236 



PR.KCOCIAL GRALLATOHKS — LIMK'OL.fl. 



black ; lateral upper tnil-covertx wliilu, uticiikL-d with dusky. Midillf tiul-lpatlicrs dusky, ed^ed 

 with whiti.ih ; other reetrices deep browuifih mny, distinctly hoider.'d wiiii widte. A whitish 

 superciliary stripe, sharply delining the ciiiiiaiuon oi' liie crown ; ju^'uhiui very palu brownish j^ray 

 sparsely streaketl laterally and anteriorly only ; reniainin;^' lower parts white, the sides witii sparse 

 V-shaped niarkinj,'s, and the lower tail-coverls with streaks of dusky j,'rayish. YouiKj.Jirst plum- 

 age : Above, cliietiy brij,dit rusty ociiraceous, liie leathers black centrally, the outer scapulars ami 

 interscapulars edj,'ed terminally with whiti' ; whole pileum brii,'ht t'errUj,'inous, broadly streaked 

 with bhick, bounded sharply on each side liy a white, tin dy streaked superciliary stripe; rump 

 and middle u|)per tail-coverts brownish black, the feathers bordered terniinally with lusty ; outir 

 upper tail-coverls white, with medial streaks of black ; i nddle tail-feathers black, ed;,'ed laterally 

 with rufous; other rectrices dusky, bordeied with rusty whitish. Cheeks whitish, tinely streaked 

 with dusky ; jujiuluni, breast, and sides, anteriorly, deep rusty bud', linely streaked anteriorly aiul 

 laterally with dusky ; remaiinu},' lower parts, includin<,' the throat, white, the lower tail-coverts 

 streaked with dusky. "Iris hazel ; bill black at ti|i, changing' to (liii^y ;,'reenish yellow on 

 bo-sal third of lower mandible and base of upper ; feet and tarsi dull greenish yellow" (Xklsox, 

 MS.).i 



Wing, 4.90-."). oO ; culnien, .Do-l.tMt ; tarsus, 1.10-1. :25 ; naddle toe, .88-.!)5. 



This species resembles very closely the common A, mitculata, but diH'ers constantly in several 

 respects. As to jiroportions, the bill is decidedly shorter and more slender, and the tarsus slij,dUly 

 lon^'er, while the win".; is about the sanu? lenj^th. The nuddle tail-feathers ore narrower and more 

 acuminate. The colors are nearly the same, but the rectrices are darker, the breast olmost or quite 

 unspotted centrally and posteriorly, and the crown decidedly rufous. 



A specimen from New South Wales, which apjiears to be this species (\o. 15313, U. S. Expl. 

 E.\p.), but labelled '' Triwja aurita (f), Lath.," dill'ers notably from an adult from Australia, re- 

 ceived from Mr. J. E. Ilartin^', in the following; particulars : The jxjsterior and lateral parts of 

 the l)rea.st have coarse, irre;,'ular markin;,'s of tiark brown, many of these markinj,'s bein^' Y-shaped, 

 others irrcgukrly sai,'ittate or even transver.se ; the.se markiuj^'s are continued, but increased in size 

 aloii^' the sides to the crissum, and even the abdomen has a few small markings; the crown is not 

 conspicuously rusty, neither is this color there bounded sharply by the light superciliary .stripe. 

 Whether this specimen rejiresents the same species, we are not quite prepared to say, not having 

 sufficient material at band. 



Actodromas minutilla. 



THE LEAST SANDPIFEB. 



Trinrja, minutilla, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. XXXIV. 181l», 452. — CoUF.s, Key, 1872, 254 ; Check List, 



1873, no. 418 ; Birds X. W. 1874, 482. 

 Actodromas miiiHtil/(i, Yiosw. Comiii. Rend. 1856. — RiDOW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 538.— 



CoUES, Check List, 2 J ed. 1882, no. 614. 

 Tringapusilla, AVii.s. Am. Orn. V. 1813, 32, pi. 37, f. 4 (ncc LiN.v.). — Sw. & Ririi. F. B. ,\. II. 



1831, 386. — AtTD. Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 180, pi. 320 ; Synop. 1839, 237 ; B.Am. V. 1842, 280, 



pi. 337. 

 Tringa Wilsonii, Nrrr. Man. 11. 1834, 121. —Cash, in Baird's B. X. Am. 1858, 721. — Baiuu, 



Cat. X. Am. B. 1859, no. 532. 

 Trinr/a nana, LlCHT. Xoniend. 1854, 92. 

 " Triiiga gcoi-gica, LiruT." (Gray). 



Hab. The whole of America, but breeding (so far as known) only north of the United States ; 

 accidental in Europe. 



Sp. Char. Adult, gummer pluriutge : Back and scapulars black, the feathers bordered and 

 somewhat barred (not continuously, and mostly beneath the surface) with rusty ochraceous, the 

 tips of some of the feathers often whitish ; rump and middle upper tail-coverts browidsh black ; 

 lateral upper tail-coverts white, with wedge-shaped markings of grayish ; middle tail-feathers 



1 SwiNHOE ("Ibis," 1863, p. 412) says: "Apical half of bill purplish black, basal half olive.-brown, 

 with tinge of flesh-color ; legs yellowish olive, with black claws." 



