BIRDS — SCOLOPACIDAE — CALIDRIS ARENARIA. 



723 



List of specimens. 



CALIDRIS, Cuvier. 



CaUdris, Cuvier, Anat. Comp. V, in chart, 1805. Type Tringa armaria, L. 

 Ck. — General characters of Tringa, but without hind toe. Bill straight, rather longer than the head and tarsus, widened 

 sumewhat or epoon-shaped at the end. Tail doubly eniarginate. Toes short; middle one scarcely two-thirds the tarsus. 



CALIDRIS ARENARIA, Illiger. 



Sanderling. 



Tringa armaria, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1766, 251.— Aud. Orn. Biog.— Is. Birds Amer, V, 1842, 287; pi. 338. 



Galidris arenaria, Illiger, Prod. 1811, 249— Sw. F. B. Am. II, 366.— Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 4. 



Charadrius calidris, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, 1765, 255.— Wils. Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 66 ; pi. lis. 



Charadrius ruhidus, Gin. I, 1788, 688.— Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 129; pi. Ixiii. 



Tringa tridadyla, Pallas, Zoog. II, 1811, 198. 



CaUdris tringoides, Vieillot, Gal. II, 1825, 95. 



Calidris americana, Brehm, Vogel Deutschl. 1831, 675. — Ib. Naumannia, I, 1850, 69. 



Figures.- Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, pi. 59, fig. 4, pi. 63, fig. 3.— Aud. B. of Am. pi. 230; i.ct. ed V, pi, 338. 



Sp. Ch. — No hind toe; front toes moderate or rather long, flattened underneath; distinctly margined with a membrane. Bill 

 rather longer than the head, straight, rather thick; ridge of upper mandible flattened ; nasal groove deep and nearly as long as 

 the upper mandible, not so distinct in the lower ; both mandibles widened and flattened at the tip ; aperture of the nostril large 

 and covered with a membrane. Wing long; tail short, with the middle feathers longest; under coverts long as the tail; legs 

 moderate; lower third of the tibia naked. Upper parts light ashy, with lanceolate, hastate, and ovate spots of brownish black 

 on the top of the head, on the back, scapulars, and shorter quills ; rump and upper tail coverts with fine transverse lines of black. 

 Under parts pure white. Shoulders brownish black, without spots ; quills brownish black with their shafts white and much paler 

 on their inner webs ; greater wing coverts widely tipped with white ; middle feathers of the tail ashy brown, edged with white ; 

 outer feathers paler ; bill and legs greenish black. Sexes alike. 



In spring plumage the head, neck, and breast are tinged with pale yellowish red and spotted with dark brown; back and 

 scapulars edged and tipped with yellowish red; rump and upper tail coverts ashy brown; under parts of the body pure white. 



Total length, 7i to 8 inches ; wing, 5 ; tail, 2 ; bill about 1 inch ; tarsus about 1 inch. 



Hob. — Entire temperate regions of North America, South America, Europe. 



An abundant species on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the republic, and extending 

 its range in winter into South America. We can find no reliable distinction between the 

 American and the European bird, though specimens differ quite materially in size and length 

 of bill. 



