DESCRIPTIVE LIST 129 



much reduced in recent years. Many of the birds are said now to make a part of 

 their southward flight over the ocean, a course which insures them protection from 

 local gunners. 



One species of the genus Arquatella, the Purple Sandpiper, A. maritima maritima (Briinn.), 

 may occur with us as a straggler, as it winters as far south as Long Island, and has been 

 known to wander to Georgia and Florida. Its generic characters would bring it under the 

 second branch of 7 in the generic key, but it may be distinguished by having the tarsus shorter 

 than the middle toe with claw. The species is about the size of a Pectoral Sandpiper. 



Genus Pisobia (Billb.) 



Three species of this genus visit us, and a fourth is also likely to be recorded 

 in autumn. 



KEY TO SPECIES 



1. Wing less than 4.00. Least Sandpiper. 



1. Wing more than 4.50. See 2. 



2. Upper tail-coverts white, but sometimes streaked with dusky. White-rumped Sandpiper. 

 2. Upper tail-coverts not white. Pectoral Sandpiper. 



108. Pisobia maculata (Vieill.}. PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 



Ads. in summer. Upperparts black, all the feathers heavily bordered with pale ochraceous- 

 buff; rump and upper tail-coverts black, lightly tipped with ochraceous-buff; middle tail- 

 feathers longest, pointed and margined with buffy; outer tail-feathers brownish gray, narrowly 

 margined with white; throat white, neck and breast heavily streaked with black and buffy; 

 rest of underparts white. Ads. and Juv. in winter. -Similar, but ochraceous-buff of under- 

 parts replaced by rufous, and breast heavily washed with buffy. L., 9.00; W., 5.40; Tar., 1.10; 

 B., 1.15. (Chap., Birds of E. N. A.) 



Range. Breeds in Arctic America; winters in South America. 



Range in North Carolina. 'Has been taken during the migrations at Raleigh and in the 

 coastal region. 



FIG. 90. PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 



This sandpiper, which is much less strictly a salt-water bird than the two pre- 

 ceding, frequents wet meadows and marshes rather than mud-flats and beaches. 

 It is a "flocking" bird, usually flying in compact bunches which may be raked by a 

 gunner's fire in a most destructive manner. It also decoys readily. 



With a more or less regular spring migration movement as far up the State as 

 Raleigh, it may be lo oked for in wet meadows (preferring a little more water among 

 the grass than Wilson's Snipe) almost anywhere within our borders where condi- 

 tions suit its requirements. 



The spring migration dates for this bird are late March and early April. In the 

 fall it is much less common inland, and our few dates for this season of the year 



9 



