506 TKYNGITES RUFESCENS, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 



flavored bird. Being so delicate, tliey are easily killed, dropping to a 

 tonch of tbe finest shot. 



There is but little difference in the plumage of these birds at any 

 season, and their size is also quite constant. The sexes are not dis- 

 tinguishable by any outward marks (though the female averages slightly 

 larger than the male), and the young closely resemble the parents upon 

 their first complete feathering. In measuring a great number of fresh 

 specimens, I found the length to vary only from 11.50 to 12.75 ; the 

 extent, 21.50 to 23.00; the wing, C.25 to 7.00; the tail is about 3.60; the 

 tarsus about 1.75; the bill, 1.00 to 1.25, measured along the culmeu. 



TRYNGITES EUFESCEKS, (Vieill.) Cab. 

 Buff-breasted Sandpiper. 



Trimja riifescens, Vieill., Nouy. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxiv, 1819, 470 (Louisiana) ; Ency. 

 Metli. ii, 1823, 1050; Gal. Ois. ii, 1825, 105, pi. 238.— Nutt., Man. ii, 1834, 113.— 

 Bp., List, 1838, 50.— Temm., Man. Orn. iv, 1840, 408.— Aud., Orn. Biog. iii, 1835, 

 451, pi. 265 ; Syn. 1839, 235 ; B. Am. v, 1842, 264, pi. 331.— GiK., B. L. I. 1844, 

 230.— IvEVS. & Blas., Wirb. Eiir. 77.— Jenyns, Man. 214.— Eyt., Cat. Br. B. 

 41. — Macgil., Man. ii, 68.— Gkay, Gen. of B. iii, 1849, 579.— Jard., Br. Birds, 

 iii, 235. — Yarr., Tr. Linn. Soc. xvi, 109, pi. 11 ; Br. Birds, iii, 60 (European). — 

 PuTN., Pr. Ess. Inst, i, 1856, 217 (autumn, rare). 



Actiturus rufescens, Bp. — Blas., List B. Eur. 1862, 18 (England and Heligoland). 



Trynrjites riifescens, Cab., J. f. O. iv, 418 (Cuba).— Bi>., B. N. A. 1858, 739.— Coop. & 

 Suck., N. H. Wasb. Ter. 1860, 244 (Shoalwater Bay, migratory). — Wheat., 

 Obio Agr. Rep. 1860, No. 220. — Allen, Pr. Ess. Inst, iv, 1864, 78 (migratory, 

 rare).— Coues, md. v, 1868, 296.— Dress., Ibis, 1866, 39 (Texas).— Lawr., Ann. 

 Lvc. N. Y. viii, 1866, 294.— Scl. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1866, 199 (Ucayali, Eastern 

 Peru); 1866,567; 1867, 754, 979.— Coues, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 123 (South 

 Carolina, migratory).— Turnb., B. E. Pa. 1869, 32 (autumn, rare). — Dall & 

 Bank., Tr. Chic. Acad, i, 1869, 293 (Nulato and Sitka; breeding abundantly in 

 tbe Anderson River region). — May'n., Guide, 1870, 142 (Massachusetts, migra- 

 tory, rare).— Coues, Key, 1872, 260, fig. 173. — Snow, B. Kaus. 1873, 10 (occa- 

 sional).— Scl. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1873, 309 (Peru).— Ridgw., Ann. Lye. N. Y. x, 

 1874, 385 (Illinois). 



ActUls rufescens, Schl., Rev. Crit. Ois. Eur. 92 ; M. P.-B. Scolopaces, 79. 



Tringoidcs riifescens, Pelz., Orn. Bras. 310 (Brazil, October to April). 



Trinrjoldes {Trijnijitcs) rufescens, Gray, Hand-list, iii, 1871, 40, No. 10283. 



Tringa suhntjicollis, Vieillot. {Gray and SclilegeJ.) 



Trinija hrevirostris, Lichtenstein. {Gnu/ aud ISchkgeJ.) 



Aciidiints tiwrius, Heerji., Pr. Phila. Acad, vii, 1854, 179 ; P. R. R. Rep. x, pt. vi, 1859, 

 20, pi. 6 (Texas). 



Hah. — The whole of North America. Migratory in the United States. Rather tin- 

 common along the eastern coast. Breeds in the interior of the fur countries, and in 

 Alaska. South America. Montevideo (Darwin, Voy. Beagle, Birds, 130; and as above). 

 Europe (Gould, B. E. pi. 331; Habting, Br. Birds, 1872, 138; numerous British in- 

 stances, with references). 



[Note. — Examining the types of Tringa pan-irostris, Peale, which has been referred 

 to T. rufescens, with a query, by Dr. Schlegel, and made a variety of the same by 

 Bonaparte, I find that not only is it au entirely diiierent bird, specifically, but that it 

 is scarcely congeneric. Having the extremely small bill of T. rufescens, this organ is 

 smaller still, slenderer, and withont the peculiar forward outline of the feathers at its 

 base, whicb characterizes T. rufescens. In the mounted specimens, the wings fall far 

 short of the end of the tail instead of reaching rather beyond. There is none of the 

 peculiar mottling of the primaries, which is such a strong feature of T. rufescens; the 

 tail is barred transversely, and there are other differences in coloration. Should it be 

 deemed worthy of subgeiieric separtion, it may be called u-Eehmorhijnchus 2>(t>'i''>'ostris.l 



Not obtained by any of the Expeditions. 



Though usually classed as a Sandpiper in the genus Tringa, mainly, it would seem, 

 on account of its short, straight bill, this remarkably interestiug little ))ii'd is really 

 a Tattler, and its nearest relative, among our species, is the Bartramian Tattler, 

 Aeiiiurus havtramins. Its aspect is peculiar ; no other species very closely resembles it. 

 The bill is ^•ery short and small, aud appears still more so by the great forward exten- 

 sion of the feathei's on its base — to the nostrils on the upper mandible, still further on 



