Ill I I ; SCHINZ’S SANDPIPER .
Tringa Schinzii, Bonap.
T h r o u g h the kindness o f Sir Rowland Hill, Bart., we are enabled to add this species to the list o f 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 o f the group. We believe that the continent
o f America is the true habitat o f this species, and that its occurrence in England must be attributed td accidental
causes.
M. Temminck has forwarded us specimens o f 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 o f the Dunlin killed in England
was that the former were rather smaller in size ; but we doubt not that among the numerous examples o f 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 o f which much confusion has arisen, which confusion will perhaps be removed by
allowing the name o f Schinzii to remain for the present bird, and consequently to be the Tringa Schinzii
o f Bonaparte and not o f 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 o f lakes and brackish
waters. They associate in the breeding-season, and are then by no means sh y; but during autumn, accompanying
different birds, they become wild and restless. Their voice resembles that o f 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 o f a yellowish grey spotted with olive or chestnut brown.
Crown o f the head, .neck, wings, and tail dark brown with paler margins ; centre o f 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 o f the neck,
breast, and flanks ornamented with numerous oblong spots o f dark brown; bill and feet black.
Our figure is o f the natural size.