THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Mr. Tom Carter writes that this birdj though nowhere common, has been 
observed in various parts of West Australia. He shot one on October 30th, 
1901, at Point Cloates, and observed others in January of 1888 and 1895, 
and March, 1910, on the banks of the Vasse River in South-west Austraha. 
“ This species is common but very wild. With a high tide and covered 
beach they are to be seen on the rocks at the water’s edge preening their feathers 
or sleeping. One can then get a gunshot at them, but if not promptly killed 
they are difficult to secure, because of their cleverness in diving. When I 
wounded the one forwarded (11.9.01) it fell into clear water. Upon trying 
to pick it up it went under and swam as easily as a Grebe. It used its wings 
in the same manner as a Plotus, and moved rapidly through the water. I 
had to fire a second time. 
“ When feeding this species seems to prefer rocks and shingle beaches 
rather than mud flats.”* 
Middendorfi collected specimens near the Stanovoi Mountains, and towards 
the end of August also on the south coast of the sea of Ockotsk. 
He records it also from S’ajanischen (Sajan) Mountains. 
Schrenck found it one of the commonest birds on the banks of the Amur. 
During his journey up the river he had almost daily opportunities of noticing 
it along the pebbly shore, where it relieved the monotony. He found it easy 
to approach near enough in the boat to shoot it. He first saw it on his 
journey up stream near Tebach, on the 16 (28) of May, but it must have 
been there earlier. Mostly they were to be seen in pairs, sometimes in small 
floclis of three or four birds. All specimens were in summer-plumage. In 
July and August he and Maaok shot specimens in Dondon on the Amur, 
Tumurgu on the Ussuri, in the Burega Mountains, etc. As late as 15 (27) 
August they showed no signs of moulting. 
Radde shot a male on Lake Baikal on the 16th July. 
“ Dybowski and Godlewski found it common in all the country they 
visited between Lake Baikal and the sea of Japan, and that it did not differ 
in habits from European birds. It arrives in the first half of May. Early 
in June it commences to brood, and stays till October. The bird certainly 
nests in the island of Sakhaline ; we met it in smaU numbers in June and July 
on the River Douika, and on the shore of the sea near Alexandrowka. 
Poljakow found it in May at the mouth of the river Siska ” [Nikolski]. 
(Taczanowski, Z.c.) 
As suggested by Grayf the bird figured in the Watling Drawings, upon 
which Latham founded Tringa aurita, is this species. Sharpe in 1906 made a 
great mistake when he considered it to be H. acuminata Horsfield. 
* Rogers, Emu, Vol. II., p. 66, 1902. •(■ Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Vol. XI., p, 194, 1843. 
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