Pectoral Sandpiper 113 



Distribution. — A rare bird, breeding far north and only known, to do 

 so along the shores of the Arctic Ocean and in the Mackenzie Province ; 

 south in winter through the United States chiefly east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, to the West Indies and South America as far as Peru and 

 Brazil. 



The Stilt-Sandpiper is a rare migrant in Colorado, and has been 

 chiefly met with on the plains east of the range. It appears to arrive 

 late from the south ; the earUest date is May 14th, when Aiken took a 

 female near Colorado Springs. The other records are : Fort Lyon, 

 May 22nd, Loveland, May 20th, Middle and South Parks and Brecken- 

 ridge (Carter), near Denver in the fall (Smith), Botilder co., record 

 rather doubtful (Henderson), Barr, common on migration (Hersey 

 & Rockwell). 



Genus PISOBIA. 



Bin moderately long and slender, about equal to the tarsus ; wings 

 long and pointed ; outer prunary usually the longest ; tertials also 

 lengthened and pointed ; tail rather long and doubly emarginate ; 

 the two central tail-feathers usually projecting ; tibia bare towards 

 the joint ; tarsus with transverse scutes before and behind ; hind toe 

 present, front toes long, slender and cleft to the base. 



A large genus of highly migratory birds, breeding chiefly far 

 north in both hemispheres, and wintering in the temperate and 

 tropical zones. All the four regular North American species pass 

 through Colorado. 



Key of the Species. 



A. Rump and upper tail-coverts black, at any rate centrally. 



a. Larger ; wing 5-4 ; breast dark ashy, and heavily streaked 



with dusky. P. maculata, p. 113. 



b. Medium ; wing 4-8 ; breast lightly stiSused with ashy, 



streaking faint. P. bairdi, p. 115. 



c. Smaller ; wing 3-3 ; chest spots heavier. P. minutilla, p. 115. 



B. Rump dusky, upper tail-coverts white. P. fuscicollis, p. 114. 



Pectoral Sandpiper. Pisohia maculata. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 239 — Colorado Records— Ridgway 73, p. 187 ; 

 Drew 85, p. 18 ; Morrison 88, p. 139 ; 89, p. 167 ; Cooke 97, p. 65 ; 

 RockweU 08, p. 159 ; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 115. 



Description. — Adult in summer — Above black, the feathers edged 

 with pale ochraceous-bufi ; rump and upper tafl-coverts black, lightly 

 tipped with buffy ; middle tail-feathers longest, pointed and margined 



