772 



Birds of Celebes: Charadriidae. 



much broader; the secondaries somewhat more extensively white (one of the innermost 

 being entirely white), but no white on the second primary; the sides of the breast 

 and jugulum more extensively striated with dark brown; "legs and feet slaty greenish, 

 toes dusky": Legge d 6 (Kabruang, 8. Nov. 93: Nat. Coll. — C 13052). 



Measurements (27 examples from Celebes and the neighbouring islands). Wing 100 — 117 mm; 

 tarsus ca. 24 — 27; mid. toe with claw ca. 24; tail ca. 54; bill ca. 23 — 2G. 



Moult. Two specimens killed in the Minahassa in January (Nat. Coll.), three in March 

 (Meyer) and one in July from Limbotto are moulting their remiges. 



Skeleton. 



Length of cranium 



49.0 mm 

 13.5 » 



Greatest breadth of cranium 



Length of humerus . . . 28.6 



Length of ulna 29.5 



Length of radius . . . . 28.3 



Length of manus .... 33.4 



Length of femur .... 24.0 



Length of tibia 39.3 



Eggs. 4; pyriform; white, with the faintest possible tinge of green, to pale creamy buff, 

 speckled, spotted and blotched with Hght and dark reddish brown, and with under- 

 lying markings of inky grey, size 35.5—40.6 X 25.4—28.7 mm (from Seebohm b 3)- 



Nest. Usually near the water: on sandy banks, where coarse grass is growing; or amongst 

 herbage on the higher land; or on sand and gravel strewed with large stones and 

 tufts of herbage; in woods on the banks of a river; even in gardens, orchards, or 

 turnip-fields. The nest — a Uttle hollow scratched in the ground, lined with a few 

 bits of dry grass, scraps of heather, dry leaves, or bits of withered rush (from 

 Seebohm b 3). 



Distribution. Europe; Africa; Madagascar; Asia; throughout the East India Islands to 

 Australia and Tasmania and N. W. Poljoiesia. — Celebes Province: Talaut Is. — 

 Kabruang (Nat. Coll.); Great Sangi (Meyer d 13, Bruijn d 3); Siao (Meyer d 13)\ 

 Manado tua and Mantehage (Nat. Coll.); Minahassa (Meyer, Guillemard d 15, 

 P.&F. Sarasin b 12, etc.); Gorontalo Distr. (Forsten 4, Meyer 10, Rosenb. 11, 

 etc.); Togian (Meyer iO); Lake Posso (P. & F. Sarasin 17); Tete Adji, South Penins. 

 (Weber b 9); Saleyer (Weber b 9). 



The Common Sandpiper ranges from the arctic shores of Europe to the 

 Cape of Good Hope, from Kamtschatka to Tasmania, from Ireland in the west 

 to Japan in the east; it is found alike on the strand of the Elbe at Dresden 

 and of the Bay of Manado, Celebes. It is not known, however, in America, 

 nor in New Zealand, being represented in the New World by Actitis macularia (L.) 

 in which, when adult and in breeding plumage, the under-parts are spotted with 

 blackish. The legs of the latter are yellower, which with some other small 

 differences may serve to distinguish it in winter and when younger. 



In the northern parts of its range the Common Sandpiper is only a summer 

 visitor, migrating southward in autumn. In Celebes it is to some extent a re- 

 sident, as shown by specimens collected by Meyer at Limbotto in July and 

 August and at Togian in August, but its numbers are probably greatly increased 

 by migrants from the north in winter. In Borneo, where it is fairly common, 

 according to Whitehead, some also apparently remain throughout the year. 



I 



