SNIPES AND SANDPIPERS 253 



mouth of the Yenisei, and from Point Barrow to mouth of Yukon, and in 

 Boothia and Melville Peninsulas and n. Ungava; winters on the Pacific 

 coast from Wash, to s. L. Calif., and from N. J. (rarely Mass.) s. to La. and 

 s. Tex., and in Asia from China and Japan to the Malay Archipelago; rare 

 in migration in the interior of the U. S. except about the s. end of Lake Mich- 

 igan. 



Washington, rare T. V., ApL; Sept.-Noy. Long Island, T. V., uncom- 

 mon in spring, Apl. 1-May 15; common in fall, Aug. 31 through Oct. 

 (Dutcher). Ossining, tolerably common, T. V. in fall, Oct. 3-24. Cambridge, 

 casual, one instance, Oct. N. Ohio, casual T. V. SE. Minn., T. V.,May 14.. 



Eggs, 3-4, varying from pale, bluish white to ochraceous-buff, heavily 

 marked with chocolate, chiefly at the larger end, 1*43 x I'Ol. Date, Pt. 

 Barrow, Alaska, June 21. 



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 (248. Pelidna alpina alpina) is the Old World representa- 

 tive of our Red-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. 



244. Erolia ferruginea (Brunn.). CURLEW SANDPIPER. Bill slightly 

 decurved. Ads. in summer. Below reddish brown, above rusty and black. 

 Juv. Above brownish gray, margined with whitish, back blacker; below 

 white. Ads. and Juv. in winter. Above plain brownish gray; below white. 

 L., 8-00; W., 5'00; B., 1'50; T., I'lO. 



Range. Chiefly E. Hemisphere; occasional in N. and S. A. Breeds in 

 the Yenisei delta and on the Taimyr Peninsula, Siberia; winters in Africa, 

 India, Malay Archipelago, and Australia; in migration occurs from Great 

 Britain to China and the Philippines; occasional in N. A.; Alaska (Pt. 

 Barrow), Ont., N. S., Maine., Mass., N. Y., and N. J., and in the West 

 Indies and Patagonia. 



246. Ereunetes pusillus (Linn.}. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. Ads. 

 in summer. Upperparts 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. Juv. Similar, but upperparts and wing-coverts blackish, 

 with rounded rufous or buffy tips to the feathers; breast unstreaked, tinted 

 with buffy. Ads. and Juv. in winter. Upperparts brownish gray, with 

 darker shaft streaks; upper tail-coverts darker; underparts white, sometimes 

 with faint streaks on the breast. L., 6'30; W., 375; Tar., '75; B., '65-'80. 



Remarks. The small size of this and the next species prevents their be- 

 ing confused with any other except Pisobia minutilla, from which they may 

 always be known by their partially webbed toes. 



Range. N. and S. A. Breeds from the Arctic coast of N. A. s. to mouth 

 of Yukon and to s. Ungava; winters from Tex. and S. C. through West 

 Indies and Cen. Am. to Patagonia; migrates mainly e. of the Rocky Mts. ; 

 casual in B. C., Pribilof Islands, and ne. Siberia; accidental in Europe. 



Washington, rare T. V., May; Aug. 10-Oct. 26. Long Island, abundant 

 T. V., May; July through Sept. Ossining, common T. V., in fall, Aug. 14- 

 Oct. 20. Cambridge, T. V., in fall, Aug. 10-Sept. 15. N. Ohio, common T. 

 V., May 5-May 25; Sept. 1-25. Glen Ellyn, T. V., May; Aug. and Sept. 

 SE. Minn., common T. V., May 22; Sept. 15. 



Eggs, 3-4, pale, dull grayishbuff, sprinkled, speckled, or spotted with 

 dark brown and purplish gray, 1'21 x *85 (Ridgw.). Date, Lab., June 12 P 



