A C T IT I S EM PUS A, Gould.
Fairy Sandpiper.
Actitis empusa, Gould^fff Prbc.' tif Zonll- 93^ 1847»
Green Sandpiper, Colomsts|Qff$f)rt Essington.
This species, ||m |h is much smaller than the Actitis hypoleucus o f Europe, and differs moreover in having
the brpw^-ofthe upper surface washed with translucent bronz^is, very thinly dispersed over the Australian
continent. Although I have seen'i specimens from e v e ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ M w i l i the exception of that on the north
coast, I am unable to say in which- it is most plentiful, or in which it may be sought for at any given period
with the certainty ; I did nof ih e^^^ ^ M myself in any ^ oj^ y various wanderings, but
Mr. Gilbert o ^ ^ ^ ^ itjb o th at Swan River and at Port Essington. When speaking of Swan River, he
B I only saw this species once. When near ||eje;hfcrance o f the Swan, I noticed it flitting from rock
to rock, and every time it rested on its feet the tail was constantly moved up and down with a shaking
motion.” (9n referring to the Port|E|sington sgeG&e^, he remarks, ‘ ‘ AltlRragh solitary in its habits, I
have seen three or four together; they were,mostly observed inhabiting,the beds o f mangroves, over the
‘roots o f which, just above, the' water, .they were very actively engaged in searehingffor their food, the tail
being in constant motion : occasionally I saw solitary individuals on the margins of the lakes inland.”
•- c.Tlie*food consis|sAp^ni^c bisects and very small’ slmUed|mMusks: ; ^
The sexes are preeisgly abke in the colo)p:|^$]^^p^^^|gand b a t little exists in their size;
the young on the contrary, which rare ^mfit ^jtb^iufgreatet abundance’ than- |l|e AtMts, have the brown
feathers o f the upper, surface, barred o rf^ ck led with darker brown.
The adults have all the upper surface pale glpssj^gr 'bronzy brown, each feather c ^ ^ ^ d with irregular
bars o f dark brown,«brandedon either "side by* a mir.r(|w^liue p&bale brown; base and tips of the secondaries
white; primaries v^y^hlightly tipped with white; centre tail feathers pale glossy or bronzy brown, with a
row of irregular-shaped spots o f dark brown along the margins; lateral feathers white, crossed by irregular
blended bars,of dark and pale hrp^wn; surface white, with the exception o f the sides of the chest,
and the shafts o f the feathers qf'thg^fpht ojrampj^^^jixch are pale brown.
The Plate represents a male and a female o f the natural size./