28o 



KEY TO THE WATER BIRDS OF FIvORIDA. 



The eggs are buff white, mottled with brown and chocolate brown, 

 heaviest on the larger end. 



EREUNETES OCCIDENTALIS La^vr. 

 Western Semipalmated Sandpiper. 



This species may be distinguished from E. piisillus by its longer bill, which is oftentimes 

 1.25 inches in length, while E. piisillus rarely if ever has the bill one inch in length. Occasionally 

 examples of the Western Sandpiper have the bill less than one inch, and in such cases it is 

 almost impossible to distinguish them from the winter examples of E. piesilhtsj therefore it is 

 perhaps as well for the sportsmen to consider all of those birds having bills less than one inch 

 in length to be E. pusillus, and if it is important to have the identification absolutely accurate, 

 they could easily obtain the opinion of some professional ornithologist to settle such a fine point. 



Adult in summer : A small web between the toes; top of head brown; back reddish 

 brown ; the feathers marked with black and some of them tipped and edged with white ; rump 

 smoky black ; under parts white, showing a faint tawny tinge on the breast. 



Adult in %uinter : Top of head and back gray, showing brown on the shafts of the feathers 

 forehead and under parts dull white ; the breast faintly lined with grayish brown, sometimes 

 entirely wanting. 



Bill black, becoming greenish olive on basal part of the mandible. 



Length, 6.50 ; Wing, 3.85 ; Tarsus, .82 ; Bill, .90 to 1.15. 



Occasionally occurs on the Atlantic coast, although its home is properly 

 in the West. It is common in Florida in winter, more so on the West than 

 on the East coast. 



The eggs are pale buff dotted with dark brown. 



Genus CALIDRIS Cuv. 



CALIDRIS ARENARIA {Linn.). 

 Sanderling. Bull-peep. 



Adult in summer: Head, throat, and upper 

 parts, except rump, reddish brown, black and white ; 

 belly and under parts pure white. 



Adult in winter: Top of the head and back 

 ash gray, the shafts of the feathers being brown; 

 forehead and entire under parts white ; bill black. 



Length, 8.10 ; Wing, 5.05 ; Tarsus, i ; Bill, 1. 



'^ This species may always be distin- 



guished by the absence of the fourth 

 toe, being the only Sandpiper occurring 

 on our coast having three toes. It is 



