PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 191 



rounded above. The bill is a little longer than the head, 

 straight, slender, flexible, somewhat tapering or sub-cylin- 

 drical, compressed at the base, but depressed toward the 

 end, where it is a little enlarged and very slightly denexed ; 

 the upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, a little 

 decurved at the tip, which is obtusely pointed, the ridge 

 convex, a little flattened toward the end, the nasal groove 

 extending almost to the end ; lower mandible with the 

 angle very long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line nearly 

 straight, the sides grooved, the tip a little widened, but 

 tapering to a blunt point. 



The mouth is extremely narrow, as in all the species ; 

 the upper mandible internally marked with two grooves, and 

 having a central double line of reversed papilla?. The 

 tongue, which is eleven-twelfths of an inch long, is very 

 slender, trigonal, tapering, channelled above, and pointed. 

 The oesophagus four inches and a half long, narrow, with a 

 bulbiform proventriculus ; the stomach large, roundish, ten- 

 twelfths in length, nine in breadth, with strong lateral 

 muscles, and dense, thin, longitudinally rugous epithelium. 

 The intestine is eleven inches and a half in length, a twelfth 

 and a half in width ; the cceca an inch and a quarter long, 

 one-twelfth in width. 



The eyes are rather small. The nostrils basal, linear, per- 

 vious, a twelfth and a quarter in length. Apertures of ears 

 moderate. The legs of moderate length, slender; the tibia 

 bare to the extent of seven-twelfths of an inch ; the tarsus 

 compressed, with twenty anterior scutella, and a greater 

 number behind. The first toe small, slender, and elevated ; 

 the anterior toes rather long and slender, slightly emargi- 

 nate, separated to the base, and without vestige of webs ; 

 the inner with twenty, the middle toe with twenty-five, the 

 outer with twenty-five scutella ; the outer and inner toes of 

 about equal length ; the claws rather long, slightly arched, 

 compressed, acute, that of the middle toe much larger, with 

 the inner edge dilated. 



The plumage is soft, but rather firm, blended on the 

 lower parts, somewhat distinct on the upper. Wings long, 

 pointed, extending when closed a little beyond the tail ; 



