Species VII. TRINGA RUFA. 



RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 



[Plate LVII. Fig. 5.] 



Of this prettily marked species I can find no description. The 

 Tringa Icelandiea, or Aberdeen Sandpiper of Pennant and others, is 

 the only species that has any resemblance to it ; the descriptions of that 

 bird, however, will not apply to the present. * 



The common name of this species, on our seacoast, is the Gray-hack^ 

 and among the gunners it is a particular favorite, being generally a 

 plump, tender, and excellent bird for the table ; and, consequently, 

 brings a good price in market. 



The Gray-backs do not breed on the shores of the Middle States. 

 Their first appearance is early in May. They remain a few weeks, and 

 again disappear until October. They usually keep in small flocks, 

 alight in a close body together on the sand flats, where they search for 

 the small bivalve shells already described. On the approach of the 

 sportsman, they frequently stand fixed and silent for some time ; do not 

 appear to be easily alarmed, neither do they run about in the water as 

 much as some others, or with the same rapidity, but appear more 

 tranquil and deliberate. In the month of November they retire to the 

 south. 



This species is ten inches long, and twenty in extent ; the bill is black, 

 and about an inch and a half long ; the chin, eyebrows, and whole 

 breast, a pale brownish orange color ; crown, hindhead, from the upper 

 mandible backwards, and neck, dull white, streaked with black ; back a 



* This appears to be an error. This species is probably no other than the 

 Tringa Islandica in summer dress ; and as many nominal species have been made 

 of it, we quote the following synonymes from Prince Musignano's observations, 

 Journal Acad. Nat. Sc. Phila. vol. v., p. 93. — ^' Tringa alpina, Linn. Gmel. Lath. — 

 Tring.4. cincliis, Linn. Briss. Gmel. Lath, winter plumage. — Tringa ruftcollis, 

 Ghel. Lath, spring moulting. — Scolopax pusilla? Gmel. (moulting). Is it not 

 rather T. schinzii, Brehm? — Tringa cinclus torquatus, Briss. moulting. — Scolopax 

 gallinago anglicana? Briss. moulting. Is it not rather T. schin'iiii? — Tringa varia- 

 bilis, Meyer, Temm. Sabine. — Le Cinch, Buff. PL Enl. 852, moulting. — VAlouette 

 demer? Buff. PL EnL 851, moulting. With Vieillot we do not think this plate 

 intended for Tringa subarquata, Temm., as it is thought by Meyer and Temmiuck." 



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