Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead, Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Whitehead). India and Africa; Europe east to Lake Baikal, in winter to southern China and Malay Peninsula.

“Adult male in breeding plumage.—Above brown, with longitudinal black centers to the feathers imparting a broadly striped appearance; feathers of upper surface notched with ashy or rufous, giving to many of the scapulars a somewhat barred appearance; wing-coverts dark brown, edged with whity brown, median and greater series also checkered with whity brown, imparting a somewhat barred appearance to this part of the wing; alula, primary-coverts, and primaries blackish, externally glossed with bottle-green; primary-coverts slightly tipped with white, shafts of outer primaries white, those of inner ones brown, primaries notched or barred, on inner web only, with sandy buff or whitish, inner primaries thus marked on both webs; secondaries distinctly barred with brown and white, both webs being deeply notched with ashy whitish; innermost secondaries ashy brown with dusky brown cross-bars, the center of the feathers being also dusky brown; lower back and rump pure white with black longitudinal spots or streaks, a little more distinct on the rump; upper tail-coverts barred with black and white or with sagittate subterminal spots, the longer ones tinged with sandy buff, giving a streaked appearance; neck more ashy, streaked with brown; over the eye a white streak, narrowly lined with black; sides of face and sides of neck, throat, and chest pale sandy buff streaked with blackish brown, more narrowly on the sides of face; chin and upper throat white; breast, abdomen, sides of body, thighs, and under tail-coverts white, streaked with dark brown on breast, and very narrowly on abdomen and under tail-coverts; thighs unstreaked; sides of body with distinct bars or sagittate markings of dark brown; under wing-coverts and axillars pure white, mottled with blackish centers to the feathers; axillars more or less regularly barred with blackish or with subterminal, heart-shaped spots; lower primary-coverts and quills below ashy gray with white notches to the inner webs. ‘Bill fleshy brown, shading into dark brown toward the tip; feet dusky; iris brown.’ (Shelley.) Length, 533; culmen, 121; wing, 279; tail, 108; tarsus, 74.

“Adult female in breeding plumage.—Similar to the male, but larger, and with a longer bill. Length, 610; culmen, 155; wing, 305; tail, 145; tarsus, 81.

“Adults in winter plumage.—Very similar to the breeding plumage, but paler, and much less heavily striped, especially on the under surface of the body; the black spots and streaks on the rump scarcely apparent, and concealed by the white plumage; upper tail-coverts white, with very few brown cross-bars; tail white, barred with brown. ‘Feet pale leaden gray, claws blackish; bill blackish brown, flesh-color at the base of the lower mandible.’ (Hume.)

“There is evidently a spring molt, but whether partial or entire I have not been able to determine. The breeding plumage is gained by a widening of the longitudinal centers to the feathers, of which the pattern changes on several portions of the body. Such parts as the rump and the abdomen and under tail-coverts have scarcely any visible streaks, but these appear with the summer plumage and are gained by a change of the feather. The sides of the body change from a streaked to a barred appearance, this being effected by a preliminary widening of the brown centers to the feathers which develop into bars without any direct molt. The innermost secondaries, at the autumn molt, seem to be entirely uniform, and the bars make their appearance gradually.

“Young.—Differs from the adult in being much more tawny, and, as Seebohm has pointed out, young birds may always be distinguished from the old ones by the much lighter patterns of the notches and bars in the innermost secondaries, these markings being tawny buff, and the black centers to the feathers being much broader.” (Sharpe.)

This large curlew is extremely wary and although individuals are occasionally seen on tide-flats, they are difficult to kill.

Bohol (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). Japan and eastern Siberia, in winter to Australia.

“Adult female in breeding plumage.—Similar to N. arquatus and of the same size, but distinguished by the dark lower back and rump and the regular barring of axillars and under wing-coverts. General appearance more fulvous; under surface tinged with vinous-buff all over; lower back and rump sandy buff with blackish brown centers to the feathers, thus greatly resembling the rest of back; upper tail-coverts barred with blackish brown and sandy buff or white. ‘Bill black, flesh-colored at base of lower mandible; feet bluish gray; iris dark brown.’ (Taczanowski.) Length, 610; culmen, 183; wing, 318; tail, 117; tarsus, 88.

“Adult male.—In this species the difference in size between the sexes is not so apparent as in some of the allied ones. Length, 533; culmen, 173; wing, 302; tail, 109; tarsus, 81.

“Young.—Much more tawny than the adults and having tawny-buff bars or notches on the innermost secondaries; the streaks on the under surface very fine and narrow.

“Adults in winter plumage do not differ very much from the summer plumage, but the under surface is much less distinctly streaked; the upper surface is very similar at both times of the year.” (Sharpe.)

This curlew like the next preceding is a large bird and usually, singly or in pairs, is found feeding on flats exposed at low tide.

Ta-ling′-ting, Cagayancillo.

Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cebu (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (Meyer); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Heriot); Malanipa (Murray); Mindanao (Platen, Goodfellow); Negros (Steere Exp., Keay); Palawan (Whitehead); Panay (Steere Exp.); Samar (Sanchez); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor)11. Japan and eastern Siberia, in winter southern China to Australia.

“Adult male in breeding plumage.—Above nearly uniform dark brown, excepting for the broad, ashy brown markings on mantle and upper back; wing-coverts like back, but margins paler and more whitish, greater series with whitish notches on both webs; alula and primary-coverts dark brown, fringed with white at the ends; primaries blackish brown, notched with white on inner webs, which have a barred appearance along the edge; inner primaries notched with white on both webs; secondaries brown, notched on outer webs and barred on inner; innermost secondaries nearly uniform with the back; shaft of outer primary white, of second whity brown, and of the rest pale brown; lower back and rump white, very thickly mottled with spots and bars of brown; upper tail-coverts barred with brown and whitish, the brown bars somewhat irregular and not coterminous; tail ashy brown, tipped with white, and crossed by regular bars of dark brown, about nine in number; center of crown whitish and streaked with brown, remainder of crown dark brown, forming two broad bands and followed by a broad eyebrow of dull white and narrowly streaked with small lines of blackish; lores and upper margins of ear-coverts dark brown; remainder of sides of face and neck pale brown, streaked with darker brown, cheeks somewhat whiter; chin and upper throat white, with scarcely any brown spots; lower throat, breast, and sides of body pale, rufescent buff, thickly clouded with longitudinal streaks of dark brown on throat and breast; dark brown bars of a more or less sagittate shape on sides of body and flanks; abdomen and under tail-coverts white, the latter with streaks and bars of dark brown; under wing-coverts and axillars white with broad dusky brown bars, very distinct on the latter. ‘Bill blackish, dark brown at base of lower mandible; feet dark lead-color; claws black; iris very dark brown.’ (Taczanowski.) Length, 380; culmen, 76; wing, 223; tail, 96; tarsus, 55.

“Adult female in breeding plumage.—Similar to the male.

“Young birds may always be distinguished by the more mottled appearance of upper surface, most of the feathers being spotted on both webs with whitish or pale, rufescent buff; lower back and rump plentifully mottled with spots of dusky brown, and innermost secondaries very distinctly notched with rufescent buff; streaks on throat and breast and bars on flanks almost as plentifully developed as in the adult; bars on axillars often very incomplete, and, in rare instances, absent.

“The differences between this race and the whimbrel (N. phæopus) of Europe are not so strongly pronounced in all cases as to render the determination of specimens always a matter of certainty. Some of the Philippine specimens, for instance, are very difficult to separate from European examples, and many others also appear to be intermediate between the two forms.” (Sharpe.)

The above descriptions of the adult male and of the young are slightly modified from Sharpe’s descriptions of Numenius phæopus of which the eastern whimbrel is but a subspecies.

The eastern whimbrel is much smaller than either of the two preceding species and usually it may be killed with little trouble. In the vicinity of tide-flats at high water it often congregates in flocks, but as the feeding grounds become exposed the individuals scatter to various parts following the receding tide. In length the male is about 420; wing, 205; tail, 100; exposed culmen, 82; tarsus, 53; middle toe with claw, 41. Wing of female, 240; tail, 110; exposed culmen, 79; tarsus, 60.

Marinduque (Steere Exp.); Mindanao (Mearns). China, eastern Siberia, Korea, and Mongolia; in winter Japan to Australia.

“Adult female.—Above blackish, mottled with sandy-buff spots and margins; wing-coverts blackish brown, with sandy-buff edges inclining to whitish on greater coverts, which show traces of dusky bars; lesser coverts, alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown; first primary with a white shaft, all the quills rather paler brown on inner web; long inner secondaries tawny on both webs, with dark brown centers and notches; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts blackish, mottled with spots of ashy white, with which color also the feathers are tipped; upper tail-coverts regularly barred with ashy and blackish; tail-feathers ashy gray narrowly barred with blackish; bars six in number, but not always strictly continuous across the feathers; crown blackish, feathers slightly margined with sandy buff; along center of crown a pale streak of the latter color; lores, eyebrow, and sides of face uniform isabelline buff; upper margins of ear-coverts slightly streaked with dark brown; throat whitish; lower throat and fore neck sandy buff like the sides of body, the former streaked, and the latter barred with dusky brown; center of breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts isabelline whitish; under wing-coverts and axillars pale sandy buff, with bars of dusky brown, mostly triangular in shape, the axillars having a slight vinaceous tinge. ‘Bill blackish brown, flesh-color at base of lower mandible; feet gray; iris dark brown.’ (Dybowski.) Length, 330; culmen, 44; wing, 180; tail, 72; tarsus, 46. (Sharpe.)

“Obtained by Bourns in 1888, while with the Steere Expedition, and not mentioned by Steere.” (Bourns and Worcester MS.)

Bantayan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Luzon (Celestino); Negros (Steere Exp.); Samar (Whitehead). Alaska and eastern Siberia; south in winter to Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania.

“Adult male in breeding plumage.—Above blackish mottled with pale chestnut-red; wing-coverts dark brown, with white edgings; many of the coverts tinged with chestnut, especially inner greater coverts; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish; secondaries brown, edged with white, a longitudinal, subterminal mark of white along inner web; innermost secondaries like the back; feathers of lower back and rump blackish with white edges; upper tail-coverts barred with black and white or chestnut and black; tail brown, tipped and barred with white, the bars sometimes tinged with chestnut; crown-feathers chestnut, streaked with blackish brown centers, narrower on hind neck; broad eyebrow chestnut; lores and sides of face chestnut with numerous blackish spots on lores; a whitish spot under eye; lower parts chestnut with blackish streaks on sides of upper breast; under wing-coverts white with indistinct, dusky brown spots; axillars white barred with dusky brown. ‘Bill clear reddish for its basal half, blackish toward the terminal part, the base of the lower mandible paler; feet blackish brown; iris brown.’ (Taczanowski.) Length, 395; wing, 220; tail, 77; culmen, 86; tarsus, 52; middle toe with claw, 36.

“Adult female in breeding plumage.—Similar to the male, but not so entirely cinnamon-rufous below, and with remains of brown bars on the under surface, especially on the flanks. Length, 406; culmen, 109; wing, 240; tail, 82; tarsus, 58.

“Young.—The young birds may be told from the adults in winter plumage by their more tawny color, and by the ashy gray shade on the throat and chest, as well as by the fulvescent bars and notches to the feathers of the upper surface.” (Sharpe.)

Winter plumage.—Above ashy brown with rusty shaft-lines; back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white with more or less hidden black arrow marks of dark brown, these taking the form of bars on longest coverts; below nearly pure white; slightly dusky on breast and with a few narrow shaft-lines on breast; under tail-coverts with broken, dusky bars; primaries blackish brown; wing-coverts and secondaries with broken, dusky bars; primaries blackish brown; coverts and secondaries gray with blackish shaft-lines and hoary edges.

Birds taken in the Philippines in the spring are in the white and gray winter dress, but in the autumn (September) many individuals arrive in nearly perfect breeding plumage, while others are in mixed plumage, showing numerous light feathers among the dark and chestnut feathers of the summer dress.

Luzon (Celestino); Negros (Everett, Steere Exp.); Samar (Whitehead). Central and northern Europe to valley of Ob River; in winter Mediterranean countries and northeastern Africa.

“Adult male in winter plumage.—Above ashy brown, with slightly paler edges to the feathers; lower back and rump blackish brown; upper tail-coverts white, long ones tipped with black; lesser wing-coverts darker brown than back; median coverts dusky brown, lighter brown externally and fringed with white, forming a wing-band; alula blackish; primary-coverts blackish, the inner ones broadly tipped with white; primaries blackish, with white shafts, the greater part of the inner webs white, and then subterminally brown, the white extending to the base of the outer web on all but the first primary and increasing in extent on the inner primaries and secondaries, the latter being white with broad, blackish tips, which gradually diminish in size on the inner secondaries; the innermost secondaries brown like the back; tail white at the base, with a broad, black, terminal band, gradually decreasing in size toward the outer feathers, which are edged with white at the tip, the center feathers brownish at the tip; head ashy brown, the forehead more hoary; an indistinct whitish eyebrow extending from the base of the nostril to behind the eye; lores dusky gray; below the eye a whitish spot; sides of face, sides of neck, throat, and chest light ashy brown, a little darker on the sides of the body; fore part of cheeks and upper throat white, as well as the whole of the center of the breast, abdomen, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillars; edge of wing mottled with dark brown bases to the feathers; quill-lining white. ‘Bill pale fleshy, blackish brown at the tip; feet olivaceous-green, toes blackish brown; iris brown.’ (Hume.) Length, 417; culmen, 112; wing, 223; tail, 76; tarsus, 81.

“Adult female in winter plumage.—Similar to the male in color, but rather larger. ‘Bill livid pink, blackish horny at the tip; feet blackish plumbeous, toes brownish; iris brown.’ (Hume.) Length, 444; culmen, 127; wing, 216; tail, 76; tarsus, 85.

“Adult male in summer plumage.—Differs in having the back more or less mottled with rufous and black, crown rufous with short, broad streaks of black, sides of face and entire neck all round rufous, fore neck and breast overshaded with rufous and barred with dusky blackish, these bars also developed on abdomen and on the sides of body.

“Adult female in summer plumage.—Similar to the male, but with less rufous, and distinguished by the larger size.

“Young.—Distinguished from the adults by being darker brown above, with broad, sandy-rufous edges to the feathers of the upper surface, the innermost secondaries banded with blackish brown and sandy rufous; the head rufous, streaked with dark brown, but indistinctly; sides of face buffy white, with very fine streaks of brown; throat white; lower throat, sides of neck, and chest reddish buff, slightly mottled with dusky bases to the feathers of the side of breast; remainder of under surface white, suffused with rufescent buff, and shaded with ashy brown on the sides of the body.

“It is evident from the molting specimens in the collection that the black markings are acquired first, and that the rufous-color overspreads the plumage afterwards. Great variation in the amount of the nuptial decoration is seen in the series, and sometimes very old individuals have the abdomen, and even the under tail-coverts, barred.” (Sharpe.)

The black-tailed godwit is extremely rare in the Philippines, the only specimens examined by me being two killed near Manila, in February, 1908.

Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Mindanao (Mearns); Mindoro (Porter); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester). Central and eastern Asia, south in winter to Malay Archipelago.

“Male.—Above rufescent broccoli-brown, the feathers everywhere with dark brown centers, the back more or less irregularly barred with the same; rump pure white, sparingly marked with brownish; tail and upper tail-coverts dull white, heavily barred with sepia-brown, the terminal portion of central tail-feathers buffy; wings fuscous, the innermost secondaries like the back and barred on exposed portions with dark brown; remainder of secondaries white, but pale brown on concealed bases; greater coverts white or grayish distally, brownish gray basally, and barred with sepia; median coverts brownish gray, barred with sepia; lesser coverts almost plain; lower surface white, more or less heavily marked throughout with sepia, these markings taking on throat and breast the form of broad streaks, on flanks, sides, and crissum of bars, and elsewhere of more or less irregular spots; lining of wing white, varied with brownish, except on axillars. ‘Length of male, 292; of female, 298; bill black, orange-brown at base beneath; iris dark brown; feet orange-red; claws black.’ (Abbott.)

“The form of Totanus totanus inhabiting Central and Eastern Asia, although seemingly identical with the European bird in color and markings, is yet so much larger, particularly in length of wing, tail, and culmen, that its separation as a subspecies appears to be warranted.” (Oberholser.)

Taking the measurements of three males and two females from Central Asia as recorded by Oberholser gives the following average measurements: Wing, 163; tail, 66.8; exposed culmen, 46.6; tarsus, 47.2; middle toe, 30.2.

A male from Cuyo measures: Wing, 159; tail, 61; exposed culmen, 46; tarsus, 49; middle toe with claw, 34. A female from Cuyo, wing, 151; tail, 59; exposed culmen, 43; tarsus, 47; middle toe with claw, 35.

I refer Philippine specimens of the redshank to the Asiatic subspecies as being the one more likely to occur here if two races of Totanus totanus be recognized.

Bohol (McGregor); Luzon (Everett, Steere, Whitehead); Negros (Whitehead); Samar (Steere). Africa, Europe, and northern Asia; in winter to Indian Peninsula and Malay Archipelago.

“Adult male in winter plumage.—Above uniform olive-brown with a slight gloss of bronzy olive; scapulars and wing-coverts like back, but having a few tiny white spots on the margins; lower back and rump darker, blackish brown with white edges to the feathers; upper tail-coverts pure white; lesser wing-coverts, outer median, and outer greater coverts uniform olive-brown; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown, secondaries like the back and freckled with tiny white spots on the edges; tail-feathers white, the center ones with three black bars on the terminal half, these bars disappearing gradually on the lateral feathers, outer ones being entirely white; crown, hind neck, and mantle uniform ashy brown; a supra-loral streak of white; lores dusky, surmounted by an indistinct, white eyebrow, lined with blackish streaks; sides of face, ear-coverts, and cheeks white, rather broadly streaked with blackish brown; throat white, streaked with brown on the sides; lower throat, sides of neck, and fore neck also distinctly streaked with brown; remainder of under surface pure white; sides of upper breast brown, slightly mottled with white; under wing-coverts and axillars blackish, barred very plainly with white; lower primary-coverts and inner lining of quills uniform, with white dots along the inner edge of the secondaries. ‘Bill dusky above, reddish beneath; feet grayish blue, tinged with green; iris dusky.’ (Macgillivray.) Length, 228; culmen, 35; wing, 137; tail, 56; tarsus, 33.

“Adult male in breeding plumage.—Differs from the winter plumage in being much more variegated, the whole of the back being spotted with white, the spots being arranged in pairs on the edges of the feathers, which are also tipped with a bar or twin spots of white; the whole of the head and neck streaked with white, and the brown streaks on the side of the face, fore neck, and chest very broad and distinct, the sides of the upper breast being brown, very much mottled with bars of white. Length, 236; culmen, 35; wing, 137; tail, 55; tarsus, 30.

“Adult female in breeding plumage.—Does not differ in color from the male, but is not quite so strongly marked. Length, 229; culmen, 38; wing, 142; tail, 50; tarsus, 33.

“Young in autumn plumage.—Scarcely differs from the winter plumage of the adult, but, when freshly molted, it has indistinct margins of ashy bronze on the feathers of the upper surface; the tail-bands are narrower on the center feathers, while the subterminal band is broader than in the adults.

“The change to the summer plumage is apparently effected by a distinct molt, which takes place while the bird is in its winter quarters, and in many instances, especially in the case of the males, the summer plumage is completely assumed before the species leaves for its breeding place.” (Sharpe.)

Bantayan (McGregor); Batan (McGregor); Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett, McGregor); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Everett, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Leyte (Everett); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Whitehead); Malanipa (Murray); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Goodfellow); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Platen, White); Siquijor (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Eastern Siberia; in winter China to Malay Archipelago and Australia.

“Adult male in winter plumage.—Above uniform ashy gray, with slightly indicated light ashy margins; scapulars like the back; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts purer gray than the back, with distinct whitish edges; the long upper tail-coverts with subterminal dusky bars; wing-coverts like back, with paler margins, greater series margined with white; primary-coverts and quills blackish, externally washed with ashy and fringed with white, inner secondaries ashy gray like the back, fringed with whitish; tail-feathers uniform ashy, with narrow whitish margins; head and neck like back; base of forehead and large supra-loral spot white, extending in a narrow streak above the eye; lores blackish; sides of face and ear-coverts white; the upper edge of the latter ashy gray; cheeks and under surface of body pure white, with a shade of ashy gray over the fore neck and chest; sides of breast and flanks also ashy gray, as well as the outer aspect of the thighs; under wing-coverts and axillars ashy gray, fringed with white at the ends; quills below ashy, lighter along the inner edges. ‘Bill blackish gray, light brownish gray at base of lower mandible; feet light ocher-yellow, joints with a faint greenish tinge; iris dark brown.’ (Stejneger.) Length, 223; wing, 162.

“Adult female in winter plumage.—Similar to the male. ‘Bill black, grayish yellow at base; feet dirty chrome-yellow; claws black.’ (Everett.) Length, 229; culmen, 37; wing, 157; tail, 71; tarsus, 32.

“Young in winter plumage.—Differs from the winter plumage of the adults in having the wing-coverts, scapulars, and back mottled with white dots on the outer webs of the feathers.

“The adult birds appear to molt into winter plumage after quitting their summer haunts for southern latitudes, arriving with worn and abraded feathers, but with the barred under surface of the breeding dress.

“Adult male in breeding plumage.—Resembles the winter plumage as regards the upper surface of the body being entirely ashy gray, but differs in the coloring of the lower surface, which is profusely spotted and barred. The throat is white, but the cheeks, lower throat, and fore neck are spotted and streaked with dusky blackish; the chest and breast, as well as the sides of the body and flanks, are also barred with dusky blackish, with a few bars on the under tail-coverts. ‘Bill brown; feet yellow-ocher; iris dark brown.’ (H. Whitely.) Length, 241; culmen, 38; wing, 155; tail, 66; tarsus, 29.

“Adult female in breeding plumage.—Does not differ from the male. Length, 241; culmen, 38; wing, 152; tail, 66; tarsus, 30.” (Sharpe.)

This tattler occurs in great numbers during migration and may be found feeding on tide-flats.

Agutaya (McGregor); Balabac (Everett); Bantayan (McGregor); Basilan (Steere Exp.); Batan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Cagayancillo (McGregor); Cagayan Sulu (Guillemard, McGregor); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Calayan (McGregor); Camiguin S. (Murray); Cebu (Everett, Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Cuyo (McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Everett, Bourns & Worcester, Whitehead, McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Mindanao (Murray, Everett); Mindoro (Schmacker, McGregor, Porter); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Everett, Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Samar (Bourns & Worcester); Sibay (McGregor & Worcester); Siquijor (Celestino); Ticao (McGregor); Verde (McGregor). Africa, Europe, and northern Asia; south in winter from Indian Peninsula to Australia.

“Adult male in breeding plumage.—Above bronzy brown, the feathers with arrow-shaped central markings of black, which take the form of bars on scapulars and inner secondaries, wing-coverts bronzy brown like the back, but regularly barred with blackish; median and greater coverts with ashy fringes, the latter rather broadly tipped with white; alula, primary-coverts, and quills brown with an olive gloss; secondaries tipped with white and having a broad white base; inner secondaries like the back; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts like the back; lateral coverts barred with blackish and with white on outer web; tail-feathers bronzy brown, with irregular cross-bars of blackish brown; middle feathers narrowly, outer feathers broadly, tipped with white, penultimate feather barred with white on outer web, outermost feather almost entirely white with a little brown on inner web, which is barred with blackish; crown and neck bronzy brown, with narrow mesial shaft-lines of blackish brown, a narrow superciliary line of whitish, extending from base of bill; sides of face bronzy brown, with blackish shaft-lines to the feathers; fore part of cheeks and under surface pure white, with dusky streaks on the throat, these being a little longer on chest, the sides of latter and sides of upper breast brown; under wing-coverts white, mottled with blackish bases, especially distinct on edge of wing; axillars pure white; quills dusky below, white toward base of inner web. ‘Bill dusky above, brownish gray beneath; feet grayish, tinged with green, claws black; iris brown.’ (Macgillivray.) Length, 203; culmen, 28; wing, 104; tail, 51; tarsus, 24.

“Adult female in breeding plumage.—Similar to the male in color, but not quite so heavily marked, and the streaks on the fore neck and chest less pronounced. Length, 178; culmen, 28; wing, 109; tail, 61; tarsus, 22.

“Adult in winter plumage.—A little more bronzy olive than in summer, and uniform above, without the black central streaks and black spear-shaped spots which are characteristic of the summer dress; the streaks on the throat are also much narrower and not so distinct.

“Young.—Easily distinguished by the cross-bars of sandy or reddish buff and dusky brown, which give the upper surface a freckled appearance; throat uniform, with scarcely any indications of streaks on the lower part.” (Sharpe.)

The common sandpiper is widely distributed and is often found along fresh-water streams as well as near the sea.

Bohol (Everett); Cebu (McGregor); Masbate (Bourns & Worcester); Negros (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Palawan (Whitehead). Northern Siberia, northeastern Europe; in winter Africa and Indian Peninsula to Australia.

“Adult male in breeding plumage.—Differs from the winter plumage in having black centers to feathers of upper surface; head streaked with blackish brown; a rufescent tint pervades the upper surface; lesser wing-coverts and scapulars almost entirely black, the latter forming a double band down the back; wing-coverts, secondaries, lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, mottled with dusky markings; below white; lower throat and fore neck streaked with blackish. ‘Bill black, base of lower mandible yellowish green; feet olive-gray; iris dark brown.’ (Taczanowski.) Length, 215; culmen, 51; wing, 136; tail, 56; tarsus, 29.

“The yellow base to the lower mandible appears to me to be a sign of immaturity and winter plumage, as it seems to disappear entirely in breeding birds.

“Adult female in breeding plumage.—Similar to the male, with less of the bronzy tint above; black streaks on upper surface and dusky streaks on throat less pronounced. Length, 241; culmen, 48; wing, 136; tail, 56; tarsus, 25.

“Young male of the year.—Similar to the adults, but with a much shorter bill, its base conspicuously yellow; mantle streaked with blackish; scapulars marked with black almost as much as in the adult bird; upper tail-coverts and tail barred with dusky and pale rufous; greater coverts black, forming a band across wing; head, neck, and under parts as in the adult winter plumage, the throat not being streaked with dusky. ‘Bill blackish olive, yellowish olive at base of both mandibles; feet, including web, bright orange-yellow; iris blackish brown.’ (Stejneger.)

“Adult in winter plumage.—General color above light ashy gray, with obsolete whitish edges to scapulars and wing-coverts, especially the greater series; lesser coverts distinctly black in the center; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, outer primaries with white shafts, inner primaries ashy toward the ends, with a white fringe; secondaries broadly tipped with white, and white along the inner web; inner secondaries ashy gray like the back, with blackish shaft-lines; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts like the back, the latter freckled and edged with ashy white; tail-feathers ashy gray, whitish at base, mottled with ashy; head and neck ashy gray; forehead and eyebrow white, becoming fulvescent above ear-coverts; lores dusky ashy; sides of face whitish, streaked with ashy gray, the upper edge of ear-coverts uniform ashy; cheeks, throat, and under surface pure white; sides of neck and sides of upper breast ashy gray, the latter with a distinct dusky patch; axillars and under wing-coverts white; feathers along edge of wing ashy gray; quills grayish below. ‘Bill dark brown, yellowish at base of lower mandible; feet and toes yellow; iris brown.’ (Oates.)” (Sharpe.)

This curious sandpiper was met with in considerable numbers on the tide-flats near Minglanilla, Cebu, in November, 1906. At or near high water the species was found, in company with Heteractitis, resting among the roots of mangrove trees and at such times it was no uncommon occurrence to kill several specimens of each species at one shot. As the rocky flats became exposed these birds scattered to feed and became more difficult to approach. The bill of the female is much longer than that of the male, but the plumage is similar in the two sexes. In a male taken November 20, the bill was black, except the yellow base, legs bright orange-chrome, and nails black.

Bohol (McGregor); Cebu (McGregor); Luzon (McGregor); Mindanao (Platen); Mindoro (McGregor); Negros (Steere Exp.). Africa, northern Europe and northern Asia; in winter Indian Peninsula to Australia.

“Adult in winter plumage.—General color above ashy brown, mottled with whitish edges to the feathers, which are freckled and subterminally lined with darker brown, the shafts being also well marked; scapulars clearer ashy gray, with an interrupted subterminal line of blackish brown; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts pure white; exterior wing-coverts uniform blackish brown; median and greater covers lighter brown, fringed with white; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish, the latter fringed with white at the end of the inner webs; secondaries ashy brown, edged with white, innermost long secondaries spotted with black on the margins; tail white, center feathers crossed with regular but somewhat interrupted bars of brown, outer feathers with a few broken spots and bars of brown on outer webs; crown and hind neck grayish brown, the feathers edged with white, imparting a streaked appearance, more marked on the head; forehead, lores, and sides of face pure white; sides of neck and upper margin of ear-coverts narrowly streaked with ashy brown; entire under surface pure white; sides of upper breast irregularly freckled with brown; under wing-coverts white, with a subterminal bar of brown, or a central arrowhead line of the latter color; axillars white, with a few remains of brown spots; lower primary-coverts ashy, with whitish edgings; quills below ashy, the lateral markings of the secondaries indicated below. ‘Bill and feet light slate-color; iris dark brown.’ (Ayres.) Length, 330; culmen, 56; wing, 183; tail, 60; tarsus, 55.

“Adult male in breeding plumage.—Of a more ruddy brown than in the winter plumage and with black centers to feathers of upper surface; head and neck streaked with black; sides of face white, narrowly streaked with black; below white, lower throat, fore neck, and chest with numerous ovate spots of black; flanks with a few irregular bars of black; under wing-coverts and axillars white barred with black, bars on the latter somewhat interrupted; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white, lateral coverts barred with black; two center tail-feathers ashy gray, slightly freckled with dusky, and notched with black on the margins; remainder of tail-feathers white barred with blackish, the bars becoming more irregular on the lateral feathers, which have distinct bars only on the outer webs. ‘Bill blackish brown, lighter brownish gray toward base, especially on lower jaw; feet yellowish gray, joints bluish.’ (Stejneger.) Length, 305; culmen, 53; wing, 190; tail, 76; tarsus, 56.

“Adult female.—Similar to the male in color. ‘Bill blackish brown, basal half lighter, on upper mandible with a bluish, on lower one with a reddish-gray tinge; feet dirty olive-gray, joints darker and more bluish gray.’ (Stejneger.)

“Young after first molt.—Similar to the winter plumage of the adults but more tinged with rufous-brown and with the feathers spotted with whity brown on both webs; center tail-feathers white, distinctly barred across with black, chest also distinctly streaked with dusky; sides of breast spotted and mottled with dusky brown.” (Sharpe.)

Basilan (McGregor); Bohol (Everett); Cagayan Sulu (Mearns); Calamianes (Bourns & Worcester); Calayan (McGregor); Cebu (Bourns & Worcester, McGregor); Guimaras (Steere Exp.); Lubang (McGregor); Luzon (Jagor, Meyer, Everett, Whitehead); Mindanao (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, Celestino); Negros (Steere Exp.); Palawan (Platen, Whitehead, Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester, White); Panay (Steere Exp., Bourns & Worcester); Siquijor (Bourns & Worcester); Ticao (McGregor). Africa, Europe, and northern Asia; in winter Indian Peninsula to Australia.

“Adult male in winter plumage.—Above bronzy brown, with light ashy bronze margins to the feathers, which are slightly spotted with white on both edges; scapulars like back, but with somewhat larger white spots; lower back and rump uniform brown, feathers of the latter edged with white; upper tail-coverts pure white, lateral ones with blackish shaft-streaks and irregular longitudinal markings; lesser wing-coverts uniform brown; median and greater coverts spotted with white on both webs and resembling the scapulars; alula, primary-coverts, and quills blackish brown, fringed with white at the ends; secondaries notched with white on both webs, with a barred appearance of blackish intermediary bands; center tail-feathers ashy brown, barred with blackish brown, and deeply notched with white; lateral feathers white, barred with blackish, these bars becoming irregular on lateral feathers and reduced to a few freckles on outermost ones; feathers of crown and hind neck almost uniform ashy brown, slightly mottled with darker brown centers; lores dusky, surmounted by a distinct white eyebrow; sides of face white, slightly streaked with dark brown; ear-coverts uniform dark brown along their upper edge; cheeks and throat white; sides of neck, lower throat, fore neck, and chest ashy, varied with shaft-lines of brown; remainder of under surface pure white; sides of upper breast ashy brown; lateral under tail-coverts with blackish shaft-streaks and a few frecklings of black; under wing-coverts white, mottled with blackish bases; axillars white, with a few irregular bars and freckles; lower primary-coverts and quills below dusky brown, with whitish spots on the edges of the inner secondaries. ‘Basal half of bill olive-brown, terminal half black; legs and feet pale greenish; claws dark horn-color; iris brown.’ (Oates.) Length, 216; culmen, 29; wing, 12; tail, 47; tarsus, 35.

“Adult female.—Similar to the male. ‘Bill blackish, olive at the base of lower mandible; feet olive; iris very dark brown.’ (Butler.) Length, 203; wing, 124; tail, 48; culmen, 28; tarsus, 38.

“Adult male in summer plumage.—More variegated than in winter, the back being uniform dark brown, with large notches of white on both webs, and having very distinct white edges to scapulars and inner wing-coverts; long upper tail-coverts barred with dusky blackish and resembling the center tail-feathers; head and neck streaked with white; sides of face, lower throat, and fore neck very distinctly and broadly streaked with blackish brown centers to the feathers; sides of body and under tail-coverts mottled with cross-bars of blackish brown; the axillars narrowly barred with blackish brown. ‘Bill blackish olive, below at base lighter brownish olive; feet light grayish olive; iris dark brown.’ (Stejneger.) Length, 178; culmen, 33; wing, 124; tail, 47; tarsus, 35.

“Young after first molt.—Differs from the adults in being closely spotted on the upper surface, but the spots more or less rufescent; lower throat and chest ashy as in the winter plumage of the adults, but the dusky brown stripes very distinct and invading sides of body; axillars pure white, or with the merest trace of brown frecklings. ‘Bill dusky brown, inclining to greenish olive toward base; feet greenish olive, iris blackish brown.’ (Butler.)

“In the breeding season the white spots on the upper surface become much worn and abraded, so that the general appearance of the back is very uniform; the mottling on the fore neck and chest becomes very distinct by reason of the abrasion of the white margins of the feathers, and the axillars are completely barred across with brown.” (Sharpe.)