380 CHARADRIIDA. 
or singly, as well as along the creeks of natural harbours, and likewise on the sea-shore 
during the autumn passage. The flight is somewhat similar to that of the allied 
species, the bird skimming over the surface of the water for some distance without any 
motion of the wings except a few rapid beats, followed by another prolonged glide. 
The eggs are four in number and pyriform in shape, with a considerable amount of 
gloss. The ground-colour varies from cream to pale buff, with spots and blotches of 
dark chocolate-brown or black and some underlying inky purple. The spots are small 
and numerous, and the blotches are frequently confluent over the larger end, where 
they sometimes form an irregular cap *4. 
BARTRAMIA. 
Bartramia, Less, Traité d’Orn. p. 553 (1831) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 509 (1896). 
A genus peculiar to America, and remarkable for its short bill, which has a slight 
swelling of the dertrum, and long tail, the latter exceeding the culmen in length. The 
tarsus is long, measuring more than twice the length of the inner toe and claw. The 
tail is much graduated, the outer feathers falling short of the middle ones by as much 
as the length of the hind toe and claw. The feathers of the chin-angle are produced 
forwards, far beyond the line of the forehead. . 
One species only is known, B. longicauda, breeding throughout temperate North 
America, and visiting the southern continent in winter, at which season specimens 
have occurred in Europe and even in Australia. 
1. Bartramia longicauda. 
Tringa longicauda, Bechst. Kurze Uebers. Latham, p. 458, t. 184°. 
Bartramius longicaudus, Bp. Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1857, p. 59”. 
Bartramia longicauda, Baird, Brewer, & Ridgw. Water-Birds N. Amer. i. p. 296°; Zeledon, An. 
Mus. Nac. Costa Rica, 1887, p. 129°; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 186°, 328°; Cherrie, 
Auk, ix. p. 8297; Richm. Pr. U. 8S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 526°; A.O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. 
Birds, 2nd ed. p. 96°; Elliot, N. Amer. Shore-Birds, p. 143*°; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. 
Mus. xxiv. p. 509’"; Bangs, Auk, 1901, p. 358"; Oates, Cat. Eggs Brit. Mus. ii. p. 50". 
Actiturus longicauda, Salv. Ibis, 1889, p. 379. 
Tringa bartramia, Wilson, Amer. Orn. vii. p. 63, t. 59. fig. 2”. 
Actiturus bartramius, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 230"; P. Z. S. 1864, p. 372"; Scl. P. Z. 8. 1860, 
p- 253°; Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. vil. p. 334"; ix. p. 142%; Saly. Ibis, 1864, p. 885”; 
Dugés, La Nat. i. p. 142”. 
Actiturus bartranici, Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 232”. 
Pil. hiem. Nigricans, plumis singulis cinnamomeo vel arenario marginatis; tectricibus majoribus alarum, 
secundariis intimis et scapularibus nigro transfasciatis ; tectricibus primariorum et primariis nigricantibus, 
his ad apicem vix albo fimbriatis et intus albo fasciatis; secundariis brunneis albo terminatis, extus 
fulvo indentatis, intus albido fasciatis; dorso postico, uropygio et supracaudalibus nigris, his lateralibus 
cinnamomeis albo terminatis et nigro fasciatis; rectricibus cinerascentibus, nigro transfasciatis, reliquis 
cinnamomeis, albo terminatis, et plus minusve regulariter nigro transfasciatis vel fasciatim maculatis ; 
