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alighted among my decoys while I was lying at a salt pond on the 

 meadow. It walked about with an erect and graceful gait, occa- 

 sionally stooping to probe the soft mud for worms and minute shell- 

 fish, particles of which, on dissection, 1 found in its stomach. 

 After spending a few minutes witliin reach of my gun, it became 

 alarmed, uttered a shrill note, and took wing; while passing from 

 me, I brouglit it down. 



An experienced bay-man who was on the meadow at the time, 

 informed mo that in the course of many years' shooting, he had 

 met with a few stragglers, which he had always considered hybrids. 

 In plumage it somewhat resembles liie Red-breasted Snipe, but is 

 much smaller, and by comparison it is easily detected. 



"Tills species is not uncommon in the fur countries, up to the 

 60th parallel, and perhaps still iariher north.*' — Fauna Boreali 

 Americana. 



Mr. Audubon speaks of it as being common in the neighborhood 

 of the lower part of tiie Mississippi river, and he also met with 

 it on Galveslon Island, Texas; and from the circumsLance of my 

 having found it stripped of its feathers, and from si.x to eight on a 

 string, e.xposed for sale in the New York market, we may infer 

 that occasionally a wandering flock visits the shores of Long 

 Island. 



TRINGA PECTORALIS— BONAP. 



PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 



Tringa pcctoralis, Bonnp. Svn. 



Pectoral Sandpijicr, 'J'niiga pectoralia, Nutt. Man. 



Pectoral Sdmlj)ijjcr, Tringa pecloralis, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — Bill straight, base orange-green ; length 

 of tarsi one inch and one-sixteenth ; upper parts brownish-black 

 edged with reddish-brown; throat while; fore part of neck and 

 upper part of the breast light brownish-gray, streaked wiiij dusky ; 

 rest of lower pir s including tlie lower tail coverts white. Adult 

 with the bill straight j lop of the head dark brown, intermixed 

 30 



