242 MR. J. E. HARTING ON A NEW TRINGA. [Apr. 21, 



6. On a new Species of Tringa from Alaska. 

 By J. E. Harting, F.L.S., F.Z.S. 



[Keceived March 26, 1874.] 

 (Plate XL.) 



Through the kindness of Professor Spencer Baird, I received some 

 months ago a specimen of a Sandpiper from St. Paul's Island, 

 Alaska, with a request that I would examine and report upon it. 

 It resembled at first sight a very large Dunlin, Tringa alpina, in 

 partial summer plumage, and with the breast more or less spotted 

 with black ; but its superior size showed at once that it could not 

 belong to that species. The only other Tringa at all resembling it 

 with which I was then acquainted being Tringa crassirostris of 

 Temminck and Schlegel, from China, Japan, the Malay countries, 

 and Australia, I hastily but erroneously came to the conclusion that 

 it should be referred to that species ; and without waiting to institute 

 anv comparison of specimens, I wrote to Professor Baird accordingly. 

 This was unfortunate ; for on subsequently making a more careful 

 examination, and comparing the bird in question with specimens in 

 my collection of both T. alpina and T. crassirostris, I found to my 

 surprise that it differed materially from both, being much smaller 

 than T. crassirostris although considerably larger than T. alpina, and 

 in several other respects, as I shall presently point out, holding an 

 intermediate position between these two species. I have now no 

 hesitation in saying that it may be regarded as a new and hitherto 

 undescribed bird, and I accordingly propose to name it Tringa gra- 

 cilis. 



It may be described as follows : — 



Tringa gracilis, sp. nov. 



T. similis alpinae sed conspicue major. Notai plumis nigris, late 

 rufo-marginatis; pileo fuscescente, rufonigroque striolato; capitis 

 et colli lateribus dilute rv/escentibus, maculis minutis fuscis ; 

 uropygio nigro ; gula et front e albis ; macula pectorali magna 

 nigra; abdomine crissoque albis; tectricibus alarum pallide 

 fuscis, albido limbatis ; remigibus fuscis, scapis pure albis ; 

 subalaribus albis ; rectricibus lateralibus pallide fuscis, albo- 

 limbatis; rostro et pedibus nigricantibus. (Ptil. eestiv.) Long, 

 tot. \0poll.,rostr. 1"5, al<e 5*5, tars. 1, dig.med.cumung. 1*1. 

 Hab. St. Paul's Island, Alaska. 



The specimen from which the above description is taken was most 

 kindly presented to me by Professor Baird, with the information that 

 it had been obtained with several others on the island above 

 mentioned in the month of July 1872. It is evidently in summer 

 plumage ; and being at this season black-breasted, like the Dunlin, 

 Tringa alpina, we may fairly assume that in winter, like that species, 



