240 ZOOLOGY. 



FIGURES. Bonap. Am. Orn. IV, pi. 23, fig. 2. Aud. B. of Am. pi. 294; oct. ed. V, pi. 329. 



SP. CH. Bill rather longer than the head, compressed, slightly depressed and expanded at the tip; nasal groove long; wings 

 long; legs rather long; tibia with nearly its lower half naked; toes free at base, flattened underneath and slightly margined; tail 

 rather short; middle feathers pointed. Entire upper parts brownish black; all the feathers edged and tipped with ashy and 

 brownish red; rump and upper tail coverts black, some of the outer feathers of the latter edged with white. Line from the bill 

 over the eye ashy white; throat, abdomen, under wing coverts, axillary feathers, and under tail coverts, white. Breast and 

 neck before ashy white; all the feathers darker at base, and with partially concealed lanceolate or pointed spots of brownish 

 black. Quills brownish black; shaft of first primary white, of others brown; secondaries tipped and edged with white; tertiaries 

 edged with dull reddish yellow. Bill and feet dark greenish black. Total length, about 9 inches; wing, 5|; tail, 2; bill to 

 gape, 1J; tarsus, 1 inch. 



Hob. The entire coast of North America; South America; Europe. 



This snipe is found moderately abundant at Puget Sound, but it is rare to find them there, 

 except singly. A male specimen, marked 373, killed at Fort Steilacoom, measured, in length, 

 9.75 inches; extent, 18.25. The species appears to be only a visitor in the spring and fall, 

 though a few, perhaps, remain through the summer. S. 



TRINGA WILSONII, Nut tall. 



Least Sandpiper. 



Tringapusilla, WILSON, Am. Orn. V, 1812, 32; pi. 37. Not of Linnaeus. AUD. Orn. Biog. IV, 1838, 180; pi. 



320. IB. Syn. 237. IB. Birds, Am. V, 1842, 280; pi. 337. 

 Tringa wilsonii, NUTTALL, Man. II, 1834, 121. BAIRD & CASSIN, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 271. 



FIGURES. Wilson, Am. Orn. V, pi. 37, fig. 4. Audubon s B. of Am. pi. 320; oct. ed. V, pi. 337. 



SP. CH. The smallest of all known species of this group found in North America. Bill about as long as the head, slightly 

 curved towards the end, which is very slightly expanded; grooves in both mandibles to near the tip; wing long ; tertiaries nearly 

 as long as the primaries; tail short; middle feathers longest; outer feathers frequently longer than the intermediate; legs long; 

 lower third of the tibia naked; toes long, slender, margined and flattened beneath; hind toe small. Upper parts with nearly 

 every feather having a large central spot of brownish black, and widely margined with ashy and bright brownish red; rump and 

 middle of the upper tail coverts black; outer coverts white, spotted with black. Stripe over the eye, throat, and breast pale 

 ashy white, with numerous small longitudinal spots of ashy brown; abdomen and under tail coverts white. Quills dark brown, 

 with the shafts of the primaries white; tertiaries edged with reddish. Middle feathers of the tail brownish black; outer feathers 

 light ashy white. Under surface of wing light brownish ashy, with a large spot of white near the shoulder; axillary feathers 

 white; bill and legs greenish brown, the latter frequently yellowish green. Total length from tip of bill to end of tail about 5 

 to 6 inches; extent, 11.50; wing, 3| to 3; tail, 1|; bill to gape, jj; tarsus, 2 inch. Bill black; feet brown. 



Hob. Entire temperate North America. 



Wilson s sandpiper is quite abundant during the spring and autumn in the vicinity of Fort 

 Steilacoom, Puget Sound. They prefer the muddy edges of pools of brackish or fresh water, 

 and are occasionally found along the borders of meadow brooks, especially in the spring. In 

 1856 they arrived at Fort Steilacoom during the first week in May, and were then seen either 

 in small flocks or in pairs. Two males, shot at that time, measured respectively in length and 



extent 5.87, 11.38; and 6.11 inches. In the fall they are found in rather large flocks, 



and are then readily killed on the lagoons and mud flats at different localities along the sound; 

 a few remain throughout the summer. S. 



Wilson s sandpiper I have only observed in summer, when they breed about the shores of 

 the bays near the Columbia river, as I supposed, from seeing young in July, though I have not 

 seen the nest. I have also found the species common along the Platte river, Nebraska, in 

 summer, and have no doubt of their breeding there. C. 



