THE DUNLIN. 571 



$ wing 110-122, bill 29-37 (British-taken birds, not breeding). 

 Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd 2-4 mm. shorter, 4th 7-10 

 shorter, 5th 15-19 shorter, 6th 22-29 shorter. Longest innermost 

 secondary between 3rd and 6th primaries. Tail short, central pair 

 longest, lateral pair slightly exceeding rest. Bill longer than head, 

 straight, tapering, slightly decurved at tip, both mandibles grooved 

 nearly to tip. Tarsus scutellated. Four toes, unwebbed. 

 Soft parts. — Bill black ; feet dark olive ; iris brown. 



Characters. — C. a. pusilla (W. Siberia) requires further confirma- 

 tion ; C. a. sakhalina (N.E. Siberia, northern N. America) is larger 

 ((J wing 117-125 mm., bill 31.5-34.5. ? wing 118-128, bill 35-41) 

 and in summer has brighter upper -parts, nape whiter, chin, throat 

 and breast whiter and less heavily streaked black-brown, winter 

 plumage not distinguishable from that of C. a. alpina. Dunlin is 

 distinguished from its near allies in summer adult by black, and 

 juvenile by spotted, breast, in winter by ash-brown streaks on breast, 

 centre of which in Sander ling is uniform white, and by black-brown 

 upper tail-coverts which are white in Curlew-Sandpiper. For dis- 

 tinctions of C. maculata, C. acuminata and C. bairdii see under those 

 species. 



Field -characters. — Nests on boggy moorlands, low-lying peat- 

 mosses and salt-marshes. Our commonest shore-bird, often con- 

 gregating in huge flocks on sand-banks and mud-flats, and not un- 

 common inland on migration. Sociable, consorts habitually with 

 Ringed Plovers and other small waders. At all seasons long, rather 

 stout and slightly decurved bill, restless activity and round- 

 shouldered pose are diagnostic. Adult in summer distinguished 

 from other small waders by black patch on lower-breast. Young 

 in autumn have mottled chestnut and black upper -parts and black 

 streaks on sides of upper-breast and flanks. In winter upper -parts 

 are grey, darker than Sanderling's, and streaked, and there is an 

 obscure greyish breast-band. An indistinct wing-bar — not con- 

 spicuous as in Sander ling — shows in flight, but narrow white sides 

 of uniformly coloured central area of rump and tail are similar. 

 Trilling love-song in flight above nesting-place. Call-note a long- 

 drawn " dwee." In winter a soft " purre," often uttered in chorus. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts moorlands and rough pastures, usually 

 with marshy ground close at hand. Nest. — Neat cup of dry bents, 

 well hidden in tussock of grass or lined with leaves of bilberry 

 or salix among heather. Eggs. — Normally 4, occasionally 3 only 

 or rarely 5, 6 once recorded ; colour variable, ranging from pale 

 blue-green to yellowish or ochraceous sometimes very boldly 

 blotched or spotted, but in other cases finely speckled with rich 

 chocolate-brown and ashy-grey shellmarks. Markings often show 

 signs of rotatory movement in oviduct. Average of 100 eggs, 34.3 

 X24.4. Max. : 38.3x25.4 and 35x25.8. Min. : 31.3x23.2 and 

 32x23 mm. Breeding -season. — About second or third week May 

 onward in British Isles according to latitude. Incubation. — By 



