charadriida:. 



59T 



THE CURLEW-SANDPIPER. 



Tringa subarquata (Giildenstadt). 



This species, which derives its name from the fact that its decurved 

 bill somewhat resembles that of the Curlew, is an annual migrant — 

 in varying numbers — to suitable parts of the coast of Great Britain, 

 especially the estuaries of the east side of Scotland, Northumber- 

 land, the Humber district, Norfolk, Kent, Sussex, Hants, Dorset, and 

 thence westward to Cornwall ; while it may sometimes be found on 

 inland waters. On the west it is decidedly less frequent, and its 

 occurrences in the north of Scotland, the Orkneys and Shetlands, 

 seem to be irregular. The principal influx— chiefly of young birds — 

 takes place in August and September, the journey southward being 

 resumed by the end of October ; but in Ireland the Curlew-Sand- 

 piper has been known to remain in the southern counties until 

 November or even December. On the spring-passage it has been 

 met with as early as March 19th, and birds in the red summer-dress 

 continue to pass northward along the east coast of England till June. 



The Curlew-Sandpiper has not yet been obtained in the Fc^eroes, 

 Iceland, Greenland, or Spitsbergen ; while in Scandinavia and even 

 in Finland it is principally observed on the autumnal migration, being 

 very rare in spring. Although examples had been obtained near 

 Archangel, and also at the mouth of the Petchora and on Kolguev, 

 as well as in nuptial dress on the Yenesei (close to the Arctic circle) on 

 June 15th, yet it was not until July 3rd 1897 that Mr. H. L. Popham 



