do so through Transylvania ; the valley of the Volga being
another route., It occurs on migration along the entire
shores of the Mediterranean, and some remain there during
the winter, but the majority continue their course southwards,
and; visiting Madeira; descend the African Continent along
the line of the west coast; and by; Egypt, Nubia, and . the
Red Sea to the Comoro Islands and Madagascar, to Natal,
and to Cape, Colony, where it is, very abundant. Eastwards
its winter range extends along the coasts of India to rCeylon,
where Colonel Legge also found many birds of the preinous
year remaining throughout June and July;' and thence down
Burmab, TenasBerim, and »the Malay Archipelago,- to 'New
Guinea, Australia, and Tasmania. It occurs-on the elevated
salt-lakes of Northern India, and evidently crosses the great
mountain barrier on its migrations, for; i^was observed at
Yarkand, and Dr. Seve.rtzpff thinks it probable that-this
spepies breeds in the Pamir (IMs, 1888, p. J§ytl In Southern
Siberia it certainly occurs on passage, and .also in, Mongolia,
though rare on the Amoor; and it is abundant on migration
along the coast of China. -
In Spitsbergen and-Greenland the Curlew Sandpiper has
not yet been found, and a hasty statement; by a now deceased
American; ornithologist, as'to the supposed discovery of its
eggs; in the latter country;Is undoubtedly- an error? r,(Jbis,
1879, p. 48(3)^[ To the: American Continent the species^
a rare-straggler,-chiefly to the .Ea§tem,rF'fijtAd States.MGta
the Pacific coast its occurrence has not yet been recorded,
notwithstanding the approximation of its range on "|he, Asiatic
side of- Behriegfs Straits, as already-jnentipned. ■
This species ’is generally found in small parties, ,;wh-ich
keep somewhat apart from the other, »waders feeding, in their
vicinity. They feed on insects, small er;§stai4gk; and ;w@r-ms,
which they obtain by probingr jn the soft sand affthjg pdge, of
the water.
The Curlew Sandpiper- in its .summer plumage has ;th-e
beak nearly black; the jirjdes hre,wu; the head and ijecfc
all round reddish-chestnut, slightly Varied with small fstieaks
pf black and whitg}--; the back, scapn'lays, small wing: coverts,
and tertials, reddish-chestnut barred with black ; the greater
wing-coverts ash-hrown, edged with greyish-white ; primary
and secondary quill-feathers blackish, with white shafts;
rump and upper tail-coverts white, with a few dark spots;
tail-feathers ash-colour, with white shafts; breast and belly
reddish-chestnut, indistinctly barred with black; axillary
plume white; vent, flanks, and under tail-coverts, reddish-
white, barred and spotted with black; under surface of tail-
feathers ^.greyish-white; legs and toes greenish-black. The
whole length is about eight inches and a quarter; the wing
from the carpal joint to the end of the first feather, which is
the -longest, five' inches. The females are rather larger than
the males, but the colours areless- brilliant.
In autumn tbe under surface of the body of an adult bird
is a mixture of white and pale red in patches, and the dark
feathers on the back and wing-coverts are mixed with some
new feathers which are ash-grey; the quill-feathers dusky.1
Yottng birds :df tbe yea'r' mvtKeir first' autumn have the
nedk ash-grey; the feathers of ibb tback, scapulars, wing-
coverts, and tertials, dark brown, margined with reddish-buff
colour,, which, later in the. season, as winter approaches,
change slowly to ash-colour, with huffy-white, and .ultimately
with pufe white edges; under surface of the body white, tinged
with buff, beCOihing afterwards pure white.
" Adult birds in winter, plumage have thq1 loreS and ear-
^overts" ash-brown, boundeff_above.wi.th. a streak of white; the
cheeks white; top of the head and back of the'neck ash-
brown, streaked and spottefl.with darker brown; back, scapulars,
wing-covertS, and tertials, ash-brown, m&^nedj wltn
white; rump and upper tail-coverts white j feathers ash-
grey/,0ejged' with' white; chin, .breast, and all the 'under
surface of’the body, pure' * white; legs and tops greenish-
brown."