340 BARTRAM'S SANDPIPER. 



former slightly skirted with ferruginous, the latter with white ; tertials 

 black, bordered with white ; primaries plain black ; shaft of the exte- 

 rior quill snowy, its inner vane elegantly pectinated with white ; 

 secondai-ies pale brown, spotted on their outer vanes with black, and 

 tipped with white ; greater coverts dusky, edged with pale ferruginous, 

 and spotted with blaek ; lesser coverts pale ferruginous, each feather 

 broadly bordered with white, within which is a concentric semicircle of 

 black ; rump and tail-coverts deep brown black, slightly bordered with 

 white ; tail tapering, of a pale brown orange color, beautifully spotted 

 with black, the middle feather centered with dusky ; legs yellow, tinged 

 with green ; the outher toe joined to the middle by a membrane ; lining 

 of the wings elegantly barred with black and white ; iris of the eye 

 dark, or blue black, eye very large. The male and female are nearly 

 alike. 



Note. — Whether the bird described by Temminck {Man. d' Orn. p. 

 650), is identical with this species, will admit of some doubt ; although 

 this excellent ornithologist says, that " les individus d' Europe et ceux 

 d'Amerique ne different point." Bartram's Sandpiper is known to our 

 shooters by the name of Grass Plover. It breeds in low grounds, in 

 the state of New Jersey. When watching its nest, it is fond of sitting 

 upon fences ; and on alighting, it throws up its wings in the manner of 

 the Willet. In the early part of August it begins to migrate ; it then 

 flies high, and may be easily recognised by its whistling notes, which 

 resemble those of the Tell-tale. In the middle of June I observed this 

 species in the vicinity of Burlington, New Jersey ; but I could not dis- 

 cover its nest. — G. Ord. 



