1 



796 Birds of Celebes: Charadriidae, 



b. Mesoscolopax minutus (1) Sharpe, Cat. B. 1896, XXIV, 371, 755. 



For further references cf. Salvadori cS; Sharpe b 1. 



Figures and descriptions. Gould II, a 4; Temm. & Sclil. all; Salvad. 8; Dresser a 5 

 (diagn.); Seebohm 11 (diagn.); Sharpe b 1. 



Description. Head above dark brown, varied with buff-brown edgings; mantle, scapu- 

 lars and tertiaries dark brown, with buff-brown side-notches and tips; middle and 

 greater wing-coverts much the same, but with more whitish motthngs; lower 

 back and rump dark brown with whitish tips, the upper tail-coverts with whitish 

 tips and notches; tail pale brown, with about 8 dark bars; lesser wing-coverts, 

 alula, primary-coverts and remiges dark brown; lores and superciliary stripe 

 buff, ear-coverts browner; under surface huffy, with streaks of brown on the 

 neck all round, taking the form of naiTow sagittate and brace-shaped bars on breast 

 and sides; the under wing-coverts and axillaries buff with narrow bars; "iris 

 black; bill fleshy (coloured) at the base, ohve-brown at the tij); feet bluish lead- 

 colour" (Gould a 4); wing 180 mm; tail 75; tarsus 50; mid. toe with claw 32; 

 exposed cuhnen 45 ("Q", Java: v. Schierbrand — 12375). 



Female. The female is described by Taczanowski (17) as having the top of the head 

 more strongly varied with fulvous than the male, the streaks on the sides of the 

 bead finer and less numerous, the outer web of the lateral rectrix yellow in the 

 clear spaces. 



Young. The young has not yet been described; probably it is much hke the adults, but 

 has the tertiaries, scapulars, etc. spotted, rather than notched, with buff-brown. 



Eggs. Unknown. 



Distribution. East Siberia from Dauria to Lake Baikal (Dybowski & Godlewski 17); 

 Mongolia (David 7); Japan (Siebold a II, Pryer a 6, 13); Formosa (Swinhoe a 3); 

 Cliina (Swinhoe, David, etc. 7, 8, 14, 16); Java (v. Schierbrand); North Celebes 

 (fide Schlegel 4, Riedel ff""); Batchian (Wallace 8); Amboina (S. Miiller 5, 8); 

 ? Mysol (v. Rosenberg 8); Aru (fide Schl., 4, 8, Ribbe 9); Australia (Gould II, 

 a 4, Ramsay a 7). 



The Little Whimbrel has been recorded only twice from Celebes, viz. by 

 Schlegel, who received an example, or examples, from the North of the island 

 subsequently to publishing his catalogue of the Scolopaces in 18(34, and by 

 Briiggemann from Gorontalo, where it was obtained by Riedel. It seems to 

 be altogether a somewhat rare species. Gould only once encountered a flock 

 in Australia, but Dr. E. P. Ramsay is able to note its occurrence at a number 

 of different points in the country. In the breeding season, Godlewski (17) 

 observed it in Dauria, but did not find it breeding, as the traveller did not 

 at this time visit the vast steppes covered with a feeble vegetation where the 

 bird then takes up its quarters. Seebohm in 1890 could record only two 

 examples from Japan. It has been more abundantly observed in China as a 

 spring and autumn migrant; Mr. De La Touche remarks that, according to the 

 native wild-fowlers, it is common during the spring passage near Foochow. In 

 the East India Archipelago the records of its occurrence are of an isolated 

 character. 



Numenius minutus is at once distinguishable from the other Curlews found 

 in Celebes by its small size and small slender bill; its lower back and rump 



