32 (> Synopsis of the Birds 



Spotted Sandpiper, Tringa macularia, Wils. Am. Orn. 

 vii. p. so. pi- 59. Jig. l. adult ; Totanus macularius, Nob. 

 Am. Orn. Hi. young. 



Inhabits throughout North America : though an arctic 

 bird, merely an accidental visitant in the north of Europe I 

 very common during the fair season in the middle states where 

 it breeds. Solitary. 



This beautiful species, together with its close relative 

 T. hypoleucos of Europe, has the bill furrowed, soft, and 

 flexible to the point, hard merely at the tip, and therefore^ 

 almost as sensible as that of the TringEe, to which they form 

 the passage : they might constitute a section or subgenus, 

 under the name of Tringoides. 



54. LIMOSA. 



Scolopax, h. Gm. Lath. Limosa, Briss. Cuv. Leisler. 

 Temm. Ranz. Actitis, 111. Limicola, Vieill. 



Bill, very long, straight, a little recurved from the mid- 

 dle, sub-cylindrical, rather slender, thick at base, very 

 soft and flexible its whole length, at the point smooth, much 

 depressed, dilated, turgid and obtuse ; both mandibles deeply 

 furrowed on each side nearly their whole length ; lower 

 shorter ; the upper ending in an internal knob : nostrils in 

 the furrows, basal, lateral, covered by a membrane, linear, 

 open, pervious : tongue moderate, filiform, acute. Head 

 large ; eyes very large, central. Neck moderate, stout : 

 body inclined, compressed. Feet long, slender, 4-toed j 

 naked space of the tibia extensive ; fore toes somewhat sca- 

 brous beneath ; middle one longest, connected to the outer 

 at base by a membrane ; inner free, hardly shorter than the 

 outer ; hind toe short, slender, touching the ground at tip : 

 nails falculate, the middle one with a projecting ridge, hol- 

 lowed out beneath on the inner side. Wings long, extremely 

 acute; quills stiff; first primary longest. Tail moderate, of 

 twelve feathers. 



