BIRDS OF TASMANIA. U3 



*SHARP-TAILED STIXT (I\Iarsii Stint) 

 (Hcteropygia acuininaia, Horsf.) 



Male {breeding plumage). — Crowu of the head bright sand^'- 

 rufous, streaked with IJack; lores and eyebrow white, streaked 

 with blackish ; back and shoulders sandy-rufous, streaked with 

 black; lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts dusky-black; tail 

 feathers ashy-brown, fringed with white; lesser wing coverts dull 

 brown; greater coverts dusky-brown, tipped with white; primary 

 coverts blackish, inner tipped with white; quills brown, shafts 

 white for the most part ; secondaries with narrow whitish fringe 

 near the tips ; sides of the face white streaked with dusky ; ear 

 coverts tinged with rufous ; under surface white, with a tinge of 

 rufous, spotted minutely with blackish on the throat, fore-neck, 

 and chest ; sides of the body distinctly- spotted ; under wing coverts 

 white; bill blackish-brown; legs and feet olive-greenish. Dimen- 

 sions in mm. : — Length, 175 ; bill, 27 ; wing, 136 ; tail, 51 ; tarsus, 30. 



Female {breeding plumage). — Similar to male. 



Male and Female {ivinter plumage). — Head very slightly 

 tinged with rufous ; upper surface almost, uniform brownish ; 

 under surface white, with the lower throat and chest ashj'-fulvous, 

 sparsely streaked with blackish; flanks slightly washed with brown. 



Young. — Crown of the head distinctly rufous, streaked with 

 black; back almost black, intermixed with rufous, many of the 

 feathers having whitish edges ; wing coverts broadly margined with 

 sandy-rufous; quills brown; under surface mostly white, tinged 

 with buff to sandy-buff in parts; feathers on the lower throat, sides 

 of neck, and sides of breast with black shaft-streaks. 



Nest and Eggs. — Unknown. 



Breeding /Season. —Unknown. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, Australia in general. 

 New Zealand, New Guinea, j\Ialay Archipelago; migrating through 

 China and Japan to Eastern Siberia f*nd Alaska, where it is 

 thought to breed. 



Observations. — Some years the Marsh Stint or Tringa is fairly 

 plentiful in different parts in the northern half of the island, at 

 least. It is nomadic in its habits during the short time it is with us. 



During March, 1909, a large flock suddenly appeared on the 

 marshes in the Bracknell district, where they had never before 

 been seen. After remaining a few days the flock disappeared as 

 suddenly as it had come. On several occasions small flocks have 

 been noted on the Town Point reclamation area at Launceston. 



Mr. H. Stuart Dove informs me that on 27th October, 1909, he 

 saw a party of five feeding on the mud-flats close to Launceston. 



Early in December in the same year the same observer saw a 

 party of eight individuals of this species on the beach at West 

 Devonport. 



Marshy districts and the edges of streams are frequented by 



