Vol. xxxiii.] 100 



the West Siberian Dunlins have the longest bills, the Vadstf 

 birds approach them in size, while individuals from all three 

 areas show considerable overlapping. 



" I can only add that in a series of seventy Dunlins shot 

 in Britain at all seasons, I find intergradation from the 

 smallest to the largest in both sexes. 



" The Dunlin which occurs in America and. in East 

 Siberia (Tringa alpina pacifica) is tolerably easy to dis- 

 tinguish in summer plumage by the richer, brighter, and 

 rufous-brown of the upperparts, that colour extending further 

 over the rump and upper tail-coverts than in the European 

 Dunlin, by the white chin and throat with fewer dark 

 markings, and by the greater amount of black on the 

 belly. In the winter- and in the juvenile plumage I 

 cannot find any constant difference. In the Catalogue of 

 the Birds in the British Museum it is stated to be somewhat 

 more ashy on the throat and chest in winter-plumage than 

 is T. alpina. This last character I find very variable, and 

 it does not hold good in individuals. 



a The American race is, however, said to be superior in 

 size ; and, taking the average measurements, I find this to 

 be true, but it does not apply to individual measurements. 

 I have examined a good many British-taken Dunlins 

 which exceed the smallest American birds in one or more 

 measurements, and the following examples do so in all 

 measurements : — 



$ . Orford, Suffolk, 10. x. 12. . . 

 2- „ „ 9.x. 12... 



$ . Lowestoft, Suffolk, 17. i. 12 

 $. „ „ 18.L12 



"Perhaps the most remarkable examples of the Dunlin 

 I have examined are the two which I exhibit, which were 

 shot at Fair Isle by Mr. Eagle Clarke on the 23rd of Sep- 

 tember, 1905. These have longer bills and tarsi than almost 

 any examples of T. a. pacifica I have measured, and I regard 

 them as examples of the true T. a. pacifica, which had 









Middle toe 



Bill. 



Wing. 



Tarsus. 



with claw. 



36-5 



119 



25-5 



22-25 



37 



120 



25 



22-75 



37 



122-5 



26-5 



22 



34 



121-5 



26 



23-5 



