198 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



Eur. 1844, 89. Gray, Genera, 1849, iii. 579. Lambeye, Aves Cubae, 1850, 

 98. Woodhouse, Sitgreave's Expl. 1853, 100. Meyer, Brit. Birds, 1857, v. 

 89. Cooper et Suckley, Nat. Hist. Wash. Terr. 1860, 230. 

 Tringa Dominicensis, Degland, Orn. Eur. 1849, ii. 232. 

 Tringa {Tringa) pectoralis, Bonaparte, Spec. Corap. 1827, 62. 

 Pelidna (Pelidna) pecioralis, Bonaparte, Cat. Met. 1842, 60. 

 Tringa (Actodromas) maculata, Cassin, Gen. Rep. Birds, 1858. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill a little longer than the head, about equal to the tarsus or middle 

 toe, moderately stout, straight or very lightly decurved, the tip more expanded and 

 punctulate than in the type of the genus. Grooves in both mandibles long and 

 deep. Wings long, pointed, first primary decidedly longest; tertials very long, nar- 

 row, and flowing. Tarsus equal to middle toe, both about equal to the bill. Tail 

 rather long, deeply doubly emarginate, the central feathers pointed and greatly 

 projecting. Adult in Spring. An ill-defined white line over the eye, and a 

 more distinct one of dusky between eye and bill. Crown streaked with brown- 

 ish black and light chestnut, conspicuously dififerent from the neck behind, 

 which is streaked with dusky and light ochreous. Upper parts generally, a very 

 dark brownish black, every feather edged with ashy or dark chestnut red, 

 brightest on the scapulars, the tips usually lighter, and the margins never mak- 

 ing deep indentations toward the shaft. Rump and upper tail coverts black, 

 the outer series of the latter white, with sagittate spots of dusky. Primaries 

 deep dusky, almost black, the shaft of the first white, of the others brown. 

 Secondaries and greater coverts dusky, edged and tipped with white. Lesser 

 coverts dusky, fading into light greyish ash on the edges. Central tail feathers 

 brownish black, lighter on the edges, the lateral light ashy margined with 

 white. Jugulum and breast with a deep wash of ashy brown, and with very 

 numerous well defined streaks of dusky ; the suffusion extending on the sides 

 under the wings to some distance, where the dusky streaks are mostly shaft 

 lines. Chin, and under parts generally, white, immaculate. Bill and feet dusky 

 greenish. Young in September. Edges of the feathers of the upper parts generally, 

 and of the tertials and central tail feathers, light bright chestnut, and the tips 

 pure white. Lesser wing coverts broadly edged and tipped with light ferru- 

 ginous. Suffusion on the breast and jugulum with a yellowish ochreous tinge 

 not seen in the adult, and the streaks less distinct. Other parts as in the 

 adult. 



Length 9 to 9-5 inches, extent about 18, wing (average) 5*5. Bill, tarsus, 

 and middle toe about 1-10. 



Habitat. — Entire temperate North America. Europe. 



This is the largest of the species of this group inhabiting North America, 

 with the exception of the ^. Cooperi ; and though it is subject to great variations 

 both in size and color, is not easily confounded with any other. The size, the 

 character, and color of the margins of the feathers of the upper parts, the crown 

 conspicuously different from the hind neck, and the deep pectoral wash, readily 

 distinguish it. Its relationships are closest with the A. Bairdii, both having 

 the black rump and upper tail coverts, and suffusion on the jugulum. The 

 considerably superior size of the present species, however, at once distinguishes 

 it, independently of the different color and pattern of the markings on the upper 

 parts. In maculata the edgings of the feathers are either dull ashy or bright 

 chestnut, and are never of the light reddish yellow oi Bairdii. There is nothing 

 of the scolloping of the edgings on the scapulars, which in Bairdii give the 

 appearance of a rounded black spot on the end of each feather. The emargina- 

 tion of the tail is more than twice as great. The pectoral wash is much deeper, 

 and the streaks more numerous and distinct. The much smaller size, the white 

 upper tail covens, and absence of a decided pectoral wash of A. Bonapartei at 

 once separate that species without further comparison. The similarity in every 

 respect except with regard to size presented by the A, mimitilla is very great, 

 especially in immature individuals of the latter ; but its diminutive size renders 



[July, 



