442 TEINGA. 



Variations. SIBERIAN and American forms appear generally to be distinguishable. 



iSynonymy. 



Literature. 



Tringa aurita, Latham, Index Orn. Suppl. p. Ixvi (1801). 



Totanus acuminatus, Horsfield, Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 192 (1820). 



Tringa australis, Jar dine ^ Selby, III. Orn. ii. pi. 91 (1829, nee Gmel.). 



Schoeniclus australis {Jard. ^ Sdby), Gray, List Birds Brit. Mus. iii. p. 105 (1844, nee Gmel). 



Tringa acuminata (Horsfield), Swinhoe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, p. 316. 



Limnocinclus acuminatus {Horsfield), Gould, Handb. Birds of Australia, ii. p. 254 (1865). 



Plates.— Jardine & Selby, 111. Orn. ii. pi. 91 ; Gould, Birds of Australia, vi. pi. 30. 

 Habits.— Gould, Handbook Birds Austr. ii. p. 254. 

 Eggs. — Unknown. 



Specific 

 characters. 



The Siberian Pectoral Sandpiper and its American ally belong to the central group of 

 the genus, which have dark central upper tail-coverts, and little or no white on the 

 secondaries excfept a narrow margin. They may be diagnosed from the other species of 

 the group by the characters ler/s and feet pale, wing from carpal joint more than 4| inches. 

 From each other they are much more difficult to diagnose, so much so indeed that it is 

 scarcely doubtful that they are only subspecifically distinct. 



Subspecific 

 characters. 



T. pectoralis. 



in. in. 



Wing ... 6-0 to 5-7 

 Bill .... 1-0 to 1-1 

 Tarsus . . . I'lo to 1-2 



Central feathers of the tail '25 longer 

 than next, and '35 longer than outer- 

 most. 



Flanks very sparingly streaked. Belly 

 and under tail-coverts pure white in 

 adult in summer. 



Central feathers of the tail "1 longer 

 than next, and -35 longer than outer- 

 most. 



All the underparts spotted or streaked 

 in adult in summer. 



The Siberian Pectoral Sandpiper has the lateral tail-feathers somewhat more pointed 

 than its ally, but this appears to be an uncertain character. Intermediate forms also occur 

 in which the relative length of the tail-feathers is halfway between the two extremes 

 quoted above. 



The Siberian Pectoral Sandpiper probably breeds in Dauria, as Dybowski obtained 



