94 BIRDS OF MAKIA ISLAND. 



probably extending to the North Coast of Australia. The 

 above are the characteristics of this snipe, which is smaller than 

 the Australian snipe (wing, 56 inches against 6 to 6'7 inches), 

 though very similar to it in plumage, while the latter bird has 

 only two narrow feathers on each side of the tail. 



46. NuMENius CTANOPUs, Vieillot. 

 Found on the coast of the island (B). 



The Curlew appears to remain in small numbers through 

 the winter in the South of Tasmania, for my son saw an 

 example at Muddy Plains in July last. 



47. tEgialttis monacha, Geoffrey. 



The hooded Dottrel was obtained in Oyster Bay on the Five- 

 Mile Beach (L). 



This species is doubtless as common on the island as on the 

 shores of the mainland. The plumage of the young, which is 

 cursorily referred to by Gould, is as follows : — Head and hind- 

 neck, back, and wing coverts bi'ownish-grey, the feathers of the 

 head narrowly margined with whitish, the remainder of the 

 feathers of the upper surface with crescentic margins of 

 brown and a dark shaft mark ; wings as in the adult, tail with 

 the outer white feathers tipped black, and the centre black 

 feathers tipped white ; the dark longer upper tail coverts 

 tipped with white ; the entire under surface with the hind- 

 neck collar, white ; bill darkbrown, yellowish at the base ; 

 legs and feet paler yellow than in the adult (February 

 specimen). 



Gould says that the female has the crown mottled with 

 black and white ; but this stage of plumage is not a normal 

 one, as it testifies to a change occurring in the coloration, 

 and I have female specimens carefully sexed in the same dress 

 as the male, and in one of which two eggs in the duct were half 

 formed. 



48. ^GiALiTis Etjficapilla, Temm. 



This Dottrel was observed on the beach at the Neck (L). 



An early breeder. I found young birds on the 7th November 

 at South Arm Neck, so that the eggs must be laid at the end 

 of September. The foregoing species lays in December on the 

 East Coast. 



49. ^GiALiTis BiciNCTA, Jard. and Selhy. 



One specimen procured at the Five-mile Beach (L). 



This Dottrel is apparently migratory to this colony. It 

 appears in March, remaining until July, and perhaps later ; 

 and at the time of its arrival it is mostly in young plumage, or 

 with the adult bands in an imperfect state, which seems to 



