THE PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. 243 



Tringa schmzii {r^ec Brehm), Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 222 (1852) ; 



Saunders, ed. Yarrell, Brit. B. iii. p. 373 (1883). 

 Trifiga bonaparti^ Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 189 (1885). 



Adult Male. — In appearance like a small Dunlin, but distin- 

 guished by the generic characters recorded above, and by the 

 upper tail-coverts being entirely white, so that they contrast 

 sharply with the dark rump and dark centre tail-feathers ; bill, 

 fest, and legs greenish-black ; iris dusky-brown. Total length, 

 7 inches; culmen, 0*95; wing, 4*5; tail, 1*95; tarsus, 0*9. 

 The ivhite upper tail-coverts of this species distinguishes it at 

 all seasons from any of its near allies. 



Range in Great Britain. — An accidental visitor from America, 

 of which some dozen specimens have occurred within our 

 limits. According to Mr. Howard Saunders, " the first British 

 example was shot prior to 1839, in Shropshire, while subse- 

 quently three others have been obtained in Cornwall, two 

 in the Scilly Islands, four at Instow in North Devon, two in 

 Sussex, and one at Kingsbury reservoir in Middlesex. There is 

 also a specimen in the Museum at Belfast, v/hich is believed to 

 have been killed near that city," 



Range outside the British Islands. — This is a common North 

 American species, which breeds throughout the greater part of 

 the Arctic Regions, becoming rarer in the north-western portion 

 of the new world. In winter it ranges south through Central 

 America and the West Indies to the extreme south of South 

 America. 



Habits.— Mr. D. G. Elliot, in his " North American Shore 

 Birds," writes : — "It visits the eastern portion of North America 

 on its migrations, not making a lengthy stay in any place. 

 Coues observed it in Kansas migrating northwards in flocks, 

 and we may suppose it ranges from the Rocky Mountains east- 

 ward. Along the Atlantic coast it appears at regular periods, 

 passing northward in May, and back again on its southern 

 journey in July or early in August. It associates with the 

 Semi-palmated Sandpiper i^E. pusillus), which it somewhat 

 resembles, but from which it is easily distinguished by its greater 

 size. This species is one of the gentlest of all waders, appar- 

 ently paying little attention to an intruder upon its haunts, but 



R 2 



