468 THE BIEDS OF HELIGOLAND 



the larger plumage of the upper parts, notably in the largest wing- 

 coverts and scapulars, these not being bordered by triangular 

 yellow marginal spots as is the case in C. auratus, but marked by 

 bands of pure black and white, the white ground-colour taking up 

 a much larger portion of each feather than the dark and narrower 

 bands ; these markings also extend to the outer pairs of the tail- 

 feathers, which are barred with almost as pure black and white 

 as those of Totanus glareola. In the smaller plumage of the 

 upper parts the markings are very pale yellow, which in places 

 fades to a whitish colour; the larger plumage, however, had 

 probably got its nearly pure white colour when freshly moulted, 

 for the covered portions of it which are not exposed to the 

 light are likewise almost pure white. The younger female in my 

 collection a bird of the previous year displays no sign of the 

 beautiful markings of the upper parts as just described, but ap- 

 proaches nearer to C. auratus in these markings. In the same 

 way a young autumn bird from the Amoor region, which I possess, 

 and owe to the kindness of Herr Tancre, in its whole plumage 

 resembles a young C. auratus of the same age ; but all the yellow 

 spots are very large, and the lower wing-coverts, as already men- 

 tioned, are ashy-grey. 



One of the eggs of this species of which Seebohm was fortunate 

 enough to bring home two clutches from the lower Jenesei is, as 

 one might naturally expect, much smaller than those of the 

 European species. Its length is 177 in. (45 mm.), and its greatest 

 breadth T34 in. (34 mm.) ; it has also more gloss than those of 

 the other Charadrius species ; the ground-colour is purer and lighter 

 than in C. auratus and C. squatarola, being specially distinguished 

 by a larger admixture of reddish with the rust-yellow ; the spots 

 are lighter and more of a dark reddish-brown than of a blackish- 

 brown, as is the case in closely related species, nor do they assume 

 the darker shade even where this colour is very densely laid on. 

 Moreover, judging frbm the specimen before me, these spots are 

 not so large as they usually are in C. auratus and C. virginicus. 



The measurements of the three birds shot here, taken from the 

 fresh examples, are as follows : Old male, 1857 : total length, 

 8-78 ins. (223 mm.) ; bill, -94 in. (24mm.) ; wings, 6 '46 in. (124mm.), 

 projecting -39 in. (10 mm.) beyond the tail; tarsus, 1'65 in. 

 (42 mm.). Young female, 1860 : total length, 9'33 ins. (237 mm.) ; 

 bill, -86 in. (22 mm.) ; wings, 6'34 ins. (161 mm.), projecting -51 in. 

 (13 mm.) beyond the tail ; tarsus, T57 in. (40 mm.). Very hand- 

 some old male, 1867 : total length, 9-17 ins. (233 mm.) ; bill, -94 in. 

 (24 mm.) ; wings, 6'38 ins. (162 mm.), projecting -39 in. (10 mm.) 

 beyond the tail; tarsus, 1-61 in. (41 mm.). Young bird from the 



