54 SCOLOPACIDJE. 



feathers on the back and wing-coverts are mixed with some 

 new feathers which are ash grey ; the quill-feathers dusky. 



Young birds of the year in their first autumn have the 

 neck ash grey ; the feathers of the back, scapulars, wing- 

 coverts, and tertials, dark brown, margined with reddish 

 buff colour, which, later in the season as winter approaches, 

 change slowly to ash colour, with buify white, and ulti- 

 mately with pure white edges ; under surface of the body 

 white, tinged with red, becoming afterwards pure white. 



Adult birds in their winter plumage have the beak 

 brownish black ; irides dark brown ; lore and ear-coverts 

 ash brown, bounded above with a streak of white ; the 

 cheeks also white ; top of the head and back of the neck 

 ash brown, streaked and spotted with darker brown ; back, 

 scapulars, wing-coverts, and tertials, ash brown, margined 

 with white ; primary quill-feathers, dusky black, with white 

 shafts; secondaries ash brown, edged with white; rump 

 and upper tail-coverts white ; tail-feathers ash grey, edged 

 with white ; chin, breast, and all the under surface of the 

 body, pure white ; axillary plume pure white ; legs and 

 toes greenish brown, the claws black. 



The average length of the beak is one inch and a half ; of 

 the leg, with the bare part above the joint, one inch and 

 three-quarters. In the adult Dunlin, the relative length of 

 the same parts are beak one inch and a quarter ; leg one 

 inch and three-eighths ; but the white rump and upper 

 tail-coverts distinguish the Curlew Sandpiper from the 

 Dunlin at all ages and seasons. 



