LITTLE SANDPIPER. 229 



Male in Summer. — The bill and feet black. The upper 

 part of the head variegated with brownish black and yellow- 

 ish-red, the margins of the feathers being of the latter colour. 

 The feathers of the back and the scapulars, are similarly 

 marked, the latter margined with brighter red; the middle 

 tail-coverts and tail-feathers brownish-black, margined with 

 light red ; the lateral tail-coverts white, with a medial dusky 

 streak, the other tail-feathers grey, edged with white. The 

 sides of the head and neck are reddish-grey, streaked Avith 

 brown ; the throat white ; the loral band dusky, the streak 

 over the eye whitish. Extending across the lower part of the 

 fore neck in front is a broad band of reddish-grey, streaked 

 with brown. The breast and other lower parts are white. 



Female in Summer. — Like the male. 



Habits. — This species, which some have supposed to 

 breed in the Arctic regions, occurs in autumn, winter, and 

 spring, chiefly on the margins of rivers and lakes, in Ger- 

 many, France, and Switzerland. In the early part of autumn, 

 it is seen, according to M. Temminck, in great numbers, in 

 the salt marshes of Dalmatia. From its not having been 

 found in North America, nor on the north-western coasts of 

 Europe, w T hile it appears to be not uncommon in Italy, and 

 has been procured in India, some have supposed its summer 

 residence to be more probably in the eastern parts of Europe, 

 and in northern Asia. It is, however, as reasonable to suppose 

 that the small flocks seen on the coasts in early autumn may 

 have come from the interior, perhaps no great distance. As 

 the Dunlin breeds extensively on our heaths, the Little Sand- 

 pipers seen on the southern coasts of England may be purely 

 indicolous. However, as yet nothing appears to be known 

 respecting the breeding of this species. Mr. Jenyns, and after 

 him, Mr. Gould, describe the egg as an inch and a twelfth in 

 length, nine-twelfths in breadth, reddish-white, spotted and 

 speckled with dark reddish-brown. Although so many 

 specimens have been obtained along the southern and eastern 

 coasts of England, as to induce us to suppose that it may be 

 not very uncommon on our northern shores, it being found in 



