BIRDS OF KANSAS. 177 



edges: other rectrk-os light browuish gray, with wliite shafts. Crown light 

 grayish fulvous or ochraceous, heavily streaked with black; wing coverts brown- 

 ish gray, with dark centers and paler edges, the shafts blackish; tertials edged 

 with ochraceous; primaries dusky. A light superciliary stripe, and a darker 

 one on side of the head; neck and jugulum very pale grayish fulvous, or fulvous 

 ashy streaked with dusky; sides and crissum narrowly streaked; other lower 

 parts immaculate white. Adult, in winter: Above, rather dark brownish gray, 

 the feathers with indistinctly darker centers; rump, etc., as in summer plumage. 

 Superciliary stripe and lower parts white, the jugulum light ashy, indistinctly 

 streaked. Young, first plumage: Very similar to the summer plumage of the 

 adult, but many of the scapulars and interscapulars tipped with white, these 

 feathers without any bars; wing coverts bordered with ochraceous. Jugulum 

 suffused with pale fulvous, and obsoletely streaked. 



"This abundant and extensively diffused species resembles very closely, both 

 in its small size and in its colors, at all seasons, the equally common and widely 

 distributed Semipalmated Sandpiper, Ercunetes pusillus. It may be immedi- 

 ately distinguished, however, by the complete cleft toes, the other species having 

 all the anterior toes webbed at the base." 



stretch of 



Length. tuing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 5..50 11.00 3.40 1.60 .70 .65 



Female... 5.70 11.50 3.50 1.60 .70 .70 



Iris brown; bill, legs and feet slate green, the latter with yel- 

 lowish hue; claws black. 



This lively, social little Sandpiper is quite common through- 

 out its range. It has been found breeding as far south as Sable 

 Island, Nova Scotia, but its usual breeding grounds are north 

 from Labrador and Alaska to Greenland; wintering from Cali- 

 fornia and the Gulf States southward. In habits it differs little 

 if any from its genus, but is more restless and active; running 

 nimbly about, often with the larger waders, feeding around and 

 beneath them, apparently heedless of danger; and many a time, 

 while watching for other birds, they have passed close to my 

 feet; but at the least motion the whole flock would spring into the 

 air like a flash, with a startled "Peep, peep," and in a compact 

 form swiftly sweep about in an uncertain manner, canting from 

 side to side, showing rapidly the white beneath and dark above, 

 a wavy, pretty sight, the white at times fairly glistening in the 

 sunlight. When migrating or going any distance, their flight 

 is quite steady and direct. Audubon, who found the birds 

 breeding in Labrador, says: "At all periods, excepting those at 

 which tliey have nests containing eggs, or young so small and 



