6 1 6 Charddrius minor taken in Sussex. 



radrius minor. My friend, Mr. Yarrell, at once pronounced 

 it to be so ; and no person at all conversant with ornithology 

 could possibly confound it with either C. Hiaticula or C. can- 

 tianus. I have now the bird before me, together with a com- 

 mon ring-plover of the same age, and the difference is very 

 obvious. The much smaller size of the bird *, the far slenderer 

 bill and tarsi, and the very small foot, at once distinguish it 

 from the latter species, independently of what I believe to be 

 an invariable distinctive character, in the young at least ; viz., 

 the exterior feather of the tail : in the young and adult Cha- 

 radrius minor, it is "white, with a large blackish spot on the in- 

 terior web: in the young C. Hiaticula, invariably pure white ; 

 and in all the adults I have seen this character holds good. 

 I have this day examined several specimens, and not one has 

 the least trace of a spot on this feather ; and, on turning to the 

 appendix to Parry's Voyage, I find it stated that this feather 

 was pure white in all the specimens obtained. 



I have compared two Continental specimens of C. minor, 

 with my bird, and they perfectly agree in the tail, bill, tarsi, 

 &c, the only difference arising from age, these being adult 

 specimens. 



I will now subjoin Wagler's and Temminck's description, 

 as far as necessary. 



" Charadrius minor. Rostro toto nigro, pedibus flavis, 

 remigibus fuliginosis, scapo prima? albo, caeterarum fusco : — 

 vertice, occipite, dorso toto, scapularibus alarumque tectricibus 

 omnibus fusco-cinereis, rectricibus utrinque duobus extremis 

 albis nisiintus medio fasciola nigricante." " Juv. horn. Remi- 

 gum rectricumque pictura eadem ac adulto." C. Hiaticula. Juv. 

 rectrice utrinque extima tota alba." (Wagler, Sy sterna Avium.) 

 " Charadrius minor. — Bee entierement noir, pieds jaunes," 

 &c. U Occiput, et ioutes les parties superieures, d'un brun cendre : 

 les deux pennes exterieures de la queue blanches, mais por- 

 tant une bande noire sur la barbe interieure." (Temminck, 

 Manuel d' Ornithologie.) From the above extracts, Mr. Strick- 

 land will see that C. minor has not a white rump ; and I may 

 add, in confirmation, that the rumps of the two adults I have 

 precisely agree with the same part of C. Hiaticula, and that 

 no specific distinction can be drawn from it. 



I also hope that what I have now said will convince Mr. 

 Strickland, that my bird is a specimen of Charadrius minor ; 

 that it, occasionally at least, visits this country ; and that I am 



* The length of the young Charadrius Hiaticula is 7f in., the middle toe 

 |- of an inch long. The young C. minor only measures 6^ in., and the 

 middle toe | of an inch; yet the bird is full-grown, as the tail, &c, are quite 

 perfect. 



