SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. 63 



The Esquimaux curlew is eighteen inches long, and 

 thirty-two inches in extent ; the bill, which is four inches 

 and a half long-, is black towards the point, and a pale 



Eurplish flesh colour near the base ; upper part of the 

 ead, dark brown, divided by a narrow stripe of brownish 

 white ; over each eye extends a broad line of pale drab ; 

 iris, dark coloured ; hind part of the neck, streaked with 

 dark brown ; fore part and whole breast, very pale 

 brown ; upper part of the body, pale drab, centred and 

 barred with dark brown, and edged with spots of white 

 on the exterior vanes ; three first primaries, black, with 

 white shafts ; rump and tail-coverts, barred with dark 

 brown ; belly, white ; vent, the same, marked with zig- 

 zag lines of brown ; whole lining of the wing, beautifully 

 barred with brown on a dark cream ground; legs and 

 naked thighs, a pale lead colour. 



GENUS XLIX. 77?/A T G^, BRISSOX. 



SUBGENUS I. BElflPALXA, BONAPARTE., 



217. TRINGA SEMIPALXATA, WILSON. 



SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. 

 WILSON, PLATE LXIII. FIG. IV. 



THIS is one of the smallest of its tribe, and seems 

 to have been entirely overlooked, or confounded with 

 another which it much resembles, (tringa pusitta,) and 

 with whom it is often found associated. 



Its half webbed feet, however, are sufficient marks 

 of distinction between the two. It arrives and departs 

 with the ruddy plover ; flies in flocks with the stints, 

 purres, and a few others; and is sometimes seen 

 at a considerable distance from the sea, on the sandy 

 shores of our fresh water lakes. On the 23d of 

 September I met with a small flock of these birds in 

 Burlington Bay, on Lake Champlain. They are nume- 

 rous along the sea shores of New Jersey, but retire to 

 .the south on the approach of cold weather. 



This species is six inches long, and twelve in extent; 



