98 On the Birds of Tsu-sima, Japan. 



upon them than the others have, whereas in the Spotted 

 Sandpiper there is little or no difference in this respect. 

 This character holds good in a series of twenty examples of 

 the Nearctic species, and may prove to be constant ; but in a 

 series of forty examples of the Palsearctic species I have found 

 two exceptions, one an immature bird shot by Mr, Swaysland 

 near Brighton, and the other a young male shot by Mr. Dixon 

 near Torquay on the 15th of August. The latter example 

 curiously enough, is also remarkable in having 14 tail- 

 feathers. The normal number in both species is 12, four on 

 each side with very conspicuous white tips, and four in the 

 middle with little or no white on them. The outer tail- 

 feathers are white, barred, chiefly on the inner web, with 

 brow^n ; on each succeeding feather there is less white and 

 more brown, until the centre pair have nearly lost all traces 

 of bars and have become nearly uniform brown. The 

 Nearctic species has on an average a slightly smaller bill 

 than its Palsearctic ally, the former varying from 1 inch to 

 1*85 from the frontal feathers, and the latter from 1 inch to 

 1-95. 



It is possible that a constant character by which the two 

 species may be diagnosed at all ages, in both seasons and of 

 both sexes, is to be found in the colour of the legs and feet, 

 and that of the basal half of the bill. These colours are 

 slate-grey in the Common Sandpiper and ocliraceous grey in 

 the Spotted Sandpiper, and this difference between the two 

 species is generally quite distinguishable even in old dried 

 skins. 



373. PODICEPS CORNUTUS. 



There are two examples of the Sclavonian Grebe in the 

 collection, one in winter plumage shot on the 14th of 

 February, and the other in summer plumage shot on. the 

 22nd of JStarch. In both the bill is slightly decurved, and 

 in both there is some white on the inner primaries. The 

 latter character therefore breaks down as a distinction be- 

 tween the Sclavonian and the Black-necked Grebes in winter 

 plumage. In addition to the fact that the line of the com- 



