THE "PEEPS" 157 



and white; rump blackish; tail feathers dusky, 

 growing grayer toward the outer feathers; 

 wing quills dusky ; a blackish line from the bill 

 to the eye, and above this a white line. Below, 

 mainly white. Dusky specklings on a pale red- 

 dish brown ground on lower throat, breast and 

 neck. Upper throat white. Feet dull greenish. 

 Iris brown. Length about five and one-half 

 inches ; extent nearly eleven inches. 



The Semipalmated Sandpiper is much like 

 the foregoing in color, and the two are often 

 found together. This bird is a very little larger 

 — perhaps half an inch longer — and somewhat 

 grayer in coloring, but in any case may be 

 known by the partial webbing of the toes. This 

 species also nests northward to the Arctic 

 shores. 



The White-rumped Piper is almost large 

 enough to be worth shooting. It is from seven 

 to eight inches long, with a wing spread of fif- 

 teen inches. This is the sandpiper most com- 

 monly found in the marshes during September 

 and October, here associating with the ''grass- 

 birds." It is also a common species inland, 

 and everywhere one of the most unsuspicious 

 of the shorebirds, paying no more heed to an in- 



