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THE TEREK SANDPITEll IN KENT. 



A New British Bird. 



BY 



THOMAS PARKIN, m.a., f.l.s. 

 [Plate 3.] 



On May 23rd, 1012, two specimens of the Terek Sandpiper 

 [Terekia cinerea), a male and a female, were obtained at 

 Brookland, Romney Marsh, Kent. On the 24th another 

 male, and on the 25th another female, were obtained at 

 the same place. The birds were sent direct to Mr. 

 G. Bristow (taxidermist) of Silchester Road, St. Leonards- 

 on-Sea. One of the birds shot on the 23rd was at once 

 brought to me for identification ; it Avas in spring- 

 plumage, and had the appearance of having been killed 

 only a few hours previously. The two obtained on the 

 24th and 25th were seen in the flesh by Messrs. J. 

 Harrison and W. R. Butterfield, 



One of the birds killed on May 23rd was exhibited by 

 me at the British Ornithologists' Club on June 12th last. 



Description. 



Although the hal)its and notes of the Terek Sandpiper 

 are said to be essentially those of a Sandpiper, the com- 

 paratively long and decidedly upcurved bill and the 

 comparatively very short legs make it structurally so 

 different from other members of the group as to warrant 

 its separation generically. 



Male — Summer-plumage. Upper-parts : Bronzy- 

 grey with dark brown mesial streaks to the feathers 

 of the head and mantle, and broad black-brown 

 stripes on the scapulars forming a conspicuous double 

 })and down the back. Forehead mottled with Mhitish 

 and upper tail-coverts bronzy -grey mottled with 



