224 



l'Il.K("()('IAI, (iUALI.ATOllKS — LIMICOL.K. 



liko our trt'c-frogs ; and iM't'oro Mr. Elliott liatl traccl tlio noiso to thin source, he 

 liad scarehcil sovurul weeks, uuavailinyly, tor tliese reptiles, misled by the tail ol 

 this bird. 



The eggs have the following measurements: 1.00 by l.lO; I.flU l)y 1.10; 1.50 liv 

 1.11, and 1.55 by l.OD iuehes. They are decidedly pyrilorm in shape, one end bein^' 

 much more obtuse than the other, tiic acute ends retreating in a very jtntnounci'il 

 nuiuner. The ground-ctihir in all the spei'imens is ol' a juire and clear dral), ami i;. 

 very boldly marked with large blotches ol' sejiia brown, intermingled with other 

 markings which are sutt'used with a w;ish of a purplish ash. In some instances tiic 

 sejiia markings are dilute, and in others they are intensilied almost to l)lackncss. 

 The eggs wi-re taken J une lU, 1)S7.j, and weri' then (juite liesh. 



Genus ACTODROMAS, Kaui>. 



Admlrowan, Kai'I', Hk. Kiit. Kur. Tliierw. 18'.2'.i, ;!7 (tyiw, TriHija miauttt, I.r.isi,.). 



llcUntfiijijiit, Couivs, I'r. I'liihul. Acail. 1801, lUO (type, Trimja Uun'ipartii, Sciilku. = T. fuscicollis, 



Viiai.i..). 

 Lcimiiiiilcn, Kaui', t. c. (typi', Tringn Tiiiiiuuicl,!, Lkisi,. ). 

 DdopyijiK, CoCEs, Pr. I'liihid. Aciul. 1801, llto (= Iklcrupijijia). 



Chau. Size incdiuni to very sumll (snmlk'st of the family) ; form graceful, legs and bill sslcii- 

 der, tlie latter straight, and little, if any, longer tlian tlie tai'sus. Tarsus decidedly longer tliuii tlic 

 middle toe with its claws ; toes slender, completely cleft. Wings long and pointed, their ends 

 when closed reaching beyond the tip of the tail. 



\ li 



■^'V 



5 I 



A, maculata. 



Although the species of this genus vary greatly in size, they all agree very closely in the details 

 of structure. Besides the American species include<l in the following synoptical table, there are 

 several Old World Actodromi, uuiong which may be nameil Triwja minitta, Lkisl., and T. albescuus, 

 Temm., both nearly allied to, though fpiiti' distinct from, our A minutilla. The American species 

 may be distinguished as follows : — 



A« Size large (wings more than 5.50). 



1. A. Cooperi. Tail even, the middle feathers scarcely narrowed at the end, and not pro- 

 jecting notably W-yond the rest. L(>wer parts white, the jugulum, breast, and sides longi- 

 tudinally flecked with dusky. Above (in adult), brownish gray, the feathers marked 

 centrally with black, producing conspicuous »])ots on the back and scapulars, streaks 

 elsewhere. U]jper tail-coverts white, with irregular sagittate marks of dusky. AVing, 

 6.80 ; cuhnen, 1.25 ; tarsus, 1.20; middle toe, .80. Hub. Long Island. 



