SCOLOPACID^} THE SNIPE FAMILY. 49 



SP. CHAR. Adult in summer: Above, variegated with black and grayish buff, the former 

 prevailing, in the form of irregular, somewhat diamond- shaped spots on the back and 

 scapulars, the buff occupying most of the border of the feathers, and sending indentations 

 toward the shaft; elsewhere, the black forms distinct streaks, widest on the crown and 

 anterior part of the back; rump and upper tail-coverts dusky brownish black, feathers bor- 

 dered with dull clay-color, the anterior ones of the latter chiefly white, with irregular 

 U-shaped markings of dusky. Tail light brownish gray, the middle feather nearly black, 

 all narrowly edged with whitish. Wing-coverts and tertials grayish brown, with lighter 

 edges and darker centres; remiges dull slate. Lower parts white, the sides of the head 

 and neck, the jugulum, and anterior portion of the sides, streaked with dusky. Adult in 

 winter: Above, continuous grayish clay-color, the feathers with darker mesial streaks: 

 rump and middle upper tail-coverts dusky, the feather* bordered terminally with dull clay- 

 color; lateral upper tail-coverts brownish white, Beneath, brownish white, the jugulum, 

 breast, sides (anteriorly), and sides of the neck, deeply suffused with clay-color or buff. 

 Young, first plumage: Above, grayish clay-color, the scapulars and interscapulars black- 

 ish centrally, and conspicuously bordered with whitish terminally; the feathers of the 

 crown and nape streaked with dusky. Wing-coverts, rump, etc., much as in the winter 

 plumage; sides of the head and neck, the jugulum, and breast, pale clay-color, rather indis- 

 tinctly streaked with dusky. Other lower parts white. 



Total length, about 7. 00 to 7.50 inches; extent, about 15.00; wing, about 4.75; culmen, 

 usually less than 1.00 inch; tarsus, nearly 1.00; middle toe, about .70. Bill black; iris dark 

 brown; legs and feet slate-black. 



This species, like Bonaparte's Sandpiper, is one of the less 

 abundant of the Limicolae in Illinois. Mr. Nelson says that it 

 is "a rather uncommon migrant during the middle of May, and 

 the last of August and first of September. It is generally found 

 in small parties or singly, with other species of Sandpipers, but 

 it sometimes occurs in large flocks." 



Tringa minutilla Vieill. 



LEAST SANDPIPEB. 



Popular synonyms, Peep; Ox-eye; Bumble-bee; Wilson's Sandpiper. 



Tringa minutilla VIEILL. Nouv. Diet, xxxiv, 1819, 452. COUES, Key, 1872, 254; Check 



List, 1874, No. 418; B. N.W. 1874, 482.-A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 242,-RiDGW. 



Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 158. 

 Actodromas minutilla BONAP. 1856. EIDGW. Nona. N. Am, B. 1881, No. 538. COUES, 



Check List, 2d ed. 1882, No. 614. B. B. & R. Water B. N. Am. i, 1884. 236. 

 Tringa pus ilia WILS. Am. Orn. v. 1813, 32, pi. 37, f. 4 (nee LINN.). Sw. & RICH. F. B.-A. 



ii, 1831,386. AUD. Orn. Biog. iv, 1838, 180, pi. 320; Synop. 1839, 237; B. Am. v,'1842, 280, 



pi. 337. 

 Tringa wilsonii NUTT. Man. ii, 1834, 121. CASS. in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 721. BAIKD, 



Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 532. 



HAS. The whole of America, but breeding (so far as known) only north of the United 

 States; accidental in Europe. 



SP. CHAK. Adult, summer plumage: Back and scapulars black, the feathers bordered 

 and somewhat barred (not continuously, and mostly beneath the surface) with rusty ochra- 

 ceous, the tips of some of the feathers often whitish; rump and middle upper tail-coverts 

 brownish black; lateral upper tail-coverts white, with wedge-shaped markings of grayish; 

 middle tail-feathers dusky, with paler edges;! other rectrices llight brownish gray, with 

 7 



