GRALL.E — SCOLOPACIDJE — TRINGA. 243 



THE RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 



Tringa canutus. 



plate lxxxv. fig. 194. — plate xcvii. fig. 218. 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Tringa canulus, LiNNiEOs. Gm. Syst. Nat. p. C79. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 476. 



T. cinerea. Wilson, Am. Orn. Rol, 7, p. 36, pi. 57, fig. 2 (young). 



T. rufa. Id. Am. Orn. Vol. 7, p. 43, pi. 57, fig. 5 (summer). 



T. islandica. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 320. 



Knot. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 387. 



T. cinerea. Nottall, Man. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 125. 



T. canutus, Bonaparte, Geog. and Comp. List, p. 49. 



T. islandica. Aodobon, Birds of Am. Vol. 5, p. 254, pi. 328 (summer and winter). 



T. id. Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 224. 



Characteristics. Bill straight, 1*5 long. Rump white, barred with black: tail even. 

 Summer, black, ash and reddish ; beneath bright chesnut or bay. 

 Winter, pale ash ; beneath white. Young, ash varied with black 

 and white ; beneath white. Length, 10*0. 



Description. Bill slender, straight, slightly enlarged and depressed near the blunt point. 

 Tibia bare for one-third of its length, or 0'6. Toes with a narrow membrane. Tail nearly 

 even. 



Color. Summer : Bill and feet black. Crown grey, streaked with black ; nape tinged 

 with reddish : above ash-colored, mottled with black, white, and rufous. Quills blackish 

 brown, with white shafts. Axillary feathers white, barred with brown. Chin, throat and all 

 beneath bright chesnut red ; stripe over the eye somewhat paler. Tail ash-brown, bounded 

 by dusky brown and tipped with white. Middle of the abdomen, vent and under tail-coverts 

 white, tinged with chesnut. Winter : Bill and feet greenish black or yellowish : upper parts 

 ash-grey ; each feather bordered with lighter grey. Stripe over the eye, throat and middle 

 of abdomen white. Beneath white, streaked with brown, and with transverse brownish bars. 

 Young, dark ash above ; a tinge of reddish or buff on the throat and breast, and a dark band 

 from the bill to the eye. 



Length, 9-5-10-5. 



This bird presents such varieties in its plumage, dependant upon age and season, as to 

 have received several different names. We follow Bonaparte in restoring its primitive linnean 

 name. It is common to Europe and America. The Robin Snipe, as it is called by our 

 sportsmen, appears on the shores of this State in May, on its way to the high northern 

 latitudes to breed. Eggs four, dun-colored, thickly marked with reddish spots. On its re- 



31* 



