BIRDS OF KANSAS. 201 



Actitis macularia (Lixn.)- 



SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 

 PLATE XII. 



Summer resident; common; in migration, abundant. Arrive 

 the middle of April to first of May; begin laying about the 

 middle of May; a few remain into November. 



B. .543. R. 557. C. 638. G. 260, 93. U. 263. 



Habitat. North America in general; breeding throughout 

 the temperate regions and north to the Arctic coast; south in 

 winter to Brazil and lower Uruguay, South America; occasion- 

 ally in Europe. 



Sp. Char. "Small; bill rather longer than the head, straight, slender; long 

 groove in both mandibles; wing rather long, pointed; tail medium, rounded; legs 

 rather long, lower third of the tibia naked; toes long, margined, and flattened 

 underneath, outer connected with the middle toe by a large membrane, Inner 

 very slightly connected to the middle toe. Adult: Upper parts greenish ashy, 

 with a somewhat metallic or bronzed luster, and with numerous sagittate, lance- 

 olate and irregular (mostly transverse) spots of brownish black, having the same 

 luster. Line over the eye and entire under parts white, with numerous circular 

 and oval spots of brownish black over the whole lower surface, smaller on the 

 throat, largest on the abdomen. Primaries plain dusky; tail dark ashy, the outer 

 feathers with dusky and white transverse spots on their terminal portion; axil- 

 lars immaculate white. Toung: Above, greenish ashy, the wings with narrow 

 transverse bars of black and ochraceous, most numerous on the coverts. Be- 

 neath, white, without any spots and with an ashy suffusion across the jugulum. 

 Downy chick: Above yellowish gray, with a narrow black dorsal stripe from the 

 bill to the tail; a narrow black line through the eye. Beneath, dull white. 



"Mandible and edge of the maxilla pale wax yellow (in life); rest of bill 

 black; iris dark brown; tarsi and toes pale grayish olive." 



stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 7.60 13.40 4.15 2.10 .'Jo .90 



Female... 8.00 13.75 4.25 2.20 .95 .95 



This well-known species is quite common throughout its 

 range, and is at home everywhei-e along the salt and fresh 

 water shores, and not like most of the family restricted to a 

 northern clime for its breeding grounds. Its quick, peculiar, 

 balancing motions, caused by bending the knees and keeping 

 time with the head and tail, readily attract attention and has 

 given the soubriquet of ' ' Teeters " or " Tipups, ' ' which can never 

 be rubbed out. Its flight is also peculiar, usually in a low, 

 coursing manner along the shore, with alternate motions of the 

 wings; at first regular strokes, then with its long, pointed wings 



