2-] 2 Allen's naturalist's library. 



plumes, and looking like an ordinary Tattler or Sandpiper. 

 Ashy-brown above, the feathers fringed with whitish, the centres 

 of which are dusky-brown ; lesser and median wing coverts like 

 the back ; the greater coverts blackish with a slight greenish- 

 gloss, and broadly tipped with white ; bastard-wing and prim- 

 ary-coverts blackish ; quills brown, with white shafts, the 

 outer w^ebs and tips of the feathers blackish, the secondaries 

 white at the base of the inner webs, and fringed with white at 

 their ends ; the innermost secondaries browner, like the scapu- 

 lars ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts a little darker 

 brown than the rest of the back, with darker brown centres to 

 the feathers ; tail-feathers dark brown, the tips and the shafts 

 white ; crown of head and neck light brown, with dark 

 centres to the feathers ; lores and cheeks ashy-white ; ear- 

 coverts and neck light brown with dusky streaks ; under surface 

 of body white, the lower throat and chest mottled, with ashy 

 bases to the feathers, and the sides of the body marked in a 

 similar manner; axillaries and under wing-coverts white, the 

 lower primary-coverts and quill-lining ashy-grey; bill dark 

 brown, paler at the gape ; feet yellowish-brown ; iris dark 

 brown. Total length, 12 inches; culmen, 1*3; wing, 7-4; 

 tail, 2 '6; tarsus, i-8. 



Adult Female in Winter Plumage. — Similar to the male, but much 

 smaller. Total length, 10-5 inches; culmen, 1-2; wing, 6*1; 

 tail, 2-15; tarsus, 1*55. 



Adult Female in Summer Plumage. — Much darker than in winter, 

 the feathers of the upper surface being blackish with a purplish 

 gloss, but no ornamental feathers present, as in the male. 

 Otherwise the summer plumage of the female, as regards the 

 colour of the body, shows a strong similarity to that of the 

 male. 



Young Birds. — Resemble the winter plumage of the male, but 

 are much more tawny-rufous, and have sandy-buff or whitish 

 margins to the feathers of the upper surface ; hind-neck more 

 ashy than the back ; sides of face, lower throat, and fore-neck 

 pale cinnamon-buff, the chin whiter ; chest and sides of body 

 ashy-grey, marked with cinnamon-buff, the rest of the under- 

 parts white. Total wing, 7 ■0-7-3 i^^ch^s, 



