SCOLOPACID.E THE SNIPE FAMILY. 43 



SP. CHAR. Largest of American Sandpipers (Tringince). Bill straight, rather longer 

 than the head, widened terminally, slightly compressed basally; tarsus about equal to the 

 bill, or a little longer; middle toe about two thirds the tarsus; toes flattened beneath, with a 

 rather wide lateral margin; lower third of the tibia bare, but the tips of the feathers reach- 

 ing to the joint. Wings long and pointed, extending beyond the tail, which is short, and 

 slightly graduated. Adult in summer: Above, mixed black, light gray, and pale rusty' 

 these colors varying in relative extent with the individual, but the grayish usually prevail- 

 ing.; rump and upper tail- coverts white, with narrow bars and spots of blackish. Lower 

 parts, and a distinct superciliary stripe, uniform vinaqeous-rufous, or pinkish cinnamon, 

 paler on the middle of abdomen; crissum, flanks, axillars, and lining of the wing white, 

 usually with spots and bars of dusky. Primaries dusky, with white shafts ; tail-feathers 

 plain grayish, edged with whitish, and sometimes with a sub-edging of dusky. Young: 

 Above light ash-gray, darker on the back, each feather bordered with whitish and marked 

 with a sub-edging of dusky: upper tail-coverts white, marked with dusky crescents. Lower 

 parts whitish (nearly pure white on the abdomen), the neck and breast marked with streaks 

 and flecks of dusky, the sides with dim crescentic and irregular spots of the same. An in- 

 distinct whitish superciliary stripe. "Bill and feet black; iris dark hazel" (AUDUBON). 



Total length, about 10 inches; wing, 6.50; tail, 2.50; bill, from gape, 1.50; tarsus, 1.25. 



Adult specimens vary individually in the relative extent of the 

 black, gray, and reddish colors on the upper parts; gray usu- 

 ally predominates in the spring, the black in midsummer. 

 Sometimes there is no rufous whatever on the upper surface. 

 The cinnamon-color of the lower parts also varies in intensity. 



So far as known, the occurrence of the Knot in Illinois is con- 

 fined to the shores of Lake Michigan, but it no doubt some- 

 times visits the shores of the larger rivers. Mr. Nelson says: 



"This is another of the so-called 'maritime species' which 

 regularly visits its breeding grounds by way of the Great 

 Lakes, as well as along the coast. It is not a common but a 

 regular migrant, passing north during May. It returns early in 

 September and remains until October. I have never observed it 

 away from the vicinity of the lake shore, where it is generally 

 found in company with one or two others of the same family" 



SUBGENUS Arquatella BAIRD. 



Arquatella BAIED, B. N. Am. 1858, 717. Type, Tringa maritima BBUNN. 



CHAB. Form very compact or robust, the legs especially. Tarsus shorter than the 

 middle toe, with claw, the latter two thirds to three fourths as long as the bill, which is 

 slender, much compressed, straight, or very slightly decurved at the end. , Size medium 

 (wing less than G inches). 



Although three species of this subgenus belong to North 

 America, only one of them is known to visit the eastern United 

 States, the other two occurring in the extreme northwest, one 

 of them, (A. ptiloonemis Coues), confined mainly to the Prybilov 

 Islands. 



