BIRDS OF KANSAS. 169 



the following is the only authentic description given of its eggs, 

 or rather egg, by Dr. Merriam, in "The Auk," Vol. 2, p. 313: 

 "Lieut. A. W. Greeley, U. S. A., commander of the late ex- 

 pedition to Lady Franklin Sound, succeeded in obtaining the 

 long-so ught-f or egg of this species, and has had the extreme 

 kindness to ask me to publish the first account of it. Lieut. 

 Greeley writes me: 'The specimen of bird and egg were ob- 

 tained in the vicinity of Fort Conger, latitude 81° 44' N. The 

 egg was 1.10 inch (28 mm.) in the longer axis, and 1.00 inch 

 (25.40 mm.) in the shorter. Color light pea green, closely 

 spotted with brown, in small specks about the size of a pin 

 head.'" 



SuBGEi^US ACTODROMAS Kaup. 



"Size medium to very small (smallest of the family); form graceful; legs 

 and bill slender, the latter straight aud little (if any) longer than the tarsus. 

 Tarsus decidedly longer than the middle toe with its claw; toes slender, com- 

 pletely cleft; wings long and pointed, their ends, when closed, reaching beyond 

 the tip of the tail. 



"Although the species of this genus vary greatly in size, they all agree very 

 ■closely in the details of structure." 



Tringa maculata Vieill. 



PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 

 PLATE XI. 



Migratory; abundant. Arrrive the last of March to middle 

 of April; return early in September. 



B. 531. K. 534. C. 616. G. 245, 78. U. 239. 



Habitat. Nearly the whole of America, but in summer con- 

 fined to Arctic and sub-Arctic regions. Occasionally in Europe. 



Sp. Char. ^' Adult, in summer: Above, light clay color, the crown, back, 

 scapulars and tertials washed with light rufous or rusty ochraceous; the feath- 

 ers black centrally, producing conspicuous streaks, which widen into spots on 

 the scapulars and back; rump and middle upper tail coverts brownish black; 

 lateral upper tail coverts white, with dusky shaft streaks; middle tail feathers 

 dusky, edged with lighter; other rectrices pale brownish gray, bordered with 

 white; wing coverts light grayish brown, with paler borders and darker centers; 

 a light superciliary stripe, and a darker loral one. Cheeks, sides of neck, whole 

 jugulum and breast pale clay color or light grayish buff, streaked with dusky; 

 sides sparsely streaked; remaining lower parts immaculate white; basal half of 

 bill dull greenish yellow. Adult, in winter: Similar to summer plumage, but 

 the rusty tint above almost or wholly absent, aud the black markings less sharply 

 defined. Young, first j^lumage: Quite similar to the suunner adult, but the 



