Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 73 



While in the breeding plumage it may be com.paratively easy 

 to tell the two subspecies apart, in the plain gray and white dress 

 which they wear in migration, they are said to be distinguishable 

 only by size, but even this difference is said to be not absolutely 

 reliable. All Willets taken in Missouri should therefore be sub- 

 jected to a close scrutiny to establish their identity as subspecies. 

 In Missouri Willets were formerly fairly common transient 

 visitants in late April and early May, and again in September. 

 That they occurred even in large flocks is proved by Audubon, 

 who writes in his Journal that he met with a large flock of Willets 

 near St. Joseph, Mo., May 5, 1843. At present they are con- 

 sidered rare throughout the state. An exceptionally late date 

 is given by Mr. Currier of Keokuk, namely October 27, 1896. 



*261. Bartramia longicauda (Bechst.). Bartramian Sand- 

 piper. 



Tringa longicauda. Tringa bartramia. Totanus hartramius. Actiturus 

 bartramius. Bartram's Tattler. Field Plover. Upland Plover. Grass 

 Plover. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, west to Utah and 

 Oregon, north to Nova Scotia and Alaska. Breeds throughout 

 most of North American range, but chiefly in the prairie and 

 plains region with its breeding center in western Manitoba and 

 eastern Assiniboia. Winters in South America, as far south as 

 Brazil and Peru. 



In Missouri Field Plovers used to be fairly common summer 

 residents in the Ozark border and Prairie regions ; in some local- 

 ities a few may still be found nesting (Appleton City, Prior, 

 1900) , but with an open season till the first of May there is little 

 hope for them. In migration, too, their numbers have been 

 greatly reduced, not one-tenth of the transient visitants of twenty 

 years ago being left. In the southern part of the state the first 

 Field Plovers make their appearance in the latter part of March, 

 in northern Missouri seldom before the middle of April. Tran- 

 sients are mostly gone by the first of May, but begin to reappear 

 in family groups the middle of July and continue to be present 

 through August and nearly to the end of September. 



262. Tryngites subruficollis (VieilL). Buff-breasted Sand- 

 piper. 



Tringa rufescens. Tryngites rujescens. Tringa subruficollis. 



Geog. Dist. — Common on their breeding-grounds along the 

 Arctic coast and on the Barren Grounds from Anderson River 



