204 
MR. T. SOUTHWELL ON RARE BIRDS IN NORFOLK. 
first a male, and the second a female, measured 227 and 221 mm., 
respectively. In a series of measurements of twelve individuals, 
collected from various sources, the wing from the flexure to the 
end of the longest quill-feather, varied from 127 mm. to 146 mm., 
the bill from 25 to 32 mm., and the tarsus from 24 to 32 mm. 
A young male, which I measured in the flesh, agreed precisely 
with the measurements given of a bird of the same sex by 
Macgillivray in his * Manual.’ A very remarkable feature in this 
bird during the breeding season, which, owing to the few 
opportunities naturalists have enjoyed of observing it at that 
time, appears to have been till recently imperfectly known, was, 
I believe, first observed by the late Surgeon Adams, a native of 
the adjoining county of Suffolk, who served as surgeon and 
naturalist on board the “ Investigator ” in the Arctic Seas in 
1848 — 49, and again in the same capacity in 1849 — 55 on 
board the “Enterprise,” and had exceptional opportunities of 
observing the birds of Berings Straits. Many of his drawings, 
made during the latter voyage, came into the possession of the 
British Museum, others were presented to Mr. G. R. Gray 
and Mr. Gould. On the 29th May, 1859 (P.Z.S. for that 
year, p. 130), Mr. Gray laid before a meeting of the Zoological 
Society a drawing of Tringa pectoralis by Mr. Adams, which 
“ exhibited the bird in the act of having inflated its throat and 
breast in the manner of a pouter pigeon.” Mr. Gray had little 
doubt, from the correctness of his other drawings, “ that Mr. Adams 
observed this singular phenomenon in the specimen from which 
the drawing was made.” 
Mr. E. W. Nelson, who visited Alaska and the islands in 
Berings Straits, in the “ Report upon the Natural History 
Collections” made by him between the years 1877 and 1881, 
published by the Washington Government, gives a coloured 
illustration of this bird, showing this remarkable inflation of 
the throat, and thus remarks upon its singular habits : “ The 
night of May 24th I lay wrapped in my blanket, and from the 
raised flap of the tent looked out over as dreary a cloud-covered 
landscape as can be imagined. The silence was unbroken, save by 
the tinkle and clinking of the disintegrating ice in the river, 
and at intervals by the wild notes of some restless loon, which 
arose in a hoarse reverberating cry, and died away in a strange 
