3 04 



MICROPA LA MA HI MA AT OP US 



(IKNUS IV. MlCKOPALAiMA. THE LONU-LIXHiEl) SANDPIPERS. 



Gen. Cii. Bill, Irss than tunic the lenytliofthehead. Maviiinal tndenlattons, four; outer, twice as deep as inner. Cor- 

 mcoids, sliijhtly exceeding) in lemjlli the heiyhl oj'kccl. Basal ?nem/irancs between toes, larye. Leys, very luny, ivith tibia feath- 

 ered fur about one hafits lenylh. 



Members of this genus ha\e the bill expanded at tip and t'lightly ciirvfd. Tlie k^ are strikingly Img. Sexes, sim- 

 ilar. There is but one siiecies within our limits. 



MICROPALAMA HIMANTOPUS. 

 Stilt Sandpiper. 



Micrnpalama himantopus B.\ikd, Birds N. A.; 1858, 726 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp Cii Form, slender. Size, medium. Tongue, l.mg, thin, and slender, tapering toward tip whieh is.slightly round- 

 ed. Sternum, stout. 



Color. Adult. Above, very dark-brown, bcdniing lighter i.nthescapularics and up|)er wing e^iverts, with the feath- 

 ers uf the back, edged wiih reddish and white. B.md from bill, meeting on occiput, and sjxjt behind eye, dull reddish. 

 Upper tail coverts, wiiite, banded with bhick. Tail, white, broadly tipped with ashy. Under parts, pale yellowish-red, 

 transversely 1 anded with dark-lirown. 



Adult in winter. Above, ashy-brown, with the eenterof the feathers, darker. The rufous bands on l;ead arc replaced 

 by some of white; and the central under portions are pure white, stretiked on throat, breast, sidts, and under tail coverts, 

 with dusky. Otherwise, similar to the above. 



Youny. Very siiailar to the winter adult but much more rufous above. Bill, brown, iris, brown, and feet, greenish, in 

 all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known by the 1 >ng legs, large basal toe membrane, and colors as described. Distributed in summer, through- 

 out Arctic America; not eominon on the coast of New England, in autumn. Winters south of ihe United Suites. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from Ea^-tern North America. Length, 9'07; stretch, f6'40: wing, 5'00; tail, 

 2 15; bill, 1 6t); tarsus, PTO. Longest specimen, 9-15; greatest extent of wing, 16'80; longest wing, 5 25: tail. 'J-35; bill, 

 P70; ttirsus, 1-85. Shortest specimen, 9'00; smallest extent of wing, 16" GO; shortest wing, 4'75; tail, 1'90; bill, ('SO; tar- 

 sus, l-(iO. 



HABITS. 



TliL' Stilt Sandpiper which is not of uncommon occurrence on the New England coast, 

 during the autumnal migration, is called by many gunners, the Bastard Yellow Leg and is 

 c;i;isi lart3.1 to b3 a hybrid between the Red-breasted Snipe and Lesser Yellow Leg. This, 

 absurd idea, without doubt, had its origin in the fact that this long-legged Sandpiper pre- 

 sents some cli;i.racters common to both species; not only in form and color docs it resemble 

 them but it has some habits of both, and also associates with them. Thus individuals are 

 met with among the flocks of Red-breasteil Sandpipers on the marshes, where they behave 

 much like their larger companions; and others occur with small companies of Yellow Legs 

 antl feed on t!ie borders of pools. I have also seen solitary individuals alight to my de- 

 coys, as I lay hiililcn in a bootli, while now and then, flocks consisting of hiilfa dozen spec- 

 imens, may be seen flying swiftly along the shore, uttering a chuckling whistle as they go- 

 I never Iiad any dilfi -ulty in distinguisliing the Stilt Sandpiper by its note and form, tor 

 the long legs give it a, characteristic appear;ince. 1 once started one of this sjtecies at Dum- 

 mett's, on Indian Kiver, en the twenty-fourth of Afiril, 1872. This is the only specimen 

 that I ever saw in the state, neither did I ever meet with the spcscies in the North in spring.. 

 I have never seen an authentic specimen of the egg of the Stilt Sandpiper. 



