THE SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. 451 
feathers longest; outer feathers frequently longer than the third, presenting a doubly 
emarginate character to the tail; under coverts nearly as long as the tail; upper 
parts light brownish-ashy, with lanceolate or ovate spots of brownish-black in the 
middle of the feathers; rump and upper tail coverts black; front, band of the eye, 
and entire under parts, ashy-white, with small spots on the breast of ashy-brown; 
quills brownish-black, lighter on their inner webs, and with their shafts white; 
middle feathers of the tail brownish-black; outer feathers pale brownish-ashy ; 
under wing coverts and axillaries white; bill greenish-black; feet dark, the lower 
part of the tarsus and toes frequently tinged with yellow; upper parts, in summer, 
mixed with light-reddish; iris brown. 
Total length, about six and a half inches; wing, three and three-quarters; tail, 
one and three-quarters; bill, from gape, three-quarters; tarsus, three-quarters to one 
inch. 
This abundant little species is singularly variable in the length of the bill, so 
much so, in fact, that a student with two specimens representing extremes in this 
particular would deem it quite impossible that they could be identical specifically. 
Hab. — Entire temperate regions of North America; South America. 
The Semipalmated Sandpiper is so similar in its general 
appearance and habits with the common “ Peep,” that it is 
usually confounded with that bird by all our sportsmen. It 
appears at the same time, associates with it, and altogether 
might easily be mistaken for it, were it not for the semi- 
palmation of this species. It breeds in the most northern 
localities. 
Mr. Hutchins says that it arrives at Severn River, in the 
fur countries, in great numbers, about the middle of May, 
where it builds a loose nest of withered grass in a slight 
hollow in the ground, early in June, and lays four white 
egos, spotted with black or dusky-brown. Like the ‘“ Com- 
mon Peep,” the flight of this bird is rapid and wavering, 
almost exactly resembling that of the Snipe. It also has the 
same soft call-note, ’tweet tweet, that the other has, which 
it utters frequently, both while on the strand and when 
flying. 
Sub-Family Totantinz. — The Stilts. 
Bill as long as the head, or longer; the basal portion covered with soft skin; the 
terminal portion (generally at least half) horny, and more or less attenuated and 
pointed in Totanee; the lateral grooves of bill extending to the horny terminal 
portion; the gape of mouth extending behind the base of culmen toes generally 
