MINUTE SANDPIPER. 243 



In the next two small species, admitted as occa- 

 sional visitants, there is a very close alliance, and in 

 specimens intermediate in plumage, or not quite 

 mature, there is a good deal of difficulty in dis- 

 tinguishing them. The first, THE MINUTE SAND- 

 PIPER, TRINGA MINUTA, Leisler. Minute tringa, 

 Selby. Little Stint, Yarrell, is chiefly distin- 

 guished by the comparative greater length of the 

 tarsus, the uniform colour of the tail, except the 

 centre feathers, and in that member being slightly 

 forked, the two centre feathers, however, project- 

 ing in the centre, and being longer than any of the 

 others. The seasonal changes are somewhat similar 

 to those we have been describing, dark above, hav- 

 ing the feathers cut into with chestnut -red; but 

 underneath, the plumage is pure white, interrupted 

 by a band of pale reddish-chestnut, which crosses 

 the breast, shading into the white below and on the 

 sides of the neck ; the centres of the feathers are 

 dark; the tail is uniform hair-brown, except the 

 long centre feathers which are glossy clove-brown. 

 In a continental specimen before us, in the summer 

 plumage, there is a great proportion of rufous inter- 

 mixed, on the head and nape the feathers have 

 dark centres, on the neck the rufous is nearly the 

 prevailing tint, and on the back and wings the 

 feathers are very broadly edged with it, and with 

 buff-orange. In the complete winter dress, the plu- 

 mage above is described as ash-grey, the centre of 

 the feathers darker, beneath pure white, the band on 

 the breast slightly indicated on the sides. Two 



