118 WADING BIRDS. 



like the Tatarian hordes of antiquity, but harmless in their 

 inroads, they spread themselves at the early approach of the 

 hyperboreal winter, into different parts of the German em- 

 pire ; frequenting now tlie borders of lakes and rivers, along 

 tlie course of which they pursue their emigrations, feeding 

 as they offer, upon various kinds of small insects. Their 

 visits in the United States are very rare ; they appear equal- 

 ly, stragglers and wanderers upon the lake of Geneva, in 

 Switzlerland, and in the vicinity of the Tiber at Rome; at 

 such times they may very probably visit the interior of 

 France, as they do occasionally Great Britain. They are 

 not noticed, (though probably confounded with Wilson's 

 T. pusilla,) in Parry and Richardson's account of the Arc- 

 tic regions ; their manners, as well as plumage and size, in 

 all probability, being so very similar, that the history of one, 

 often necessarily includes that of others. Their breeding 

 retreats, yet unknown, are probably far to the north. 



The length of this species is about 6 inches. — In the livcrij of win- 

 ter, all the upper parts are dark brown, with tints of blackish-brown 

 along the shafts of the feathers. Breast, and fore part of the neck 

 rufous-ash. Throat, all the lower parts, and lateral coverts of the tai- 

 white, intermediate tail coverts blackish ; the 4 middle feathers ashyl 

 brown, the others whitish, and the exterior pure white. Bill and 

 legs brown. — In the yoking of the year, all the upper parts are black- 

 ish-ash. paler on the hind head, and, except on the last, edged with 

 yellowish. The scapulars blackish towards their extremities ; breast 

 and sides of the neck, ash, slightly tinged with rufous. Throat, su- 

 perciliary ridge, and lower parts, white ; all the feathers of the tail, 

 except the outer, tipped with pale rufous. Legs and feet greenish- 

 brown. — Summer plumage : Above black, the feathers widely bor- 

 dered with deep rufous. Front, fore part of the neck and breast, ru- 

 fous ash, with very small longitudinal stripes of black. Throat, 

 lower parts, and lateral tail feathers, white ; central tail feathers 

 blackish-brown, bordered with deep rufous. 



