2964 THE ZooLocist—Marcn, 1872. 
ruddier plumage are “summer larks,” and are only seen during the 
summer months, whereas the larger birds with bills long and often 
curved as much as the bill of the curlew sandpiper are autumn 
arrivals. Our own observation tends in a great way to confirm 
this distribution of the two races of dunlins which apparently are 
to be found on our coasts into summer and winter birds. We have 
noticed large flocks of the smaller and brighter birds in the 
beginning of May, when they are so tame that they will almost 
suffer themselves to be trodden upon, in this tameness seeming to 
show that they have but just arrived, and have observed them all 
to be short-billed dunlins, with the ruddier tints upon the back 
and the smaller band of black on the under parts, which are the 
marks of the smaller race. We have never seen a short-billed 
dunlin among birds shot in winter, and have remarked then that all 
were long-billed. But we will quote what Mr. Gray has written 
upon the subject :— 
“The variations to which this species is subject appear to be much 
greater than those occurring in any other wading bird of its size. It would 
almost seem as if there were several races to be found throughout Scotland. 
In some districts of the Outer Hebrides, for example, the dunlin is smaller 
than that of the mainland—a remark which applies to the entire bird, and 
not to any particular feature. The bill is at least one-half shorter; the 
tarsi and toes more slender and diminutive; the dorsal plumage redder and 
more streaked; and the black abdominal patch not so large. When com- 
paring extreme specimens from this part of Scotland and the eastern 
counties—that is to say, taking the smallest from the West and the largest 
from the East, the Hebridean bird may safely be said to be not much over 
half the weight of the other. Some of the dunlins on the western mainland 
have the bill considerably depressed towards the base; indeed, in a few 
specimens which I have handled, this feature was so marked as almost to 
justify a novice in mistaking them for the broadbilled sandpiper. I have 
also obtained véry characteristic examples of this smaller race, with very 
short and straight bills, in some of the inner islands. In 1870 I had 
several specimens in full breeding dress from Gigha and Tyree. This 
tendency in the dunlin to excessive variation has long been noticed, and 
has been referred to by various British and Continental ornithologists. 
Sir William Jardine appears to have met with a breed frequenting some of 
the lochs in Sutherlandshire, which presented marked differences in size 
and coloration from the ordinary type; and Macgillivray makes the 
remark, that ‘the birds that visit the eastern coasts of Scotland seem in 
general much larger.’ To this I may add, that during many years’ careful 
