160 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



Genus MICROPALAMA Baird. 



233. Micropalama himantopus (Bonap.). Stilt Sandpiper; 

 Long-legged Sandpiper. 



Plumage of summer adults : ear coverts and faint line at back of head 

 rufous ; primaries fuscous ; secondaries grayish with white edgings ; upper 

 tail coverts white, streaked and barred with dusky ; outer tail feathers with 

 interrupted dark bars, the inner ones with streaks of grayish or whitish ; 

 remaining upper parts blackish with light buff y or grayish borders to feathers ; 

 below white with heavy bars of dusky. Plumage of winter adults: upper 

 tail coverts and tail white, the latter margined with grayish ; other upper 

 parts ash gray ; below white with faint tinges of gray on throat, neck and 

 sides. Immature plumage: differs chiefly in being blackish above with 

 ochraceous margins to feathers and dirty white below. Wing 5.00 to 5.42 ; 

 culmen 1.65 ; tarsus 1.65. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, breeding within the Arctic Circle ; 

 wintering south to Bermuda, West Indies and South America. 



County Records. — Cumberland ; transient in autumn only, rather uncom- 

 mon, (Brown, C. B. P. p. 26). Knox; not known, the record of Spinney 

 (Auk. 1903, p. 65), being withdrawn by him. Washington ; rare, (Boardman). 



This is a rare local migrant along the coast in late summer, 

 occurring from late July to early October. Mr. McFarland 

 found the Stilt breeding at Rendezvous Lake, east of Fort 

 Anderson, Arctic N. A., June 27. The nest was a mere 

 depression in the ground, lined with a little grass. Four eggs 

 are said to be laid which are pyriform in shape, light drab in 

 color with markings of chestnut brown and purplish gray, 

 most heavy about the larger ends of the eggs. An egg is said 

 to measure L44 x 1.00. The call of the bird is a mere tweet. 



Genus TRINGA Linnaeus. 



234. Tringa canutiis Linn. Knot; Red-breasted Sand- 

 piper; Ash-colored Sandpiper; Gray-back; Robin Snipe; 

 Gray Snipe. 



Plumage of adults in summer : barred and streaked black, white and rufous 

 above ; tail ashy gray with very narrow margins of whitish to the feathers ; 

 lower belly whitish; upper belly, breast, fore neck and throat rufous. 

 Plumage of winter adults : above brownish gray ; upper tail coverts barred 



