particularly in the central and southern parts. M. Vieillot,
in his History of the Birds of France, says it is-found in the
ricerfields of Piedmont, and hq. the Pyrenees '; and was found
•also by M. Baillon in the marshes ,of Picardy. It is common
in Italy, and the eastern parts of Europe. -MiessrS.
Dickson and. Ross, corresponding members. of, and liberal
donors to, the Zoological - Society, obtained two specimens at
ErzerOom, in boggy ground néar the; ri-vérv; .• Qu_ë_in April,
and the second in May, of the year 1839.
M. Temminqk. says that specimens from Japan hfo/nót
differ from those killed in Europe.. V
In the adult male the beak is green, but red at the.base ;
the irides re d ; top of the head, back of the neck, and upper
surface of the. body generally, olivedirown ^ th e ^ n tre of. the
back almost black, with a.very few white marks, but no white
markhjpn Ï the" wing-eoverts^or 'quill-féathers £ the primaries
dark, clove-brown-; the tertials dark brownish black in -the
centre, with broad olivaceous margins ; iipper taibcoverts and
tail-feathers dark brown ; the chin-greyish'white ; sides óf
the head,r the neck- in front, the breast and’^1M^¥uniform
slate-grey; the feathers.*of the?flanks dark brown; those of
the thighs," vent, and the under tail-cpverts slate-grey," spotted
with white; legs and. toès green.
The whole length, about.séven'inches. From the-carpal
joint to the end of the wing four inches and. oUp.'-eighth;; the
second and third quillffeathers nearlyi-.equal in length, and
longer than the first; -
The female has the beak, irides, and leg^Hkë the male ;
round the èye pearl-grey; top of 'the head, side’s and back
of the neck, pale brown ; middle' of the back nearly blacky
with only .two. or . three small spots of white ; scapulars browns
with one or two spots of white ; the wing-coverts and tertials
dark,in the centre, with broad edges of pale brown, the inner
margins lighter in colour than the mUter; | primaries dusky
brown ; no white spots on the wing-coverts or quill-feathers ;
trump, tail-feathers, and upper tail-coverts, dark brown; the
chin white ; the heck in front, breast and belly, delicate buff
c o lo u rflan k s and under tail-coverts greyish brown, with
white spots forming bands. ,,
The young are at first covered with black down; the beak
green ; afterwards both sexes, for a time, resemble the female.
By'an unfortunatfel^iKersight, I find that I made a mistake
at Vpage < 6,64 of the 'Second-volume* The vignette there
figured "lift a representation of the young of the Common
Sandpiper, the species -figured at page 53 0 / and not the
yojing of the Dunlin as stated. T o remedy this error, and
at .the’same,time^'t‘Q-mak:e-.some amends, I now insert belo#
thevtrue figure n f the young of the Dunlin. The short description
at the'bottom ’of page 663^ of “ the chick soon after
leaving the egg,” belongs also to the young of the Common
Sandpiper.§|