186 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



questions of age and sex may be disregarded, as the sexes are the same size, 

 and, once the young are able to fly, their bills and wings appear to reach 

 their normal adult development. As will be seen on reference to the list 

 of measurements, almost all the specimens were obtained in two localities a 

 few miles apart, namely, between Dungeness and Littlestone in Kent, and 

 at Rye Harbour in Sussex. At Littlestone there are no drains, and the 

 shore is merely a flat stretch of sand and shingle ; while at Rye there is a 

 large extent of shore, a river with high banks uncovered at low water, and 

 a small sailing intersected by drains. Of the ten birds from Littlestone, 

 only one is of the small form ; and of twelve specimens from Rye, half 

 of them belong to the short-billed race— a result which certainly tends to 

 confirm Mr. Backhouse's remarks. It is unfortunately not noted which of 

 the Rye birds were shot on the shore, and which in the drains, or possibly 

 the results might be of a still more confirmatory character. Of two birds, 

 however, shot on the fjeld near Vadso, in Norwegian Lapland, one belongs 

 to the large race and one to the small, and these birds were at that time 

 breeding near the same place, and in a precisely similar situation, viz. a wet 

 swamp on the fjeld some two miles from the coast. Mr. Barriugton, in his 

 recent work on the Migration of Irish Birds, gives the measurements of the 

 wings of twenty-four examples, showing all variations from 4*87 in. to 

 3 95 in., neither form preponderating at any particular station. If these 

 forms were in reality distinct races, we should expect to find either (1) that 

 there was a distinct break in the continuity of the measurements, or (2) 

 that their geographical distribution was diSerent — at any rate, during some 

 period of the year. But, as neither of these tests is borne out by the 

 facts, and wherever the species is found both forms occur in fairly equal 

 numbers, they can only be considered as the extremes of a very variable 

 species. It is at the same time interesting to note that the difference in 

 length of the bill is to a certain extent correlated with different habits, 

 and, if one may be permitted to theorise, it seems probable that in this 

 case the bill has influenced the habits, and not vice versa, as is generally 

 the case. 



Large Form. 



Bill. Wing. 



Dungeness J adult, September ... 1-46 in. 4-75 in. 



<? young, „ .:. 1-22 4-86 



J •• „ - 1-24 4-75 



3 ,. „ ... 1-26 4-74 



3 ., „ ... 1-26 4-51 



, $ ., ,. ... 1-47 4-7.'i 



? „ ,. ... l-2() 4-5 



2 „ 1-22 4-52 



? „ „ ... 1-18 4-51 (doubtful 



Kye Harbour 3 ,, 1-34 4-75 



,, 3 ,. January 1-24 4*7 



3 „ „ ' l-3o 4-75 



