of the District of Montreal, 367 



wing coverts plain blackish brown ; upper and lower row of great 

 wing coverts blackish brown tipped with white; quills blackish 

 with white shafts, and edged with white on the inner vanes. 



Ventral aspect. White, except on the sides of the breast and 

 flanks, where the white is tinted with cinereous. 



"The old male is black varied rufous ; beneath white; sides of 

 neck and breast bright rufous and ash ; sides and front of neck 

 bright brownish orange." 



1st primary longest ; the others graduated ; long scapulars sub- 

 equal to the 3rd primary. Length 7f inches; alar expanse 13 

 inches ; length of bill 1 inch scarcely. I have never seen the old 

 bird in its nuptial dress. The young birds however are not un- 

 common, and when they are met with the young and old resemble 

 one another in their leading features. 



Suh gemts Tringa. 



Sub gen. char. Bill of medium size, as long as, or a little 

 longer than the head, rather curved, flexible, subcylindrical, com- 

 pressed at the base, with a smooth tip, and with both mandibles 

 furrowed to near the tip ; nostrils situated in the furrows, basal, 

 lateral and linear, covered by a membrane ; feet 4-toel, tarsus 

 slender ; hind toe barely touching the ground. 



T. alpina. The Dunlin or Ox Bird. 



T. variabilis of Temminck ! 



T. cinclus of Linnaeus ! 



Tringa (Shoenidns) alpina, var. Americana, Baird ! 

 v.s.p. Bill blackish ; If gs and feet blackish brown ; irides 

 hazel ; eggs 4, oil green spotted liver brown. 



Dorsal aspect. Frontlet, line over the eye, cheeks, and nape 

 of neck white, with irregular blackish brown streaks ; crown and 

 occiput black, the feathers edged broadly with ferruginous ; dor- 

 sal region, rump, and short scapulars black, with very broad fer- 

 ruginous margins, almost chesnut, and tipped with white ; the 

 short scapulars with a subterminal band of blackish brown ; long 

 scapulars, and small wing coverts dusky ; great wing coverts 

 dusky tipped with white ; central tail coverts black broadly edged 

 with ferruginous; lateral ones wholly white; quills dusky with 

 white shafts and white inner vanes; the oth, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 

 9th with a touch of white on the centre of the margin of the 

 outer vanes ; tail dusky, the lateral tail feathers nearly altogether 

 white. 



