596 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



EREUNETES PUSILLUS 



401. Ereunetes pusillus pusillus (L.)— THE SEMI-PALMATED 

 SANDPIPER. 



Trixga pusilla Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. xn, i. p. 252 (1766 — San 



Domingo). 



Ereunetes pusillus, N. F. Ticehurst, Brit. B., 1, p. 223. 



Description.— Adult male and female. Winter. — Crown, nape, 

 mantle and scapulars ash -brown, feathers faintly edged white ; 

 crown and nape streaked sepia, mantle and scapulars with sepia 

 shaft-streaks, some scapulars with sepia centres ; back, rump and 

 upper tail-coverts sepia, feathers edged ash-brown ; incomplete 

 eye-stripe white ; lores, ear-coverts and sides of neck white narrowly 

 streaked dusky ; upper-breast white narrowly streaked dusky, 

 most pronounced at sides ; remaining under -parts white ; tail- 

 feathers pale ash-brown faintly edged white, inner webs of central 

 pair sepia ; primaries sepia paler on inner webs, 6th and succeeding 

 narrowly margined white on outer webs ; secondaries sepia tipped 

 white and more or less white on inner webs ; innermost secondaries 

 and coverts as scapulars ; primary-coverts black-brown faintly 

 tipped white ; rest of wing-coverts ash-brown, greater coverts 

 broadly, rest faintly tipped white. This plumage is acquired by 

 complete moult July to Nov. N.B. — One or two Feb. birds had 2nd 

 primary in quill but wing-moult is usually completed ear her. 

 Summer. — The body-feathers (not all scapulars nor all feathers of 

 back and rump nor all upper tail-coverts), apparently sometimes 

 tail, some innermost secondaries and coverts but not rest of wings 

 are moulted Feb. to May. Crown black-brown, feathers edged 

 pink-buff ; nape pinkish or light buff streaked sepia ; mantle and 

 scapulars black-brown, feathers with broad edges of ash-brown,, 

 edges mostly suffused pink-buff or pink-cinnamon especially on 

 scapulars ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts as winter ; ear- 

 coverts buff streaked dusky ; cheeks and sides of neck white 

 narrowly streaked sepia ; chin white ; lower -throat and upper-breast 

 white spotted and streaked sepia ; remaining under -parts, tail and 

 wings as winter. N.B. — Towards end of summer upper-breast has 

 somewhat barred appearance due to abrasion of white edges and 

 consequent disclosing of pale brown bases of feathers. 4 or 5 June 

 specimens examined were in winter plumage having apparently 

 moulted into winter instead of summer plumage. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Crown sepia, feathers edged sandy-buff ; nape 

 streaked sepia or dusky-brown, feathers edged cream or ashy- 

 w r hite ; mantle and scapulars black-brown, feathers edged ochra- 

 ceous-buff and creamy-white ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts 

 sepia, feathers edged buff ; lores and ear-coverts dusky-brown ;. 

 sides of neck greyish -white streaked dusky-brown ; chin and throat 

 as adult ; upper-breast washed buff, streaked at sides dusky-brown 

 (sometimes centre white) ; remaining under -parts white ; tail- 



