88 SCOLOPACID.E. 



hatched, and hide so effectually, that it requires a dog 

 to find them. Some ornithologists inform us that the Dun- 

 lin only shews itself inland during the breeding-season ; we 

 have, however, shot several on the banks of the Thames, 

 many miles from its mouth, during the winter, particularly 

 when the snow lay deep on the ground, at which times these 

 birds frequent patches of sand or gravelly creeks, which have 

 been sheltered from the snow by overhanging banks. The 

 Dunlin is known to breed annually in the northern coun- 

 ties of England, and in Scotland. 



The measurements of the Dunlin are these ; entire 

 length eight inches ; the beak one inch and a quarter ; the 

 wing from the carpus to the tip four inches and a half. 



The adult in spring plumage bears great resemblance 

 to the foregoing species, the Purple Sandpiper, at the same 

 period of the year, but the beak and legs of the Dunlin 

 being black, distinguish it without a moment's doubt. The 

 plumage of the top of the head and back is ferruginous 

 brown with markings of dusky and black on the centres 

 of the feathers ; the neck is greyish-ash, spotted with black 

 and dusky, the spots being most numerous about the upper 

 parts of the breast and sides ; some appear on the flanks ; 

 the belly and vent are white ; the rump and upper tail- 

 coverts are ash-colour and black ; the middle tail-feathers 

 dark hair brown, with paler edges, the outer ash-coloured ; 

 the chin is white ; the cheeks streaked with hair-brown 

 and grey ; the iris brown. 



The winter plumage of the same bird is a general colouring 

 of bistre-brown with pale edges to the feathers and a tinge 

 of cinereous ash-colour ; the chin, belly, and vent white, 

 the iris dusky. 



The egg figured 201 is that of the Dunlin. 



