652 Till': Sll ARI'-'I'AILED SANDPIPER. 



racing "hurryhack." Al Iiigli liiU- it n-tircs tlu-er fully id tin.- niarslifs and 

 probes for food in tin- nii>rc o^k-u places. 



The home-making within the Arctic Circle seems incredibly lirief. but it 

 is ])robablv unfair to identify the northbound loiterers of June 1st with those 

 who report l)ack "All done" on Jul_\ loth. 



No. 260. 



SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER. 



A. O. U. Xo. 23S. Pisobia aurita (Latham). 



Description. — Adult: Above, feathers dusky centrally with edging of Ijufify 

 and flaxen, edgings narrowest on K-rtials and rectrices, palest rufous on crown 

 I flight feathers nearly pure dusky); tail wedge-shaped, graduated, each feather 

 tapering sharply; iinderparts white with strong Iniffy brown suffusion on throat 

 and across breast; this area lightly speckled willi obscure dusky, more heavily on 

 sides of neck and breast: sides of bend and oliscure supereiliaries whitish; flanks 

 naniiwlv streaked with dusk\ ; (from a 1 )ec. s|)ecinien in 1 'ro\ineial Aluseuni, 

 \ ictoria). "I'.ill changing from greenish yellow basally to blackish toward tip; 

 feet greenish yellow." I^ength of adult: 8.00-9.00 (203.2-22(8.6) ; wing 5.00-5.50 

 ( 127-131)./ > : tail 2.35 (5<i.7> : bill i.oo (25.4) ; tarsus 1.20 (30.5). 



Recognition Marl<s. — Chewink size. Most like P. niaciilata. especially in 

 pattern of u|)per[)arts — a little smaller, more lightly streaked on breast. 



General Range. — Coast (if eastern and northern Asia, east to .Alaska, south 

 during migrations to .Australia; casually (?) south in winter on the west coast 

 of America to (Jueen Charlotte Islands. 



Range in Washington. — ( )ne record, as below. 



Authorities. — Edson, Auk, Xdl. XXW (Act. njo8, [i. 431. 



Specimens. — I 'rov. 



MR. EDSC)X'S record of four specimens taken at Bellingham in Septem- 

 ber, i8o_', marks tlie southernmost occurrence of this Asiatic species uin^n the 

 American Coast. On December 27, i8()7, two specimens were taken at 

 Massett, Queen Charlotte Islands, by I\e\ . j. 11. Keen. 



Mr. E. W. Xelson added this .Sand])iper to the American fauna in Sep- 

 tember, [877, near St. Michaels, and in succeeding autumns found it to be one 

 of the most common s])ecies of sni])e thereabouts. He found them associated 

 with Pectoral Sanilpi|)ers ( I'lsubia niaoilaia ) . which the\' somewhat re- 

 semble both in appearance and habit. It is sujiposed that the bird nests in 

 northern Siberia, and that it s\vee])s thru western Alaska in the course of its 

 return journey around the Asiatic coast: whence, as in m;ui}- i^ther cases, 

 stragglers occur irregularU' southward upon the .\mericaii side. 



