TRINGA SUHARQUATA. 385 



TRINGA SUBARQUATA. 



Curlew Sandpiper. 

 Trinya sultanjuata TKKM., Mnn., I; 1815, 393. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. Cn. Form, "lender. Size, medium. Bill, slender, longer tlmn head, slightly curved and widened at tip. Toes, 

 without basal membrane. Outer marginal indentations, less than twice as deep as inner. 



< '< 'Lou. Advil. Above, dark-brown becoming ashy on the rump and wings; every feather, excepting primaries, edged 

 with bright yelUvish-nifms. Upper tail coverts, white, transversely banded with dark-brown, Secondaries, tip|Hl with 

 white. Tail, ashy. Beneath, dark yellowish-rufous, with the under wing coverts, axillaries, under tail coverts, sides, and 

 Hanks, white. 



Youny. Ashy, above, with few red markings. Under parts, ashy-white tinged on breast nnd sides, with yellowish. 

 Then- is ;i whitish line from lull over eye, and the tail feathers are also whitish; otherwise similar to the adult. Iris, brown. 

 bill and feet, greenish, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known by the slightly curved bill, white banded upper tail coverts, unspotted lower portioas, and colors asde- 

 scribed. Distributed throughout the Old World. Rare on the Eastern coast of the United States. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 8-35; stretch, 15-50; wing, 4'50; tail, 2'85; 

 bill, 1 35; tarsus, T12. Longest specimen, 8'75; greatest extent of wing, IG'OO; longest wing, 5'00; tail, 2 50, bill, 1'60; 

 tiirsus, \-2~t. Shortest specimen, 8'00: smallest extent of wing, 15'00; shortest wing, 4'00; tail, 8'00; bill, T25; tarsus, 1-00. 



HABITS. 



The Curlew Sandpiper has been known as an inhabitant of the United States for muny 

 years, yet it has never been taken in any numbers. Specimens, however, have been ob- 

 tained from New Brunswick to Florida but more have been found in New Jersey than else- 

 where. It is a well-known, widely distributed, European species, 'the breeding place of 

 which appears to be unknown; consequently the eggs have never been taken. It is an op- 

 en question whether the birds taken with us are merely stragglers from across the Atlan- 

 tic, or whether they breed on this continent in high latitudes. The Curlew Sandpiper 

 appears to frequent the muddy flats or beaches covered with debris, in company with oth- 

 er Sandpipers having similar habits. 



TRINGA CANUTA. 



Red-breasted Sandpiper. 



Trinya canuta LINN., Syst. Nat. I; 17C6, 251. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. Cn. Form, robust. Size, large. Bill, stout, but little longer tlmn head, and slightly widened at tip. Legs, short 

 and stout. Toes, without basal membrane but widely margined. Tongue, rather wide, and tapering toward tip which is 

 rounded and provided with a tuft of coarse cilia. The outer marginal indentations are twice as deep an inner. 



COI.OR. Adult in summer. Ab.ive. pale bluish-ash, lined and spotted with bUick and pale reddish. Rump and upjier 

 tail coverts, white, transversely banded with black. Tips of greater wing covert*, white. Primaries, dark-brown, edged 

 with white. Tail, ashy. Under portions, pale chestnut-red, lighter on abdomen. Axillarics, under wing and tail cov- 

 erts, flanks, and tibia, white, banded with dark-brown. 



Adult in winter. Alxive, pale bluish-ash with each feather edged with whitish preceded by a Imnd of black. Line 

 over eye, whitish. Beneath, white tinged with yellowish, finely mottled across breast and on sides with bluish-ash. Oth- 

 erwise, similar to the above. 



Youny. Similar to the winter adult but lacks, in a great measure, the yellowish tinging below. Bill, black, iris, brown 

 and feet, greenish, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Kea'lilv kn< wn bv tin- larger -i/.e. ;md |ile bluish-a.sh colors above. Distributi'd, in summer, throughout the Autic 

 o~. Winters south of the United Ssiat<:s. 



