OCCASIONAL NOTES. 509 
may have been also of American origin, and this little flock of migrants 
may have brought the Sandpiper with them. I carefully dissected the bird, 
which I found to be a male, and prepared the sternum, which in point of 
size approximates to that of Totanus fuscus, and has the posterior margin 
doubly cleft as in 7’. fuscus, calidris, glottis, and other Sandpipers. The 
apex of the keel, however, is not pointed as in the species named, but 
rounded as in Numenius. It would be interesting to compare it with 
the sterna of the smaller short-billed Curlews, Numenius borealis and 
minor, to which Actiturus externally bears so close a resemblance. Upon 
examination of the stomach I found it to contain numerous fragments of the 
wing-cases of small beetles in such a condition as to be barely recognizable. 
Being unable to identify them myself, and being anxious to test, if possible, 
the accuracy of the statement that the bird had been killed in this country, 
I forwarded the entire contents of the stomach to Mr. E. C. Rye, whose 
knowledge of the Coleoptera I felt sure would enable him to satisfy me upon 
the questions I was anxious to have solved, namely, whether the fragments 
of Coleoptera forwarded belonged to British species; and if so, whether to 
British species not found in North America. In the event of his replying 
to both questions in the affirmative, it would be reasonable to conclude that 
the bird had been feeding in this country, and was really a British-killed 
specimen. Mr. Rye has been kind enough to reply as follows :—“ You 
propound a question incapable of precise solution. The remains are so 
comminuted, and represent so many specimens and species, that I should be 
sorry to attempt a decided opinion. But after a tolerably long examination 
I can find nothing to make me believe the fragments of insects represent 
other than British species. There are remains of Ocypus cupreus, | am 
almost sure; also of a common little Othius, and the body of a tolerably 
large Philonthus ; the elytron of Cytilus varius (I am nearly positive), and the 
anal forceps of many earwigs. All these a Sandpiper would readily find 
in our fens, but the bits are so champed up and disguised by cracking, &e., 
that no one could positively hang a poulterer on the evidence! There is 
nothing saliently North American, but unfortunately we have many species 
in common, and many so closely allied that such an examination as this 
could give little clue. I personally incline to think the bits are British.” 
If, on the evidence adduced, then, we may add this specimen of Bartram’s 
Sandpiper to the list of “ Rare and Accidental Visitants,” and it seems 
warrantable to do so, this will make the seventh example of this American 
species which has been procured in the British Islands. The half dozen speci- 
mens already recorded were obtained—in Somersetshire, autumn, 1847: in 
Warwickshire, October, 1851; Cambridgeshire, December, 1854; Gloucester- 
shire, January, 1855; Cornwall, November, 1865; and Northumberland, 
November, 1879; all obtained either late in autumn or in the winter.— 
J. KE. Hartina. 
