BAY-BIRDS. 163 



quarters of an inch, slender ; tarsi three-quarters of 

 an inch ; legs yellowish-green. Adult with the bill 

 brownish- black ; upper part of the breast grey- 

 brown, mixed with white ; back and upper parts 

 black; the whole plumage above broadly edged 

 with bright bay and yellow ochre ; primaries black 

 greater coverts the same, tipped with white ; tail 

 rounded, the four exterior feathers on each side dull 

 white the rest dark-brown ; tertials as long as 

 the primaries ; head above dark-brown, with paler 

 edges ; over the eye a streak of whitish ; belly and 

 vent white. Length five inches and a half, wing 

 three and a half. With many of our birds we ob- 

 serve that individuals of the same species vary in 

 length, extent, and sometimes differ slightly in their 

 bills, even with those which have arrived at 

 maturity. On consulting ornithological works, we 

 notice that there are no two writers whose 

 measurement is in all cases alike. With specimens 

 of the Wilson's sandpiper, we find in their pro- 

 portions greater discrepancy than in many other 

 species and out of these differences we are inclined 

 to the opinion that two spurious species have been 

 created." G-iraud. 



TATLER. 

 Genus Tetanus. 



Generic Distinctions. Bill longer than the head, 

 straight, hard and slender ; neck slender, and both it 

 and body rather long ; wings long and pointed ; tail 

 short and rounded ; legs long ; hind-toe very small, 



