592 CURLEW-SANDPIPER. 
shot a female from a nest containing 4 eggs, near the mouth of 
the last-named river. Even there, the species was very scarce, and 
the Yenesei probably forms the western breeding-limit. Further 
east Middendorff had been nearly successful, fur he observed birds 
dispersed over the tundras of the Taimyr in lat. 74° N. in June, 
and secured a female with a partially-shelled egg in her oviduct ; 
while Dr. Bunge noticed migrants passing over the Lena delta, 
probably on their way to the Liakoff Islands, and the ‘ Vega’ Expedi- 
tion obtained a specimen close to Bering Strait on June 6th 1879. 
Mr. J. Murdoch procured an example at Point Barrow, Alaska, on 
June 6th 1883, but, with this exception, the species is unknown in 
Arctic America, while it is of rare occurrence on the Atlantic sea- 
board of the United States, and is exceptional in the West Indies. 
In winter it has been found down to Patagonia, Tasmania, and 
Cape Colony ; while the mountain-ranges of Central Asia offer no 
barrier to its progress to or from the Indian region, and Severtzoff 
_always maintained that it bred on the lofty Pamirs. In spring, 
migrants in the richest red plumage are to be seen from the Canaries 
and Spain to Egypt and the Levant, passing northwards. 
Mr. Popham’s nest, above mentioned, was a rather deep hollow 
in a ridge of the tundra; the 4 eggs resemble some of those of the 
Common Snipe, though smaller: average 1°45 by 1 in. (see Pr. 
Z. S. 1897, p. 490, pl. li., figs. 1-4). The bird is generally found, 
later in the year, in small flocks on sandy shores, ooze and salt- 
marshes, frequently associating with Dunlins and other Waders, 
though as a rule it keeps somewhat apart. Its wings are compara- 
tively long and pointed, and the flight is very strong, especially 
down wind, the white rump being then conspicuous. The note 
is more prolonged than that of the Dunlin; the food consists of 
aquatic insects, small crustaceans, and worms. 
The adult in summer-plumage has the head, neck and mantle 
chestnut, streaked and barred with black and grey; upper tail-coverts 
white tinged with buff, and broadly barred with black; quills. and 
tail-feathers ash-grey ; under parts chestnut-red, slightly barred with 
dark brown and grey on the abdomen and flanks. After the autumn 
moult the rufous colour is lost, and the under parts become white. 
Length 8 in. (bill 1°4), wing 5:1 in.; females being rather larger 
than males. The young bird (figured in the foreground) has the 
upper feathers margined with buff; tail-coverts white; throat and 
upper breast tinged with buff, and streaked with pale brown; 
remaining under parts white ; bill at first shorter and less decurved 
than in the adult. 
