THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 595 



tipped cream ; median coverts sandy-brown with cream-buff edges 

 and a subterminal bar or central streak of sepia ; inner median and 

 lesser coverts sepia, edged pink-buff. 



First winter. — Not examined. One Oct. bird had acquired 

 some adult winter -plumage on mantle. First summer. — (Not 

 examined.) 



Measurements and structure. — <$ wing 129-138 mm., tail 54-60, 

 tarsus 29-32.5, bill from feathers 20.5-22.5 (11 measured). ? wing 

 124.5-128.5, bill 18-21. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest. 

 3rd equal or 2-3.5 mm. shorter, 4th 8.5-10.5 shorter, 5th 16.5-19 

 shorter, 6th 24.5-28 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 6th 

 and 7th primaries. Tail square, central pair longest. Bill short, 

 slender and tapering. 



Soft parts. — Bill black ; legs and feet dull orange ; iris dark brown 



Characters. — No subspecies. Distinguished by pink-buff under - 

 parts and by inner webs of primaries and secondaries being freckled 

 with black. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts dry banks and ridges on tundra. 

 Nest. — Only shallow depression in black peaty soil, lined with a 

 little moss or leaves. Eggs. — 4 usually, 5 once recorded, pyriform, 

 clay-coloured to greyish -buff in ground, boldly and quite irregularly 

 marked with rich umber -brown, occasionally shading into black, and 

 in most cases chiefly at large end, with ashy-grey shellmarks. 4 eggs 

 measure, 38.1x26.1, 37.6x27.9, 36.8x25.9, and 35.5x26.4 mm. 

 (Coues). Breeding -season. — June 26-July 9 on Barren Grounds 

 (MacFarlane). Incubation. — By female, but no details of period. 

 Single brooded. 



Pood. — Chiefly insects ; coleoptera and diptera recorded. 

 Distribution. — British Isles. — About eighteen, mostly Sept., but 

 one May and one July. Lines, (one), Norfolk (five), Cambs. (one), 

 Sussex (one), Cornwall and Scilly (four), Lundy Island (one), Lanes, 

 (one), Cumberland (one), Dublin (one), Down (two), [Caithness 

 (one) supposed], (Saunders, p. 601 and Brit. B., n, pp. 241, 269). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds along arctic coasts of N. America 

 and easternmost arctic Asia. Winters in Argentina and Uruguay, 

 passing, on migration, through N. America, casual west Europe 

 (Heligoland, Switzerland), also Bermudas, Sea of Ochotsk, and 

 japan. 



Genus EREUNETES 111. 



Ereunbtes Illiger, Prodr. Syst. Mamm. et Av., p. 262 (1811 — Monotype 

 E. petrificatus 111. = pusillus (L.)). 



Small Sandpipers of about size of Little Stint, might well be 

 united with Calidris, but front toes united by web to almost their 

 middle. Bill as long as head or very little longer, tail doubly 

 ^marginate, but not deeply, central pair much longer than lateral. 

 2 forms, generally looked upon as subspecies of one species. Arctic 

 America, migrating S. America. 



