ACTITURUS BARTRAMIUS. 189 



406. ACTITURUS BARTRAMIUS (Wils.). 

 (BARTRAM'S SANDPIPER.) 



Totanus bartramia, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 503 (Mendoza). Actiturus 

 bartramius, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 146 ; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 199 

 (Buenos Ayres) ; Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 316 (Entrerios) ; Withhigton, Ibis, 

 1888, p. 472 (Lonias de Zamora). Bartramia longicauda, Baird, Brew., 

 et Ridyiv. Water-B. N. A. i. p. 296. Totanus bartrami, Seebohm, Plovers, 

 p. 376. 



Description. Above blackish, feathers edged with yellowish brown ; rump 

 black ; wing-coverts yellowish brown, barred with black ; primaries blackish : 

 beneath white ; breast and flanks ochraceous, spotted and barred with black ; 

 under surface of wings barred with white and black ; bill yellowish, tip black ; 

 feet yellow : whole length 10-0 inches, wing 6-3, tail 3*1. Female similar. 



Hab. North America, migrating south to Buenos Ayres. 



Bartram's Sandpiper is another of those species which breed in North 

 America, and extend their winter-migrations far into the Southern 

 Hemisphere. It differs, however, from its fellow-migrants, which visit 

 the Argentine country, in its wide and even distribution over all that 

 portion of the pampas where the native coarse grasses which once 

 covered the country have disappeared, an area comprising not less than 

 50,000 square miles. It begins to arrive as early as September, coming 

 singly or in small parties of three or four ; and, extraordinary as the 

 fact may seem when we consider the long distance the bird travels, and 

 the monotonous nature of the level country it uses as a " feeding area," 

 it is probable that every bird returns to the same spot year after year ; 

 for in no other way could such a distribution be maintained, and the 

 birds appear every summer evenly sprinkled over so immense a surface. 



On the pampas the bird is called Chorlo solo, on account of its soli- 

 tary habit, but more commonly "Batitu," an abbreviation of the Indian 

 name Mbatuitui. In disposition it is shy, and prefers concealment to 

 flight when approached, running rapidly away through the long grass 

 or thistles, or concealing itself behind a tussock until the danger is 

 past, or often, where the herbage is short, crouching on the ground 

 like a Snipe. It runs swiftly and pauses frequently ; and while standing 

 still with head raised it jerks its long tail up and down in a slow mea- 

 sured manner. When driven up it springs aloft with a sudden wild 

 flight, uttering its loud mellow-toned cry, composed of three notes, 

 strongly accented on the first and last ; and sometimes, when the bird 

 is much alarmed, the first note is rapidly repeated several times like a 

 trill. After flying a very short distance it drops to the ground again, 

 agitating its wings in a tremulous manner as it comes down. In this 

 motion of the wings, also in many of its gestures on the ground, its 



