SCHINZ'S SANDPIPER. 



Tringa Schinzii, Bonap. 



Through the kindness of Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., we are enabled to add this species to the list of British 

 Birds ; a single specimen killed at Stoke Heath near Market Drayton, Shropshire, a few years since, is now 

 in that gentleman's collection. We have compared the individual from which our figure is taken, with others 

 killed in America, between which we could discover no difference. Its shorter bill and white rump will at all 

 times serve to distinguish it from the other European members of the group. We believe that the continent 

 of America is the true habitat of this species, and that its occurrence in England must be attributed to acci- 

 dental causes. 



M. Temminck has forwarded us specimens of the Tringa Schinzii, Brehm, which he informs us were received 

 from M. Brehm himself. On examining these specimens we cannot however but express our misgivings as to 

 their specific value, resembling as they do in every particular the Dunlin {Tringa variabilis) of our island : the 

 only difference we could discover between M. Brehm's bird and examples of the Dunlin killed in England 

 was that the former were rather smaller in size ; but we doubt not that among the numerous examples of the 

 Dunlin brought to our markets we could find males equally diminutive. The bird here represented, and 

 which is very distinct from the Dunlin, has been considered by American naturalists as the Tringa Schinzii of 

 Brehm, in consequence of which much confusion has arisen, which confusion will perhaps be removed by 

 allowing the name of Schinzii to remain for the present bird, and consequently to be the Tringa Schinzii 

 of Bonaparte and not of Brehm, whose bird we firmly believe to be synonymous with Tringa variabilis. 



" They are," says Mr. Nuttall, " either seen in flocks by themselves or accompanying other Sandpipers, which 

 they entirely resemble in their habits and food, frequenting marshy shores, and borders of lakes and brackish 

 waters. They associate in the breeding-season, and are then by no means shy ; but during autumn, accom- 

 panying different birds, they become wild and restless. Their voice resembles that of the Dunlin, but is more 

 feeble ; and they nest near their usual haunts." The eggs are four in number, smaller than those of the 

 Dunlin, and of a yellowish grey spotted with olive or chestnut brown. 



Crown of the head, neck, wings, and tail dark brown with paler margins ; centre of the back and scapu- 

 laries blackish brown tipped with pale brown and margined on each side with rufous ; primaries dark brown, 

 with white shafts ; rump pure white ; throat and all the under surface whitish ; the lower part of the neck, 

 breast, and flanks ornamented with numerous oblong spots of dark brown ; bill and feet black. 



Our figure is of the natural size. 



