«always more numerous at the latter season, which seems to indicate that the species on going northward in
the spring travels by another route than that which it traverses 011 its return in autumn.
293. A c t o d r o m a s p u s i l l a .
American Little Stint.
An American Little Stint (A . pusilla, Wilson) has twice been met with in England. In October 1853 a
specimen was shot 011 Marazion Marsh, Cornwall; and in September 1869 a second was obtained on Northam
Burrows, Devon.
This purely American bird has not been figured.
Genus L e im o n i t e s .
294. L e im o n i t e s T em m in c k ii . .......... .............................................................................Vol. IV. P I . LXXII1.
T em m in c k ’s S t in t .
This little Sandpiper, although o f rarer occurrence than the last named, visits this country nevertheless
regularly in spring and autumn. I t appears, however, to be almost confined to England ; for it has been
met with only once in Scotland and once in Ireland.
Genus A r q u a t e l l a .
295. A r q u a t e l l a m a r i t i m a ..................................................................................................Vol. IV. PI. LXXIV.
P u r p l e S a n d p ip e r .
Throughout the greater part o f the British Islands this bird is chiefly known as a winter visitant; and
although it has been observed late in spring in the Hebrides, and presumably breeding there, no one has yet
been fortunate enough to discover a nest there.
Genus L im i c o l a .
296. L im i c o l a p ygm te a . . . . . . . . . . . Vol. IV. PI. LXXV.
B road-b il l e d S a n d p ip e r .
An inhabitant of Northern Europe and A s ia ; this little bird moves southward at the approach o f winter,
and in four o r five instances has strayed far enough towards the west to touch the English shore.
In every instance in which specimens have been obtained here, save one, the locality was the coast of
Norfolk. The exceptional capture was made in Belfast Bay many years ago.
Genus M a c r o r h a m p h u s .
297. M a c r o r h a m p h u s g r i s e u s . . . . . . . . . Vol. IV. PI. LXXVI.
R e d - b r e a s t e d or B r o w n S n ip e .
In Mr. Harting’s ‘ Handbook o f British Birds ’ (p. 144) no less than fifteen instances are given of the
occurrence o f this North-American species in England and Scotland. In every case, so far as can be
ascertained, the specimens were procured in autumn, indicating that their presence here is in some way
dependent upon a divergence from the route o f their migration southward.
Under the terms Scolopaa?, Gallinago, and IAmnocryptes those members of the true Snipes which visit
Britain have been figured. They form part of a group o f universal distribution.
Genus S c o lo p a x .
298. S c o lo p a x r u s t i c ó l a ....................................................................................................................................Vol. IV. PI. LXXVII.
W oodcock.
This well-known species o f late years has become so much more numerous here as a resident, that
although numbers still migrate to this country in the autumn, it is difficult to say whether “ the first cock of
the season ” is an early arrival or a home-bred bird.
Genus G a l l i n a g o .
299. G a l l i n a g o m a a o b ......................................................................................................................Vol. IV. PI. LXXVIII.
G r ea t S n i p e .
Although this species does not, like the next, breed in this country, it visits us regularly every autumn,
but always earlier than does the Common S n ip e ; and its occurrence during the spring months is rare.
300. G a l l i n a g o s c o lo p a c in a Vol. IV. PI. LXXIX.
C ommon S n ip e .
A regular winter v isitan t; but in favourable localities many annually remain to nest and rear their young.
With regard to the so-called Sabine’s Snipe, it is now generally regarded as a melanism o f the common
species, but is o f sufficiently rare occurrence to attract notice. In the ‘ Field ’ of Dec. 10, 1870, appeared a
list to that date of all the known examples which had been obtained, since which time two or three others
have been killed in the south of England, and, for the first time, one recently in Scotland. Mr. Brydges
2 H