PELIDNA BONAPARTE].
Bonaparte’s Sandpiper.

Tringa cinclus, var., Say, in Long’s Exped. to Rocky Mount., vol. i. Pp. 172
Schinz, Bonap. Syn. of Birds of Unit. States.

Bonapartet, Schleg. Rev. Crit. des Ois, d’Eur., p. 89.

melanotus, Blas. List of Birds of Eur., p. 19?

Pelidna Schinzti, Bonap. Geoer. and Comp. List of Birds of Eur. an

Actodromas bonapartei, Coues, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad.,

 

 

 

d N. Amer., p. 50.
1861, p. 232.

 

As there appears to be some confusion respecting the synonymy and identification of the specimens of this
bird which have occurred in Europe, I have availed myself of Mr. Harting’s valuable assistance in the
matter; I say valuable, because for some time past he has
a view, I believe, of publishing a Monograph of the family ;
depended upon.

Bonaparte’s Sandpiper, respecting which we know but little in this country, has occurred sufficiently often
to demand a place in the present work, as it has done in many others from the appearance of my ‘Birds of
Europe’ to the latest publication on our native birds. “At least nine instances,” says Mr. Harting, in a letter to
me, ‘‘ have been recorded of its occurrence in England, besides one in Ireland, supposed by Thompson to have
been killed in that country ; and he, in his work on the birds of Ireland, gives us the following ‘ circumstantial
evidence’ on that subject :—‘There is a specimen of 7. Schinzii in the Belfast Museum, respecting which
positive information cannot now be obtained; but it is supposed to have been sbot in the bay here, in conse-
quence of its having been preserved in a manner peculiar to a taxidermist who set up a fresh « Sandpiper ”
(as it is called in his book) for the collection on the 15th of April 1836; all circumstances considered, that
Sandpiper is believed to have been the one in question; no Zyinga was mounted by the same person from
dried skins. I have compared the specimen with the American one described and figured by Mr. Yarrell,
and found identity in the species.’” Mr. Rodd, in his ‘ List of British Birds as a Guide to the Ornithology
of Cornwall,’ says :—‘‘ Two specimens of Schinz’s Tringa were killed on Hayle estuary in October 18146, by

paid great attention to the Sandpipers, with
the synonyms above given may therefore be

Mr. Vingoe.” It is an extremely rare British bird ; and Mr. Yarrell refers to one only having been killed, and
that in Shropshire. It is very nearly allied to the Dunlin ; but its white rump and shorter bill, and the absence
of any black patch on the breast in summer, are distinguishing characters. The following is Mr. Harting’s
account of the occurrences of this bird in Britain as published in his ‘ Handbook,’ p. 142 :—‘* One, Stoke
Heath, Shropshire : Eyton, Fauna of Shropshire, Ann. Nat. Hist. vol. ii. p- 53; Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds,
vol. ili. p. 79. One, Ireland; in Belfast Museum: Yarrell, op. cit. A pair, Hayle, Cornwall, 13th Oct.
1846: Rodd, Zoologist, 1846, p. 1554: in the collection of Mr. Rodd. One, Scilly, Oct. 1854: Rodd,
Zoologist, 1854, p. 4512. One, Kingsbury, Middlesex, 1856: Harting, Birds of Middlesex, p. 273: in
the collection of Mr. H. E. Dresser. One, near Bexhill, Sussex, 8th October, 1857: Kent, Zoologist, 1859,
p- 6537: in the collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney. Two, Scilly, Oct. 1870: Rodd, Zoologist, 1870,
pp. 2384, 2409. Four, Instow, North Devon, Nov. 1870: C. Smith, Zoologist, 1870 ; les ness, Zoologist,
1871, p. 2441: in the collections of Mr. Cecil Smith and the Rev. M. A. Mathew. One, Ce
Sussex, 12th Nov. 1870: Bates, Zoologist, 1871, p. 2442: in the collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney.” The
above occurrences, continues Mr. Harting, refer to ‘the Schinz’s Sandpiper of Eyton, Yarrell, and other
English naturalists—Zringa Schinzii of Bonaparte, Amer. Orn. iv. p. 69, pl. 24, Len but op ee
Beitrage, p. 355, 1822, nor of Naumann’s Voég. Deutschl. vii. p. 453, pl. 187, 1834, whose = . ee is
only a small variety of the Dunlin.” This gentleman further remarks, “According to Eee Baird, the range
of this bird in America is restricted to the countries east of the Rocky Mountains ; but it may prove to have
a wider range than this; for I have in my collection a specimen which was ae os ea
fixed by Professor Baird (namely, at Republican Fork, Rocky Mountains), on the 25th May, , at whic

; é : ene oe ies is onfined to North
time of year these birds are travelling on their spring migration. This species is not ¢

. Tele 39 ave specimens from Peru,
America, but passes right through the southern continent to the Falkland Isles ; I have specie cae
Chili, and the Falklands; but I am not sure if the bird is as widely distributed on the eastern side o
America as it is on the west. ; ; =
c ° . oe ‘ av t with this species
Although,” says Audubon, in bis ‘Ornithological Biography,’ p. 529, “1 He a ee Se a
a : . : ridas aine, as well as
at different times in Kentucky, and, along our extensive shores, from the Floric is to f ae
¢ a 1 5
the coast of Labrador, I never found it breeding. Indeed I have not met with it im the Ur
C C ’