178 HISTORY OF THE 



delicate as to require all the care of their parents, the flight of 

 the present species resembles that of the common Snipe, Scolo- 

 pax wilsonii; but when startled from the nest, or from any 

 place in the immediate vicinity, it rises on wing and moves ofll 

 low over the ground with deeply incurved wings, and with a 

 whirling motion of these organs, which, if as rapid as that of 

 a Partridge, would appear quite similar; but, on such occasions, 

 our bird moves slowly before you, and instead of uttering the 

 note of independence, as it were, which it emits at other times 

 while freely and fearlessly traveling, it gives out sounds weak- 

 ened by grief or anxiety, for the purpose of inducing you to 

 follow it. If on the ground it acts in a similar manner, moves 

 off slowly, and limping as if crippled, and this at times quite as 

 much as if you had really come upon it while on its nest, or 

 surprised it with its young." 



Their nests are placed on the ground, a slight depression 

 scantily lined with leaves and grasses. Eggs three or four; 

 ground color cream buff to light drab, spotted and blotched 

 irregularly with varying shades of brown, thickest about the 

 larger end. A set of three eggs, collected July 2d, 18S2, by 

 Mr. MacFarlane, at Fort Anderson, near the Arctio coast, meas- 

 ure: l.lOx.85, 1.12x.85, 1.12X.86; in shape, pyriform. 



Subgenus PELIDNA Cuvier. 

 "Bill slender, longer than the head, deep through the base, compressed, 

 scarcely or not at all expanded at the tip, and decidedly decurved terminally. 

 Tarsus shorter than the bill, longer than the middle toe. Wings reaching be- 

 yond end of tail." 



Tringa alpina pacifica (Coues). 



RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 

 PLATE XL 



Migratory; rare. Arrive in April; return in August. 



B. 530. R. 539a. C. 634. G. 249, 82. U. 243«. 



Habitat. North America in general; eastern Asia; breeding 

 in the Arctic regions, north to Greenland. Winter in Califor- 

 nia, the Gulf States and southward. 



Sp. Char. ^^ Adult, in summer: Crown, back, scapulars, rump and upper 

 tail coverts light rufous, the crown strealced (other parts spotted ) with black; 

 wing coverts brownish gray, the greater broadly tipped with white. Head (ex- 



