78 SCOLOPACIDJE. 



J. Harvey. It soon afterwards passed into the possession 

 of Mr. J. D. Hoy, who believing it to be undescribed as a 

 British bird, had selected it and sent it up to me for in- 

 spection. Mr. Audubon being then in London I exhibited 

 the bird to him, as a good authority for American species, 

 and he immediately confirmed the previous notion that 

 the bird was an example of the Tringa pectomlis of 

 America. 



Since the occurrence of Mr. Hoy's specimen, another ex- 

 ample of the Pectoral Sandpiper has been obtained in this 

 country, and a third bird seen. D. W. Mitchell, Esq. of 

 Penzance sent me in June 1840 a coloured drawing of the 

 natural size, and a fully detailed description, with measure- 

 ments, of a Sandpiper, shot by himself on the 27th of the 

 previous month, while the bird was resting on some sea- 

 weed within a few yards of the water, on the rocky shore 

 of Annet, one of the uninhabited islands at Scilly. On the 

 following day another example was seen, but became so 

 wild after an unsuccessful shot, that it took off to another 

 island and escaped altogether. The close accordance of 

 the specimen obtained with the description of Tringa pec- 

 toralis in summer plumage in the Fourth Part of M. Tem- 

 minck's Manual, led Mr. Mitchell to a true conclusion as 

 to the species and its novelty and interest in this country. 



Dr. Edward Clarke, who is well acquainted with British 

 birds, sent me word that an example of this rare Sandpiper 

 was killed near Hartlepool in October 1841. 



This Sandpiper, like the last, was also unknown to 

 Wilson, and we must be indebted to later authorities for 

 our knowledge of its habits. Mr. Nuttall says, " This con- 

 spicuous species of Sandpiper, first detected by Mr. Say, is 

 by no means uncommon in various parts of the United 

 States ; migrating north, and perhaps west, to breed, as 



