18 BIRDS AND MAMMALS OF EAST SIBERIA [^Vn^'v^' 



Vol. V 



Erolia ferruginea (Briinnich). 



Six specimens, four adults of both sexes and two downy young, 

 from Nijni Kolymsk and a valley thirty miles east of Cape Bol- 

 shaja Baranov, June 1, June 6 and July 12. 



The first curlew sandpiper arrived at Nijni Kolymsk, May 29, 

 1912, and from then on until the break-up of the river many birds 

 were seen daily. When the river broke up, they all disappeared, 

 none remaining to breed in this region. 



Later in the season, on July 12, at a valley thirty miles east of 

 Cape Bolshaja Baranov, two young about six days old were found, 

 accompanied by the female parent. The bird probably had been 

 robbed of some of her brood by a pomarine jaeger, that was sitting 

 on a turf a quarter of a mile distant, as the sandpiper showed 

 great uneasiness, and every now and then would shoot off over the 

 head of the webbed-footed bird of prey, and circle around it with 

 shrill cries. July 16-18, a number of breeding curlew sandpipers 

 were found on hilly tundra forty miles east of Cape Bolshaja Bara- 

 nov. No young could be seen. Probably they were old enough to 

 keep out of the way in the grass. The species was not observed 

 anywhere farther to the eastward. 



After a most careful comparison of these specimens with many 

 European examples, we cannot detect the slightest difference. 

 Neither can we in any way distinguish between European and 

 Asiatic birds in young or in winter plumage, and we therefore can- 

 not agree with Mathews in calling the Eastern bird Erolia ferru- 

 ginea ckinensis (Gra}'). 



Our one male is much richer and more reddish in color, especially 

 above, than the females, which are more yellowish brown where 

 he is reddish brown. The black spotting on the upper tail-coverts 

 varies much in the four specimens, one female otherwise in similar 

 plumage to the others having these feathers but very slightly 

 marked with dusky. 



The specimens afford the following measurements (in milli- 

 meters). 



