226 



PR^COCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOLiE. 



Actodiomas Cooperi. 



COOPER'S SANDPIPER. 



Tringa Cooperi, Baikd, Birds N. Am. 1858, 716 ; ed. 1860, pi. 89, fig. 1. — CouES, Check List, 1873, 



no. 422 ; Birds N, W. 1874, 491. 

 Tringa [Adodromas) Cooperi, CoUES, Key, 1872, 255. 



Actodromas (Ilctcropygia) Cooperi, CouES, Pr. Ac. Xat. Sci. Philad. 1861. 202. 

 Adodromas Cooperi, Kidgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 535. — CouEs, Check List, 2d ed. 1882,no. 618. 



Hab. Long Island ; only one s})ecimen known. 



Sp. Char. Nearly as large as Tringa canutiis, but a typical Actodromas in form and coloration. 

 Adult, summer plumage: Almost exactly like A.fuscicollis, but with a less amount of reddish tinge 

 to the upper parts, and the upper tail-coverts more distinctly marked with dusky. Above, brown- 

 ish gray, the feathers marked centrally with black, producing rather large, irregularly cuneate spots 

 on the back and scapulars, and longitudinal streaks elsewhere, the lalter In'oadest on the crown, 

 where the ground-color inclines to grayish butf ; a few of the scapulars slightly tinged ^\itli light 

 rusty ochraceous ; rump grayish dusky, the feathers bordered with grayish white, and marked with 

 blackish shaft-streaks ; upper tail-coverts white, with iiirgular sagittate markings of dusky. Wing- 



coverts brownish gray, the smaller with darker centres and blackish shafts, the greater distinctly 

 tipped with white ; remiges dusky, the inner primaries edged toward bases, the secondaries toward 

 and around ends, with white ; shafts of the primaries white, becoming brown basally and termi- 

 nally. Tail light brownish gray, the middle feathers darker terminally, the others indistinctly 

 edged with whitish. Lower parts white, the sides of the head and neck and the jugulum tinged 

 with light rusty buff, and thickly streaked with dusky ; lu-east, sides, and flanks marked with 

 coarser, irregular, mostly longitudinal specks of dusky, becoming sagittate in form on the flanks ; 

 lower tail-coverts with narrow streaks of dusky. Lining of the wing white, spotted exteriorly and 

 anteriorly witli dusky ; under primary coverts pale gray, edged and tipped with white. 



Total length, al)0ut 9..50 inches ; wing, 5.80 ; culmen, 1.25 ; tarsus, 1.20 ; middle toe, .80. 



The relationships of this bird, the type specimen of which still remains unique, are unquestion- 

 ably with Actodromas fuscicollis, from which it could hardly be distinguished, were it not for its 

 much greater size. The plumage is entirely the same, except that there is less of a reddish tinge 

 above, and the upper tail-coverts are more distinctly relieved by V-shaped markings of dusky. It 

 is totally distinct from T. canutus, with which it scarcely needs comparison at all, the very diti'erent 

 proportions, aside from the differences in coloration, distinguishing it at once. 



The history of the manners, habits, and. distribution of this rare species continues 

 to remain unknown, and its existence as a veritable species to rest on the evidence of 

 a single specimen. The type, which has thus far remained unique, was taken on 

 the 24th of May, 1833, on Eaynor South, Long Island, by William Cooper, and named 

 by Professor Baird in honor of its discoverer. We know nothing as to any indi- 

 vidual peculiarities exhibited at the time of its capture, but we may venture the 

 suggestion that its habits probably do not essentially differ from those of the Bona- 

 parte Sandpiper. 



