116 A CATALOGrE OF THE BIKDS 



inoiitli, and Mr. C. M. Adamson shot one on the 9th ; both these 

 specimens had acquired their summer plumage. 



The late Mr. "VYolley took, on the Paroe Islands, at the end of 

 June, 1849, a young individual which had not attained its full 

 plumage, a considerable portion of down still remaining on the 

 head and on various parts of the body. One of the parents "was 

 shot at the same time, which was, as well as the young individ- 

 ual, kindly presented to me by my late lamented friend. 



Mr. Selby states, in his "Illustrations of British Ornithology," 

 that the Fame Islands ai^e a favourite resort of the Purple Sand- 

 piper, and it sometimes happens that a few stragglers are left at 

 the period of the vernal migration, remaining through the sum- 

 mer and breeding on the smaller islets. He continues, '' I have 

 hitherto been unable to obtain the eggs, but have met with the 

 young more than once in the month of June." There is probably 

 some mistake here. The egg has never been taken on the iNorth- 

 umberland coast, and I know of nothing to support Mr. Selby' s 

 belief that this species ever breeds at the Parne Islands. 



111. PELIDNA, G. Ciwier. 



23. Pigmy Curlew. P. suBAnaTJATA, (Guldenst.) 



Tringa sitharquata, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, II., 73. 

 Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 47. 



An autumn visitant ; frequent on our shores in September. 

 The young only arrive ; they are all in the first dress, and depart 

 before they attain the winter plumage. I have never seen an 

 adult bird taken in our district, either in winter or summer 

 dress. I am indebted to Mr. Blyth for adult sjDecimens, which 

 were bought in the flesh in Calcutta market. The specimen 

 figured by Bewick is in my possession : it was shot near Sunder- 

 land, and is in the first plumage. 



It is stated that the Pigmy Curlew has been found breeding in 

 two localities in the north of Scotland (Grey's "Birds of the 

 West of Scotland"), upon what appear to me insufficient grounds. 

 One of the localities alluded to is the marshy land by the side of 

 Loch Spynic. I frequently nnd carefully searched this ground 



