THE GREY-RUMPED SANDPIPER 637 



Incomplete bars of same ; wing as adult but innermost secondaries 

 and coverts as scapulars (notches confined to outer webs), median 

 coverts as mantle but tipped light buff or white, sometimes with 

 subterminal darker grey markings ; lower lesser coverts faintly 

 edged light buff or white. 



First winter. — As adult and only to be distinguished by worn 

 light buff or white tips or faded brownish -grey juvenile median and 

 lesser coverts and by juvenile tail-feathers when not moulted. The 

 juvenile body -feathers, one or two central pairs of tail-feathers 

 (sometimes not any tail-feathers), some innermost secondaries and 

 coverts, some median and lesser coverts are moulted Sept. to Jan. 

 but not rest of wings. First summer. — As adult and only to be 

 distinguished from adult when edges of juvenile wing-coverts are 

 not too much abraded. Moult as in adult. N.B. — Some birds miss 

 the spring moult into breeding-plumage and during the summer 

 moult into winter -plumage. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 156-169 mm., tail 63-70, 

 tarsus 30-35, bill from feathers 35-40 (12 measured). $ wing 162- 

 171.5, bill 36-42. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd 3-7 mm. 

 shorter, 4th 9-16 shorter, 5th 20-26 shorter, 6th 30-36 shorter ; 

 3rd to 6th slightly emarginated on outer webs. Longest inner 

 secondary between 5th and 7th primaries. Tail of medium length 

 and rounded. Bill short, stout and straight, nasal groove about 

 half length of culmen. Other structure, except tarsus which is 

 shorter and stronger, as in T. flavipes. 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad.) black-brown, base of lower mandible 

 yellow-ochre, (juv.) dark brownish -slate ; legs and feet yellow- 

 ochre ; iris brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — T. i. incana (America) is larger, 

 upper -parts in all plumages darker, under -parts in summer uniformly 

 barred, and other differences. Uniform mouse-grey back, rump 

 and upper tail-coverts, grey axillaries and under wing-co verts 

 distinguish species. 

 Breeding-habits. — Unknown. 



Food. — Mainly a coast haunting species but exact details unknown. 

 Distribution. — England. — Two. Male and female, Rye Harbour 

 (Sussex), Sept. 23rd and 27th, 1914 (ut supra). 

 Distribution. — Abroad. — Probably breeds in eastern Siberia and 

 Kamtschatka, ranging through Sakhalin, Kuriles, Japan, China, 

 Riu-Kiu Isles, Malay Archipelago to some Pacific Islands, New 

 Guinea and Australia. Replaced in America by an allied race 

 which winters in Mexico and Oceania. 



Genus PHALAROPUS Brigs. 



Phalaropus Brisson, Orn., i, p. 50 (1760 — Type by tautonymy " Phalar- 

 opus," i.e. Tringa fulicaria L., 1758, according to vi, p. 12). 



Differs from other Limicolce, by the lobed feet, reminding one 

 of those of Podiceps and Fulica, toes having lateral membranes 



