SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. 



161 



white, the sides sometimes spotted with black. L., 8-00 ; W., 4-75 ; Tar., 1-00 ; 

 B., 1-50. 



Kemarks. There is, of course, every degree of intergradation between 

 summer and winter plumage, but the species may always be known by its 

 slightly curved bill. 



Range. North America, breeding in the arctic regions and wintering from 

 Florida southward ; rare in the interior. 



Washington, rare T. V., Apl. ; Oct. Long Island, T. V., uncommon in 



FIG. 63. Red-backed Sandpiper. (Natural size.) 



spring, Apl. 1 to May 15 ; common in fall, Aug. 31 through Oct. Sing Sing, 

 tolerably common T. V. in fall, Oct. 3 to Oct. 24. Cambridge, casual, one 

 instance, Oct. 



Eggs, three to four, varying from pale, bluish white to ochraceous-bufl', 

 heavily marked with chocolate, chieny at the larger end, 1-43 x 1-01. 



Generally speaking, this is a shore or beach bird, though it also 

 visits grassy marshes. It flies and feeds in flocks, and is an unsus- 

 picious, rather stupid little Snipe, less active than most members of 

 this family. The gray-plumaged fall birds are known as " Leadbacks," 

 while in the spring they go by the names " Blackbreast " or " Redback." 



The DUNLIN (?. Tringa alpind) is the Old- World representative of our 

 Eed-backed Sandpiper, from which it differs only in being less brightly 

 colored and somewhat smaller. L., about 7'40 ; W., 4-12-4-50; Tar., '78-90; 

 B., 1-05-1-25. It is of casual occurrence in North America. 



The CURLEW SANDPIPER (244. Tringa ferrugined) inhabits the eastern 

 hemisphere, and occurs casually in eastern North America. It has been re- 

 corded from Ontario, Nova Scotia, Maine, Massachusetts, and Long Island. 



246. Ereunetes pusillus(Zin.). SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER ; SAND 

 OXEYE ; PEEP. Ad. in summer. Upper parts black or fuscous, margined with 

 brownish gray and a small amount of rufous ; rump grayish brown ; upper 

 tail-coverts blackish ; tail-feathers brownish gray, central ones darkest; breast 

 streaked or spotted with blackish. Im. Similar, but upper parts and wing- 

 coverts blackish, with rounded rufous or buffy tips to the feathers ; breast un- 

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