ASH-COLOURED SANDPIPER. 187 



The bill is greyish-black, the margins at the base reddish. 

 The feet are greyish-blue, the tarsal-joint and soles green ; 

 the claws black. The upper part of the head, a band from 

 the bill to the eye, the hind-neck, the fore part of the back, 

 the scapulars, and wing-coverts, ash-grey ; the central part 

 of each feather . dark-grey, on the scapulars, back and neck 

 reduced to a mere line. The hind part of the back, and the 

 upper tail-coverts are white, with curved bands of black. The 

 primary coverts and quills are greyish-black ; the secondaries 

 gradually fading to grey ; the shafts of the quills and the tips 

 of the larger coverts Avhite. The tail is light ash-grey. The 

 lower parts are white ; the cheeks and fore-neck greyish, and 

 marked with small dark-grey lines ; the fore part of the 

 breast and the sides with undulated bands. 



Length to end of tail 10^ inches ; extent of wings 20 ; 

 bill along the ridge ljV, along the edge of lower mandible 

 1^- ; wing from flexure 6 -p-j ; tail 2\^ ; tarsus lyV ; first toe 

 ■^j, its claw -yV ; second toe -j^-, its claw -fa ; third toe J-g-, its 

 claw -j3j ; fourth toe -fe, its claw -j^-. 



Female. — The female is similar, but much larger. 



Length to end of tail 10} £ inches; extent of wings 22; 

 bill along the ridge 1 , 5 2 , along the edge of lower mandible 

 lfV; wing from flexure 6f ; tail 2f ; bare part of tibia -fe; 

 tarsus 1-fry ; first toe -fV, its claw -^ ; second toe y^, its claw -^ ; 

 third toe -f|, its claw yV ; fourth toe -j^, its claw yV- 



Variations. — I have not observed any remarkable varia- 

 tions in the winter plumage of adult individuals. 



Changes of Plumage. — Excepting the quills and tail- 

 feathers, the whole plumage is renewed in spring, when the 

 colouring becomes entirely altered. The ordinary moult 

 commences in August, and is complete by the middle of 

 November. 



Adult in Summer. — Not having at hand a British speci- 

 men at this season, I take the following description from one 

 obtained in the Arctic regions by the surgeon of a whaler : — 



