BIRDS — SCOLOPACIDAE — TRINGA WILSONII. 



721 



and yotmg plumage, and tend to demon.'^trate that the winter migration of this species extends 

 over a large portion of the southern division of this continent. 



List of specimens. 



TRINGA WILSONII, Nut tall. 



Least Sandpiper. 



Tringa pusiUn, Wilson, Aiu. Orn. V, 181^, 32; pi. 37. Not of Linnaeus.— Aud. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 180 ; pi. 320.— 



Ib. Syn. 237.— Ib. Birds Am. V, 1842, 280; pi. 337. 

 Pelidna pusOlu, Bo!r. List, 1838. 



? Tringa minuiaia, Vieillot, Nouy. Diet. XXXIV, 1810, 4C6. 

 Tringa iciUonii, Nottall, Mdn. II,* 1834, 121. 

 FiGDREs. — Wilson, Am. Orn V, pi. 37, fig. 4. — Audubon's B. of Am. pi. 320, oct. ed. V, pi. 337. 



Sp. Ch. — ^Tbe smallest of all known species of this group found in North America. Bill about as long as the head, slightly 

 curved towards the end, which is very slightly expanded ; grooves in both mandibles to near the tip; wing long; tertiaries nearly 

 as long as the primaries; tail short; middle feathers longest; outer feathers frequently longer than the intermediate; legs long ; 

 lower third of the tibia naked ; toes long, slender, margined and flattened beneath.; hind toe small. Upper parts with nearly 

 every feather having a large central spot of brownish black, and widely margined with ashy and bright brownish red ; rump and 

 middle of the upper tail coverts black ; outer coverts white spotted with black. Stripe over the eye, throat, and breast pale 

 ashy white, with numerous small longitudinal spots of ashy brown ; abdomen and under tail coverts white. Quills dark brown 

 with the shafts of the primaries white; tertiaries edged with reddish. Middle feathers of the tail brownish black; outer feathers 

 light ashy white. Under surface of wing light brownish ashy, with a large spot of white near the shoulder; axillary feathers 

 white ; bill and legs greenish brown, the latter frequently yellowish green. Total length from tip of bill to end of tail about 5| 

 to frinches; wing, 3^ to 3J ; tail, Ij; bill to gape, j; tarsus, J inch. 



I/ab. — Entire temperate North America. 



This little bird is apparently quite as abundant on the western as on the eastern coast of the 

 republic. Specimens from western localities seem to be slightly larger, and perhaps a shade 

 more ashy in color, but we can make out no specific distinction. 



Angnst 5, 1858. 



91 b 



