444 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



Total length, about eight and a half to nine inches; wing, five; tail, two and a 

 quarter; bill, from gape, one and a quarter to one and a half; tarsus, one to one and 

 a quarter inches ; iris hazel. 



nab. — Atlantic coast of the United States, rare; Europe; Asia; Africa. 



This is undoubtedly the most rare of all our shore birds. 

 I found a smgle specimen in a bunch of Sandpipers shot on 

 Cape Ann, in the autumn of 1865, for sale in the principal 

 market in Boston. Tliis is the only instance that has come 

 to my own knowledge of its being found here. Audubon 

 speaks of two ; and other writers, of a few more in different 

 years. 



TRINGA ALPINA var. AMERICANA. — Cassin. 



The Red-backed Sandpiper ; Grass-bird. 



Tringa alpina, Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 249. Wils. Am. Orn., VII. (1813) 

 25. Nutt. Man., II. 106. Aud. Orn. Biog., III. (1835) 580. 76., Birds Am., V. 

 fl842) 266. 



Description. 



Bill longer than the head, wide at base, curved, slightly widened and flattened 

 towards the end; nasal groove and another groove in the under mandible long 

 and very distinct; wings long; tail short, with tlie two middle feathers longest and 

 pointed; legs rather long and slender, lower half of the tibia naked; toes moderate, 

 free at base, flattened underneath and slighth' mrtrginated; claws much compressed, 

 hind toe small; upper parts yellowish-red, mixed with ashy, and every feather hav- 

 ing a lanceolate, ovate, or narrow spot in the centre, most numerous on the back and 

 rump ; front, sides of the head, and entire under parts, ashy-white ; nearly pure-white 

 on the abdomen and under tail coverts; a wide tranverse band of black across the 

 lower part of the breast; neck before and upper part of the breast with narrow 

 longitudinal spots of brownish-black; under wing coverts and axillary feathers 

 white; quills light ashy-brown, darker on their outer edges, with their shafts white; 

 tail feathers light ashy-brown; middle feathers darker, outer nearly white; bill and 

 legs brownish-black ; sexes alike ; iris dark-hazel. 



Winter Plumage. — Entire upper parts dark-ashy, nearly black on the rump, and 

 upper tail coverts; throat, abdomen, axillaries and under wing coverts, white; 

 breast pale-ash}', with longitudinal lines of dark-brown. 



Total length, eight to eight and a half inches; wing, five; tail, two and a quar- 

 ter, bill, from frape, one and a half; tarsus, one inch. 



Hob. — Entire temperate regions of North America. 



This is a rather abundant species on our shores in the 

 spring and autumn migrations. It appears here about 

 the last week in April or first week in May, and frequents 



