SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 



161 



white, the sides sometimes spotted with black. L., 8-00 ; W., 4-75 ; Tar., 1-00 ; 

 B., 1-50. 



BemarTcs. — There is, of course, every degree of intergradation between 

 summer and winter plumage, but the species may always be known by its 

 slightly curved bill. 



Range. — North America, breeding in the arctic regions and wintering from 

 Florida southward ; rare in the interior. 



Washington, rare T. V., ApL; Oct. Long Island, T. V., uncommon in 



'■■-"%# 



Fig. 63.— Red-backed Sandpiper. . (Natural size.) 



spring, Apl. 1 to May 15; common in fall, Aug. 31 through Oct. Sing Sing, 

 tolerably common T. V. in fall, Oct. 3 to Oct. 24. Cambridge, casual, one 

 instance, Oct. 



.Eggs., three to four, varying from pale, bluish white to ochraceous-buff, 

 heavily marked with chocolate, chieliy at the larger end, 1-43 x 1-01. 



Generally specaking, this is a shore or beach bird, though it also 

 visits grassy marshes. It flies and feeds in flocks, and is an unsus- 

 picious, rather stupid little Snipe, less active than most members of 

 this family. The gray-plumaged fall birds are known as " Leadbacks," 

 while in the spring they go by the names " Blackbreast " or " Redback." 



The Dunlin {24S. Tringa alpina) is the OTd- World representative of our 

 Eed-backed Sandpiper, from which it differs only in being less brightly 

 colored and somewhat smaller. L., about 7*40; W., 4-12-4-50; Tar., -78-90 ; 

 B., 1-05-1-25. It is of casual occurrence in North America. 



The Curlew Sandpiper {244. Tringa ferruginea) inhabits the eastern 

 hemisphere, and occurs casually in eastern North America. It has been re- 

 corded from Ontario, Nova Scotia, Maine, Massachusetts, and Long Island. 



246. Ereunetes pusillus (Linn.). Semipalmated Sandpiper ; Sand 

 OxEYE ; Peep. Ad. In su)n)ner.—\]\>\)er parts black or fuscous, margined with 

 brownish gray and a small amount of rufous ; rump grayish brown ; upper 

 tail-coverts blackish ; tail-feathers brownish gray, central ones darkest; breast 

 streaked or spotted with blackish, /w.— Similar, but upper parts and wing- 

 coverts blackish, with rounded rufous or butfy tips to the feathers ; breast un- 

 12 



