totanus

[Etym. doubtful; said to be from Ital. totano a squid.] Ornith.: A genus of Scolopacidæ, or, if that family is divided, of Totamne (q. v.), with twelve species universally distributed. Bill slightly curved at tip, groove half the length of the bill; wings with first quill longest; tarsi with very narrow scales in front. Totanus hypoleucus (the Common Sandpiper or Summer Snipe), T. macular i us (the Spotted Sandpiper), T. ochropus (the Green Sandpiper), T. glareola (the Wood Sandpiper), T. cal i dris (the Common Redshank), T.fusc us (the Spotted Redshank), T. flavipes (the Yellow-shanked Sandpiper), and T. glottis (the Greenshank) are the most familiar species.