g6 Hall, The Eastern Palcsarciica and Australia. [^^^ 



Emu 

 Oct. 



breeding grounds of Limosa lapponica (the shorter-legged Bar-tailed 

 Godwit of Europe) and L. melanur aides, of Australia. The former 

 winters in Somaliland and India, the latter as far south as 

 Tasmania. Though the breeding-grounds fringe each other, the 

 vast flocks keep their separate migratory courses. The male birds, 

 being less beautiful, do most of the incubating (A. H. Evans). 



A flock of Sandpipers in rapid flight is quite a fine display, a 

 company of some hundreds wheeling, opening, and closing with 

 the precision of a trained troupe. In a llock of Tringas may be a 

 Knot, a SanderHng, and perhaps a DunKn. 



Pisobia acuminata (the Sharp-tailed Stint or Marsh Tringa of 

 sportsmen who know Victorian swamps) breeds along the coast 

 as far over as Alaska. It returns on its eastern Pacific course 

 rather than go down America to winter. The majority of the 

 species of all birds nesting in Alaska are Asiatic. Millions of small 

 birds, including the Wheatear (Saxicola) and Blue-throat 

 {Cyanecula), migrate from there to India. All of the Passeres 

 go no further. The shallow and narrow Behring Strait is no 

 barrier to migration between Alaska and Siberia, while the 

 Alaskan mountains are such between Alaska and British 

 Columbia (Map VIII., c). 



Tringa suhminnta (Middendorf Stint) nests much further south 

 (Map VI., a), wintering at (b). I suppose isolated Inrds do come 

 further south, just as one will get north as far as Behring Island. 



The Common Sandpiper {T. hypolencus) nests in isolated numbers 

 along the Lena River, and in no particular region. I collected 

 nestlings on ist July, finding them at the edge of a tangle of 

 " horse-tails " and dog-roses. It breeds in England as well, 

 migrating to South Africa ; so it is common to west and east in 

 Palaearctica. To see them perching was a common sight. They 

 feed among the buttercups, and have no fear of man. Rhodo- 

 dendrons were plentiful ; both man and bird at this stage seeing 

 a mock sun. 



The well-known English DunUn, or Ox-Bird [T. alpina), I 

 secured in the delta of the Lena. The miniature Dunlin {Pisobia 

 ruficollis) also breeds in tlic lower tundras and Tchuckchi 

 Land (a'), and comes south in winter to Tasmania (Map IV., a, a'). 



T. temmincki breeds with the last, beyond the limit of forest 

 growth, wintering in the Malay Archipelago, but not Australia. 

 " It has a butterfly-like flight, habituaUy perching on posts, 

 uttering a continuous trilling song." Mr. Trebilcock and I were 

 able to photograph the young at i a.m., and were impressed by 

 the engaging ways of the parents. 



Totanus ochropiis (Green Sandpiper) I found breeding at the 

 mouth of the Lena, 12/7/03. It does not regularly reach Aus- 

 tralia, an odd specimen having been already recorded by myself 

 in The Emu. It is said to lay its eggs in other birds' nests, but 

 in this open waste it would be limited to flimsy ground-nests, and 

 no time to wait for them. 



Eudromias nwrinellus (the Dottrel) 1 secured down the Lena. 



