, scutel- 
late before and behind; tarsus long, slender, covered before and behind with 
numerous scutella, the narrow lateral spaces with extremely small oblong 
scales. Toes small, slender, scutellate above, flat beneath, marginate, the 
anterior toes connected by basal membranes, which extend along their sides, 
the outer membrane larger than the inner; first toe extremely small, second 
and fourth about equal, third little longer. Claws small, compressed, 
slightly arched, obtuse, that of third toe with a dilated inner edge. 
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short, on 
the neck short and very soft. Wings long, very acute, narrow; primaries 
tapering and rounded, the first longest, the second little shorter, the rest 
rapidly graduated ; secondaries obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and 
tapering. Tail short, of twelve narrow, rounded feathers, the two middle 
ones a little longer than the rest. 
Bill light blue, dusky towards the end. Iris brown. Feet light blue; 
claws black. Head and neck brownish-grey, streaked with blackish-brown; 
the throat, and a band from the bill over the eye, white. Fore part of back 
and scapulars brownish-grey, variegated with central markings and bars of 
blackish-brown ; the hind part of the back brownish-grey, with a gloss of 
olive. Wing-coverts grey, with central lines of brownish-black; primary 
coverts and primary quills brownish-black, but the latter white in their basal 
half ; outer secondaries white, inner like the scapulars. Lower wing-coverts 
dusky; breast and sides white, the latter undulatingly barred with brownish- 
black; abdomen and lower and upper tail-coverts white, some of them, how- 
ever, with a few dusky bars. The four middle tail-feathers are barred with 
brownish-black and brownish-grey, the rest pale grey fading to white on 
the outer, and all more or less minutely mottled with pale brown. 
Length to end of tail 15J inches, to end of wings 15, to end of claws 
17 £; extent of wings 271; wing from flexure 81; tail SfV ; bill along the back 
2J, along the edge of lower mandible 2 T V ; tarsus 2^ ; middle toe l/ 5 , its 
claw 1. Weight 7 oz. 
Adult Female in winter. 
In winter the upper parts are light brownish-grey, the fore part of the 
neck and the sides of the same colour but paler ; the throat, breast, abdomen, 
