CHAEADEIJD^ TKINGA 409 



Examples shot early in the season in South Africa (Upington 

 August 31, and Inhambane September 5), are intermediate in 

 character, retaining traces of the chestnut and black mottling on 

 the back and of the chestnut below, while a specimen in full 

 breeding dress was brought alive to Mr. Layard on April 26, and is 

 still preserved in the South African Museum. 



Distribution. — It is only quite recently that the breeding- 

 grounds of the Curlew Sandpiper have been discovered and the 

 eggs obtained. On July 3, 1897, Mr. Hugh L. Popham found a 

 nest with four eggs on a little island at the mouth of the Yenesei 

 Eiver in Siberia (see Newton, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1897, p. 890, pi. 51, 

 figs. 1-4). On migration this bird is found throughout the greater 

 part of Europe and Asia, while it winters in the Mediterranean 

 basin, Africa and South Asia as far as Australia. It has acci- 

 dentally occurred in Alaska, Eastern and North America and the 

 West Indies. 



Fig. 130. — Head of Tringa subarquata. x \i 



In South Africa the Curlew Sandpiper is abundant during the 

 northern winter months from October to March, though sometimes 

 arriving in August ; it is met with chiefly along the sea-coast, but 

 also inland in suitable localities. 



The following are recorded occurrences : Cape Colony — Cape 

 division, September, November, April (S. A. Mus.), Saldana Bay, 

 September (S. A. Mus.), Port Elizabeth (Brown), Port St. John's, 

 September (S. A. Mus.), Orange Eiver, August 31 (Bradshaw) ; 

 Natal — near Durban, December (Reid), January (S. A. Mus.); 

 Orange Eiver Colony — Vredefort Eoad (B. Hamilton) ; Transvaal 

 — Potchefstroom, November (Ayres) ; German South-west Africa 

 — Walvisoh Bay, October, November, April (Andersson), Eeheboth, 

 October (Fleck) ; Portuguese East Africa — Inhambane, September 

 (Francis). 



