GEALLATOBES. 257 



In summer the upper surface is deep rufous ; wings dark 

 greyish brown; upper tail-coverts wliite ; tail grey, barred 

 with black and rufous ; hea.d mottled black and white ; all 

 the under surface deep rufous ; bill and legs black, slightly 

 tinged with olive ; irides dark brown. 



In winter the rump is white, the remainder of the upper 

 surface greyish brown ; under surface white, except the chest, 

 which is slightly tinged with grey. 



Young birds differ from both in having the upper surface 

 dark brown, each feather fringed with grey and a wash of 

 brown across the chest. 



Genus ACTODROMAS, Kaup. 



The little Sandpipers of Europe, America, and Australia 

 have been separated under the above generic appellation, 

 with the Tringa minuta of authors as the type. One species 

 inhabits Australia. 



Sp. 524. ACTODROMAS AUSTRALIS. 



Little Sandpiper. 



Calidris australis, Cuv. Gal. de Paris. — Less. Traite d^Orn., p. 558. 

 Tringa albescens, Teinrn. PI. Col., 41. fig. 2. 



Land Snipe and Least Sandpiper of the Colonists of Western Au- 

 stralia, 



Schoeniclus albescens, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi. pi. 31. 



I have received specimens of this little Sandpiper from 

 every one of the Australian colonies, the islands in Bass's 

 Straits, the Houtmann's Abrolhos off the western coast, and 

 Raine's Islet in Torres' Straits ; no one, therefore, of the 

 Australian Sandpipers is more generally dispersed. To 

 those who are acquainted with the Little Dunlin {Acfodromas 

 mimitus) of Europe. I may say that the habits of the two 

 species so closely assimilate as to render a separate descrip- 



VOL. II. s 



