5-4. iwYACOPnims. 495 



of brown ; remainder of under surface of body pure white ; sides of 

 upper breast ashy brown ; lateral under tail-coverts with blackisb 

 shaft-streaks aud a few frecklings of black; under wing-coverts white, 

 mottled witb blackish bases to the feathers ; axillaries white, with 

 a few irregular bars and freckles ; lower primary-coverts and quills 

 below dusky brown, with whitish spots on the edges of the inner 

 secondaries : " basal half of bill olive-brown, terminal half black ; 

 legs and feet pale greenish ; claws dark horn-colour ; iris brown " 

 (E. W. Oaten). Total length 8-5 inches, culmen 1-15, wing 4*6, 

 tail 1-85, tarsus 1*4. 



Adult male. Similar to the male : " bill blackish, olive at the base 

 of lower mandible ; feet olive ; iris very dark brown " (E. A. Butler). 

 Total length 8 inches, culmen 1*1, wing 4-9, tail 1/9, tarsus 1*5. 



Adult male in summer plumage. More variegated than in winter, 

 the back being uniform dark brown, with large notches of white on 

 both webs, and having very distinct white edges to the scapulars 

 and inner wing-coverts : the long upper tail-coverts barred with 

 dusky blackish aud resembling the centre tail-feathers ; the head 

 and neck streaked with white ; the sides of the face, lower throat, 

 and fore-neck very distinctly and broadly streaked with blackish- 

 brown centres to the feathers ; the sides of the body and under 

 tail-coverts mottled with cross-bars of blackish brown ; the axillaries 

 also narrowly barred with blackisb brown : " bill blackish olive, 

 below at base lighter brownish olive ; feet light greyish olive ; iris 

 dark brown " (L. Stejneger). Total length 7 inches, culmen 1*3, 

 wing 4-9, tail 1-85, tarsus 1-4. 



Young after first moult. Differs from the adults in being closely 

 spotted on the upper surface, but the spots are more or less rufes- 

 cent ; the lower throat and chest are ashy as in the winter plumage 

 of the adults, but the dusky-brown stripes are very distinct aud 

 are also visible on the sides of the body ; the axillaries are pure 

 white, or with the merest trace of frecklings of brown : " bill dusky 

 brown, inclining to greenish olive towards the base ; feet greenish 

 olive ; iris blackish brown " (E. A. Butler). 



In the breeding season the white spots on the upper surface 

 become much worn and abraded, so that the general appearance of 

 tlic back is very uniform ; the mottling on the fore-neck and chest 

 becomes very distinct by reason of the abrasion of the white margins 

 of the feathers, and the axillaries are completely barred across with 

 brown. 



A specimen shot by Mr. Ayres at Potchefstroom, in the Trans- 

 vaal, on the 28th of August is in worn breeding-plumage, from 

 which it would appear that Ihe Wood Sandpiper does not always 

 moult before leaving for its winter quarters. 



llali. Europe and Northern Asia, wintering in Africa, India, and 

 the Malay countries, through the Molucca Islands to Australia. 



a, b. Ad. et Cambridgeshire. Purchased, 



juv. st. 

 e. .In v. st. Aldeburgh, Sufliilk. Barting ColL 



