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Show 116 MR. J. E. HARTING ON IRCTIC BIRDS. [Feb. 7, both differ from it in having the axillary plumes smoke-grey instead of pure white. The tarsus, also, is somewhat longer and more slender in proportion than that of the European bird. I have now before me eight skins of C. virginicus from various American localities, north and south, and fourteen skins of C. longipes from India, China, Australia, and the Malay archipelago. A careful comparison of these gives the following results :-(I) That C. longipes is invariably smaller than C. virginicus, the respective measurements being as under- -_,... T„. m b Bill. Wmg. Tarsus. in. in. in. C. virginicus 1 7 to 7*4 1*6 C. longipes *8 to *9 6*4 to 6*6 1*5 C. pluvialis *9 7'b 1*4 (2) That C. virginicus at all seasons (but more especially in winter) has far less of the golden colour on the dorsal plumage and on the breast than C. longipes has, the prevailing colour on the former bird being brown of two shades in winter, interspersed with black and golden in summer. I have a Golden Plover in m y collection which was taken at sea in lat. 69° 30' N., long. 173° 20' E., many miles N . W . of Point Barrow. This is the furthest point north, so far as I am aware, at which a Golden Plover has been met with. Its measurements are, bill *8 in., wing 6*5, tarsus 1*5. These measurements, as well as the general coloration, show that the specimen is referable to the Asiatic, and not to the American race, although it was met with much nearer to the American than to the Asiatic coast. Tbe Golden Plover from Australia is identical in every way with the bird from India, China, and tbe Malay countries. PURPLE SANDPIPER. Tringa maritima, Briinnich, Orn. Bor. p. 54. Tringa striata, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 248. Prof. Baird gives Eastern North America and Europe as the habitat of this species. Its appearance in this case on the N . W . coast of N. America shows that it has a more extensive range. The Purple Sandpiper visits the Faroe Isles, Iceland, Greenland, and Spitzbergen ; and Von Baer found it in Nova Zembla-an observation recently confirmed by Mr. Gillett (cf Ibis, 1870, p. 306). Sir Edward Parry found it common in Davis Straits and Baffin's Bay, on Winter Island, Port Bowen, and Hecla Cove. Sir J. Richardson says that it breeds on Melville Peninsula and the shores of Hudson's Bay. Case 10 contains another example of this species (T. maritima). American and European specimens are absolutely identical. Case 11. The five birds, of different species, in this case were procured by Captain Collinson, C B . (to whom reference has been before made), iu II.M.S. ' Enterprise.' No locality is recorded for any of them ; but, judging from the localities attached to the other |
