GRALLiE — SCOLOPACIDiE — TRINGA. 237 



GENUS TRINGA. Brisson. 



Bill moderate, equal to the head or slightly longer, straight or very slightly curved, soft and 

 flexible for its whole length, compressed at the base, somewhat dilated and flattened at the 

 tip : both mandibles furrowed on each side to their tips. Nostrils basal, linear, pervious, 

 covered by a membrane. Hind toe very short, scarcely touching the ground ; fore toes 

 slender, divided. 



THE PURPLE SANDPIPER. 



Tringa maritima. 

 plate lxxxv1i. fig. 193. 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Tringa maritima. Brunnich, Orn. Boreal. No. 182. 



Striated and Selninger Sandpiper. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, pp. 472, 480. 



T. maritima. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. Vol. 2, p. 318. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 382. Nuttall, Man. 



Orn. Vol. 2, p. 115. Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 5, p. 261, pi. 330. Giraud, Birds of Long 



island, p. 236. 



Characteristics. Bill longer than the head, scarcely curved at the point, compressed and 

 orange -yellow at the base ; rump black : feet yellow. Middle tail- 

 feathers longest. Tibia feathered low down. Length, 9-0. 



Description. Bill slender, slightly curved. Only a small space of the tibia above the 

 joint bare ; tarsus shorter than the bill. Tail short and rounded. 



Color. Above purplish black, varied with white and rufous. Head and neck uniform in 

 color, without spots or stripes. Quills brownish black ; their shafts white. Breast, sides and 

 belly whitish, with blackish spots and streaks. Winter, beneath grey ; the purple tints above 

 not so distinct. 



I know little of this species, except from a specimen which I obtained on Long island in 

 June. It is, I believe, exceedingly rare on our coast. It is a northern species, breeding at 

 Hudson's Bay ; the eggs are yellowish grey, with crowded brown spots at the larger end. 

 It occasionally extends its southwardly migration to the shores of this State. 



