The only notice of the occurrence of the Vega gull in the Philippine Islands, appears to be the record by Hartlaub. Order CHARADRIIFORMES. SHORE-BIRDS AND WADERS. Wings long, flat, and pointed, with narrow, rapidly graduated primaries; inner secondaries long; tail usually quite short; rarely forked (Glareola) or greatly elongated (Parridæ); legs generally long and slender, sometimes extremely so; toes short except in Parridæ, either semipalmate or cleft to the base; lobate in Phalaropodinæ; bill slender, compressed, and covered with soft skin, rarely hard throughout (Arenaria). Members of this order live on the ground in open places, usually near water and many of the species assemble in flocks during the winter months. Eggs three or four, highly colored and much spotted, usually pyriform. The nest, with rare exceptions, is a slight hollow in the ground. The young are downy and able to run within a few hours after leaving the egg. This order includes the sandpipers, plovers, snipes, Acurlews, and their allies. [13] Suborders. a1. Tail nearly square, never forked; toes and claws not greatly lengthened. b1. Smaller, wing less than 230 mm.; bill small and short or greatly lengthened but never heavy. ... Charadrii (p. 99) b2. Larger; wing more than 250 mm.; bill moderate in length but powerful; tarsus covered with hexagonal scales. ... Oedicnemi (p. 154) a2. Tail forked, or else the claws very long. b1. Tail forked; gape deeply cleft; claws normal in length. ... Cursorii (p. 152) b2. Tail not forked, but with two or more lengthened feathers; gape normal; claws extremely long and slender; a sharp spur at bend of wing. ... Parræ (p. 150) Suborder CHARADRII. Family CHARADRIIDÆ. Bill slender, in some very long, straight, occasionally gently curved; tail short and nearly square; legs moderately long to very long; plumage (except in Rostratula) white, gray, and brown, occasionally black and reddish. This family includes all the stilts, curlews, godwits, snipes, sandpipers, and plovers. Subfamilies. a1. Toes not laterally scalloped; no serrated edge on back of tarsus. b1. Tarsus more than twice as long as middle toe with claw; naked portion of thigh much longer than middle toe with claw. ... Himantopodinæ (p. 113) b2. Tarsus less than twice as long as middle toe with claw; naked portion of thigh much shorter than middle toe with claw. c1. Culmen with a decided dertrum or arched swelling at tip; tarsus reticulate behind. d1. A small fleshy wattle in front of eye; front of tarsus covered with large transverse scales. ... Lobivanellinæ (p. 101) d2. No eye wattle present; tarsus covered with small hexagonal scales. ... Charadriinæ (p. 102) c2. Culmen without a dertrum at tip.