TRINGA BAIEDII, BAIRD's SANDPIPER. 485 



Adult $ . — Bill wholly black, sinall and slender, slightly shorter than the head, jnst 

 as long as the tarsus or as the middle toe and claw, slightly expanded or lancet shaped 

 at the end, the point acnte ; grooves long, narrow, deep; feathers on side of lowtrr 

 mandible evidently reaching further than those on npper. Upper parts browui.-^h- 

 black (deepest on the rnnip and middle npper tail-coverts, and lightest on the neck 

 behind), each feather bordered and tipped with pale brownish-yellow, the tipping of 

 the scapnlars broadest and nearly white, their margining broad and brightest in tint, 

 making several deep scollops toward the shafts of the feathers. Only the onter series 

 of npper tail-coverts on each side varied with whitish. Middle tail-feathers brownish- 

 black, the others plain gray, with paler margins. Jngnlnm tinged with light, dnll 

 yellowish-brown, spotted and streaked with illy-detined blackish markings, as are also 

 the sides nnder the wings. Throat and the other under parts white, nnmarked. Feet 

 black, like the bill. Length, 7^: extent, 15J; wing, 4-n;; bill, 0.85; tarsus, and middle 

 toe and claw, the same. The $ is entirelv similar, but slightly larger. The noiing 

 have the upper parts wholly light brownish-ash, darker on the rump, and all the 

 feathers with a dark field, and i)ale or whitish edging ; waves of brownish-black on 

 the scapulars. Jngnlnm and Itreast sufl'used with dull, light reddish-brown ; the spot- 

 ting small, sparse, and very indistinct. 



2'. fiiscicoUis is a little larger, on an average ; the bill noticeably stouter, flesh- 

 colored at base below ; the feathers on the sides of the lower mandible do not extend 

 noticeably beyond those on the upper; the .scapular edging is bright chestnut; the 

 jugulum is white, or barely perceptibly ashy with numerous narrow, distinct streaks; 

 and the upper tail-coverts are white. T. hairdii is exactly intermediate in size 

 between T. maculata and T. minittiUa, and is almost identical with the latter in pattern 

 of coloration, but the markings ui)on the breast are not thick and heavy, and the edg- 

 ings of the scapulars not bright chestnut. The species scarcelj" retpxires comparison 

 ■with maculata; the latter is much larger; it dift'ers in the colors and proportions of the 

 bill; the pattern (plain, un.scolloped) of coloration of the scapular edgings; the abrupt 

 transition from the color of the crown to that of the hind neck; the heavy pectoral 

 markings, &c. T. hairdii, like all its allies, is subject toaiiartially melanotic condition 

 of plumage. 



Dr. Hayden's specimens, above enumerated, were the first I saw of this 

 species; tbey were in autumnal or otlierwi.se imperfect plumage, as were 

 also Dr. Woodhouse's. Some time afterward a fine and extensive suite, 

 in breeding plumage, was procured in Arctic America, by Mr. Kenni- 

 cott and Mr. Ross, in the vicinity of Fort Resolution, Great Slave Lake. 

 It has since been found in various localities in Alaska, where it also 

 breeds ; and is very generally dispersed through the interior of North 

 America, east of the Rocky Mountains. Until recently, we had no 

 evidence of its occurrence on the Atlantic coast, where it was lately 

 taken by Mr. Hen.shaw, the specimen being forwarded to me for identi- 

 fication. The extralimital quotations are numerous and varied, demon- 

 strating a range in general coincident with that of other small waders 

 of this (country. Its line of migration .seems to be chietly in the interior, 

 between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific. Dnring the passage it 

 is generally distributed over the Missouri region, and is rather common. 

 It enters the United States as early as August, spri^ading during the 

 following month, when I have found it at various points in Dakota, in 

 small flocks, associating with several other small species, such as the 

 Red-breasted Snipe and Wilson's Phalarope, along the sandy margins 

 of small streams, and around muddy slouglis. It has a .soft, mellttw 

 ])ipe, like others of its genu.s, and appeared very innocent and confiding. 

 In its general habits and manners 1 noticed nothing peculiar. 



]Mr. Trii)pe informs m<' that dnring the latter ]»ait of August he found 

 large Hocks of this t<i)ecie.s near the summit of 3h)UMt l^ans, Colorailn, 

 between 13,000 and 14,000 feet above sea-level, feeding upon grass- 

 h(>pi»ers. 



Tlie v'^in of this species was fir.st descrilx'd by Profe.s.sor Newton from 

 a <lefectiv(^ specimen, not i)ermitting a eoinpU'te account. The Smith- 

 sonian has .several liill .sets, of three or four eggs each, all taken by Mr. 

 MaeFarlane, on the barren grounds of the Anderson liM\'er region, and 

 QU the Arctic coast, east of that river. Tliey were collected in ISG."), lute 



