480 MICROPALAMA HIMANTOPUS, STILT SANDPIPER. 



MICKOPALAMA HIMANTOPUS, (Bp.) Bd. 

 Stilt Sandpiper. 



Triiuia himaiiiopiis; Bp., Ann. Lye, N. Y. ii, 1826, 157.— Les.s., Man. ii, 1828, 284.— Sw. & 

 Rich., F. E. A. ii, 1831, 380.— Bp., Am. Orn. iv, 1833, 89, pi. 25, f. 3.— AuD., Oru. 

 Biog-. iv, 1838, 332, pi. 334 ; Syn. 1839, 235 ; B. Am. v, 1842, 271, pi. 334.— GiR., 

 B. L. I. 1844, 232.— ScHL., M. P.-B. ScoJopaces, 54. 



Tringa (HcmipaJama) himantopus, Bp., Specc. Comp. 1827, 61 ; Syn. 1828, 316.^Nutt., Man. 

 ii, 1834, 138. 



HemipaUma himanlopus, Bp., List, 1S38, 49.— DeKay, N. Y. Zool. 1844, 235, pi. 86, fig. 196. 



Totamts hhnantopHS, Lf.mp,., Av. Cuba, 1850, 95. 



MicrojmJama himantopus, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 726. — S.\LV., Ibis.i, 1859, 229 (Guatemala). — 

 Wheat., Ohio Agric. Rep. 1860, No. 213 (Ohio).- Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1861, 

 174.— Lawr., Auu. Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 294 ; viii, 1864, 101 (Sombrero).— Coues, 

 Pr. E8S. lust. V, 1868, 294.— Coues, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 122 (South Caro- 

 lina). -SCL., P. Z. S. 1860, 290 (Ecuador).— Dress., Ibis, 1866, 37 (Texas).- 

 SCL. & Salv., p. Z. S. 18G8, 199 (Peru).— Turnb., B. E. Pa. 1869, 31 (New Jer- 

 sey ; May and Aug.). — Aixex, Am. Nat. iii, 1870, 639 (Massaehu setts and New 

 Hampshire).— Stev., U. S. Geol. Surv. Ter. 1870, 466 (Fort Bridger).— Mayx., 

 Guide, 1870, 140 (New Hampshire).— Brewst., Am. Nat. vi, 1872, 307 (Massa- 

 chusetts and New Hampshire).— Coues, Key, 1872, 253.— Scr.. & Salv., P. Z. 

 S. 1873, 309 (Peru).— RiDGW., Ann. Lye. N. Y. x, 1874, 383 (Illinois). 



Ereunetcs himanfopus, Sund., Ofv. Kongl. Vet. Ak. Forh. 1869, 587, 602 (St. Bartholo- 

 mew and Porto Rico). 



Micropelama himantopus, Gray, Hand-list, iii, 1871, 48, No. 10298. 



Triur/a vtultifasciata, Light. {Gray.) 



HcmipaJama muUMriata, Gray, G. of B. iii, 1849,578, pi. 156, f. 2. — Pelz., O. Bras, iii, 311. 



Triufju doufjiasii, Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 379, pi. 66. 



EriiKja {Hemipalama) douglasii, NuTT., Man. ii, 1834, 141. 



Tringa {Hcmipalama) auduhoni, NUTT., Man. ii, 1834, 140. 



Hah. — North America generally. Not observed west of the Rocky Mountains. Rare 

 in the United States. West Indies, Central America, and most of South America. 

 Not obtained by Captain Raynolds' or Lieutenant Warren's Expedition. 

 Later Expeditions. — 60790, Fort Bridger, Wyoming {Stevenson). 



This is a very remarkable Sandpiper, connecting this group with the true Snipe by 

 means of Macrorhamplius, with which its relationships are very close. Its jjattern of 

 coloration and changes of x^hnuage are miich as in M. griseus. The bill is quite snipe- 

 like, though shorter; the legs are very long, relatively exceeding those of Macrorham- 

 jyhus, and there are two basal webs to the toes, as in Ereuneies. Full descriptions appear 

 in my Monograph above cited, and in the Key. 



I have never yet seen the Stilt Sandpiper alive, and it appears to be 

 rather rare in the United States, through which it passes during the 

 migration, some i^robably wintering toward the South. It occurs both 

 along the coast and in the interior. Its range is probably much the same 

 as that of jllacrofhamphus griseus ; like this species, it is extensively dis- 

 persed over the West Indies, in Central and part of South America 

 during the winter. It is only known to breed in high latitudes, beyond 

 our border. Several collectors have lately taken it during the migra- 

 tion along the New England coast, where, however, like Tringa hairdii, 

 it appears to be of rare occurrence, as elsewhere on the Atlantic coast. 

 I placed it in my South Carolina list on Prof. Gibbes' authority. Mr. 

 Stevensoii procured it at Fort Bridger. It undoubtedly migrates gen- 

 erall;^ through the Missouri region. 



Two sets of eggs, purporting to be of this species, are in the Smith- 

 sonian ; bat it does not api)ear that the parent was secured, or, at least, 

 received, and J question the identification, believing the eggs to be 

 those of Tryngites rufescens. At any rate, if they are not the latter, 

 they are absolutely identical with them in every respect, as fully de- 

 scribed further on. 



