34 Mr. H. Seeb ohm's Contributions 



eluded in the list of British birds, more than a dozen examples 

 having been obtained in this country. 



Tringa subminuta. 



Tringa RUnCOLLIS. 



Both these species pass along the coasts of China and 

 Japan in spring and autumn^ but I have not seen any ex- 

 amples of T. minuta from either of these countries. These 

 three species are often confused together. T. subminuta 

 may always be distinguished by its large feet. T. ruficollis 

 in spring plumage may always be known by its chestnut 

 throat and breast, and in winter plumage by the absence of 

 chestnut margins to the two centre tail-feathers. 



Tringa canutus. 



The skin sent (No. 2794-) from Yokohama is correctly 

 identified. 



NUMENIUS LINEATUS. 

 NUMENIUS CYANOPUS. 

 NUMENIUS VARIEGATUS. 

 NUMENIUS MINUTUS. 



There are two Curlews and two Whimbrels in Japan. N. 

 lineatus is the Eastern form of our Curlew, from which it is 

 probably only subspecifically distinct. It differs from our 

 bird in having the rump and axillaries pure white, characters 

 which are very rarely met with, and possibly never united in 

 European birds. It has also a longer bill, as the following 

 measurements, in inches, of the culmen will show : — 



Females. Males. 



N. [meatus 8 to 6^ 6 to 5i 



N. arquatus 6| to 5| 5| to 4| 



N. cyanopus [N. austraUs and N. nifescens of Gould, and 

 N. major of Temminck and Schlegel) is of about the same size, 

 but differs from both forms of the Common Curlew in havinar 

 the rump of the same colour as the back and upper tail- 

 coverts. It varies enormously in the length of the beak, the 

 culmen of males varying from 4| to 6| inches, and of females 

 from 7| to 8^ inches. 



