188 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



tetradactyla," which of course applies equally well to any other Sandpiper 

 except Calidris arenaria. 



In the uncertainty, therefore, it may be best to use Pelidna of Cuvier, which, 

 althouo^h loosely characterized, is definitely located by the meatioaing of the 

 type upon which it is founded. 



Pelidna. Americana (Cass.) Coues. — American Dunlin. 



Tringa alpina, Wilson, Am. Orn. 1813, vii. 25, tab. Ivi. fig. 2 ; id. Ord. Ed. 1829, 



iii. 136; id. Brewer Ed. 1840, 475, fig. 220; (nee Linnaei, nee al. script. 



Europ.) Swainson, F. B. A. 18;-!l, ii. 383. Nuttal, Manual, 1834, ii. 106. 



Audubon, Orn. Biog. 1835, iii. 580, tab. 290 ; id. Syn. 1839, 234; id. Birds 



Amer. 1842, v. 266, tab. 332. Girard, Birds L. 1.^1844, 228. Newberry, 



P. R. R. Expl. 1857, vi. 100. 

 Tringa {Tringa) alpina^ Bonaparte, Obs. Wils. 1825, v. 92. 

 Tringa cinclus, Wilson, Am. Orn. 1813, vii. 39, tab. Ivii. fig. 3 ; id. Ord. Ed. 



1?29, iii. 138 ; id. Brewer, Ed. 1840, 484, fig. 225 ; (nee Linnaei, nee al. 



script. Europ.) Dekay, N. Y. Faun. 1844, 240, tab. 84, fig. 292. 

 Pelidna cinclus, Bonaparte, Ccfmp. List, 1838, 50. 

 Tringa alpijia, var. Americana, Cooper et Suckley, Nat. Hist. Wash. Terr. 



I860, 239. 

 Tringa {Schceniclus) alpina, var. Americana, Cassin, Gen. Rep. 1858, 719. 



Sp. char. Larger than P. alpina. Bill longer, stouter and more decurved 

 than in the type of the genus. Wings moderate, pointed, first primary decided- 

 ly longest. Tail rather long, deeply doubly emarginate, the central feather.'? 

 projecting, the upper coverts much lengthened. Legs much longer than in P. 

 alpina, the tarsus decidedly longer than the middle toe. Adult in breeding plu- 

 mage. — Crown of head and upper parts generally bright chestnut red, the 

 feathers with a central field of black, and on the scapulars with whitish mar- 

 gins. Lesser wing coverts plain greyish ash, each feather with a shaft line of 

 dusky and with a light border; greater broadly tipped with white. Outer vanes 

 and tips of primaries deep dusky, almost black, those of the inner edged with 

 white towards their bases ; inner vanos of all light ashy. Secondaries mostly 

 white. Tertials with the rump and upper tail coverts brownish black, with 

 either plain greyish or light reddish edges, the outer pair of the latter mostly 

 white. Central tail feathers brownish black, the rest light greyish ash. Fore- 

 head, line over the eye and whole under parts white, the jugulum with nume- 

 rous longitudinal lines and streaks of brownish black, and the belly with a very 

 broad bar of pure black. Legs, feet and bill black. Adult in winter, and young. — 

 Upper parts a uniform dark ash, generally with traces of the reddish on the 

 scapulars, and the feathers with darker shaft lines. White edgings of inner 

 primaries very conspicuous. Jugulum with an ashy suffusion, and with nume- 

 rous illy defined, blended streaks of dusky. Rest of under parts pure white. 



Length 8-5, extent 14-5, wing 4-9, tail 23. Bill above 1*6, tarsus 1-1, middle 

 toe -95, tibia bare, "6. 



Habitat. Continent of North America. 



Although it may seem a hazardous undertaking to separate the Dunlins of 

 America and Europe, jet on the authority of that most accurate ornithologist, 

 Mr. Cassin, and from the testimony of numerous specimens from both countries 

 before me, I cannot but come to the conclusion that they are specifically dis- 

 tinct. The uniformly larger size, the disproportionately longer, stouter and 

 more decurved bill, and the invariably longer and differently proportioned legs, 

 are discrepancies which can hardly be allowed to exist in the same species. 

 The constancy of these differences in so notoriously variable a bird as the pre- 

 sent, as well as their radical nature, are indications which cannot be neglected. 

 The distinctive characters being entirely those of size and proportion, the com- 

 parative measurements of three specimens from each country is subjoined : 



[July, 



