658 THE RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 



the lateral featlicrs white or white-edged: an impure \\liiii>h ^n|iereiliary Hue; 

 sides of \h-:u\ and neck and across fore-neck and hreast hke color of back, but 

 hghter ; tlie culnr (hstributed centrally from the feathers, giving a faintly streaked 

 appearance ; remaining underparts white, or with a few gray streaks on sides ; 

 bill longer, stout, slightly curved near ti]). black; feet and legs black. Adult in 

 SHUuucr: Upperparts black centrally with broad margining of briglit rusty ochra- 

 ceous ; wings as before ; breast, etc., grayish white, faintly streaked with dusky ; 

 belly black, strongly contrasting with breast; crissum. etc.. white. Iiiiiiuitiirc: 

 "Upperparts blackish, the feathers with rounded tips of rufous or butf; belly 

 spotted with black" (Chapman). Length "7.60-8.75" ( 193-222.3); wing 4.70 

 (119.4); tail 2.29 (38.2); bill 1.50 (38.1); tarsus .09 (25.2). 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink size ( considcrahh- under Killdeer size); 

 bright rufous of back and black of liellv of l)reeding plumage distin^•ti\■l■ ; soft 

 lirownish gray of upperparts and breast ; rather long black l)ill, slightl}- curved 

 near tip, distinctive for jjlumage CdUinionly seen. 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. \'cst: on the ground. Eggs: 4, 

 dull brownish buff, or clay color ("bluish-white to ochraceous-buff" — Chapman), 

 spotted, blotched and stained, chieriy about the larger end, with chestnut and 

 chocolate. .^\-. size, 1.43x1.01 ( 3('i.3 x 25.7 ). 



General Range. — North America in general, breeding far nurlh. F.astern 

 Asia. 



Range in Washington. — CumuKin during migrations, and occasionalK' resi- 

 dent in winter on the West-side. 



Authorities. — Trinc/a alpiua var. aiiicricana, Cass.. Baird, i\^:[). i'ac. R. R. 

 Surv. IX.. ]). 720. T. C&S. R-. Rh. T.. E. 



Specimens. — ( U. of W. ) l'r(i\-. 1". T.. E. 



AFTER the Western ( Pj'CiiiirIrs imiiiri). this is perhaps the com- 

 monest Sandi)i])er along our coasts. Altlio considerably larger than the W'est- 

 ern, it also is called "Peep," and it shares several characteristics with its 

 sniallei- kinsmen. For <)ne thing, thev are all fond nf a ride. A tloaling log 

 often proves an irresistible temptation to a passing flock, and they settle down 

 upon it teetering and jieeping lustily, as tho it were the greatest treat imagin- 

 able. Even more ludicrous it is to see a great company of San(l]ii])ers together 

 with a few solenui gulls seated on the rear end of a nio\'ing log-boom. The 

 convoying tug puffs oHiciouslv. while the water swirls away behind in dizzying 

 eddies. l:5ut there is a hundred ^•ards of sti>ut cable and il may be a two 

 Inmdred yard stretch of logs lietween the birds and the bt)at ; so these urcliins 

 gather fearlessly and snicker oyer their good fortune in stealing a ride. A 

 passenger on a passing steamer, catching the drollery of the thing, feels like 

 bawling out, "Hey, Mister! Cut behind!" 



The Red-backs are to Ijc found on the beaches and salt marshes of Puget 

 Sound, Gray's Harbor, and the Pacific Coast at an\- time of )'ear sa\'e June 

 and Julv, wdien thev are at home in Alaska. They are. however, not common 

 in winter, and the migratory movements mav be distinctly traced. The birds 



