388 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
wliitish_, and the shafts of the laterals white ; lesser wing-coverts almost 
uniform blackish brown ; median and greater coverts dark brown_, most 
of the feathers edged with white ; quills dark brown^ the shaft of the first 
primary whitish_, those of the others hair-brown ; tertiaries paler brown 
tinged with ashy ; cheeks, ear- coverts and sides of the neck whitish 
streaked with brown ; the whole lower plumage and axillaries white, the 
sides of the breast streaked with brown, a few streaks extending to the 
middle of the breast ; under wing-coverts next the margin dark brown 
edged with white_, the others pure white. 
In summer the superciliary streaks are marked with brownish ; the lores 
are nearly black ; the. ear-coverts dark brown; the throat,, breast and neck 
all round boldly streaked with brown with a tinge of rufous ; the crown 
and forehead nearly black, some of the lateral feathers edged with 
rufous or white ; the back, rump^ upper tail- coverts, scapulars and 
tertiaries black, each feather fringed with rufous or white^ or an inter- 
mixture of the two j the central tail-feathers nearly black_, edged on the 
outer web with rufous ; the wings and their coverts much the same as in 
winter ; abdomen and lower plumage white, the sides of the body spotted 
with brown. 
Iris dark brown ; bill brown, tinged with olive ; legs olive-brown claws 
horny brown. 
Length 6*75 inches, tail 1*5, wing 4*2^ tarsus "9^ bill from gape l'I8. 
The bill is longer than the head, straight except at the tip, where it is 
slightly curved downwards_, and it is very stout throughout. 
An allied species (L. sibirica) inhabits China and Eastern Siberia; it 
differs in having the crown and entire upper parts in summer plumage 
margined with bright rufous. In winter the two species appear to be un- 
distinguishable. The only specimen of this type of Sandpiper which I ever 
shot in Burmah is in winter plumage ; but it agrees so well with Indian 
examples of L . platyrhyncha that I am disposed to consider it of this species. 
L. sibirica is quite as likely^ however^ to occur in British Burmah. 
Mr. Blyth records this Sandpiper from Arrakan ; I procured it near 
the town of Pegu ; and Dr. Armstrong found it abundant in the Irrawaddy 
Delta^ and he also met with it at Amherst in Tenasserim. It will there- 
fore in all probability be found common along the entire sea-coast and all 
the tidal rivers of the Province in the winter. 
It is spread, according to season^ over the whole of Europe^ North 
Africa and Asia^ extending down the Malay peninsula into the islands of 
the Archipelago. The range of this and the allied species L. sibirica in 
Asia is not known with certainty^ and must perhaps always remain in 
doubt with regard to those countries where these birds are found only 
in winter plumage^ for at this season the two species^ as before remarked, 
would appear to be undistinguishable. 
