126 NOTES ON THE 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Bill rather longer than head, compressed, slightly depressed, 
and expanded at the tip; nasal groove long; wings long; legs 
rather long; tibia with nearly its lewer half naked; toes free 
at base, flattened underneath, and slightly margined; tail rather 
short; middle feathers pointed; entire upper part brownish- 
black, all the feathers edged and tipped with ashy and brown- 
ish red; rump and upper tail coverts black, some of the outer 
feathers of the latter edged with white; line from the bill over 
the eye ashy-white; throat, abdomen, under wing coverts, axil- 
liary feathers, and under tail coverts white; breast and neck 
before, ashy-white, all the feathers darker at the base and 
with partially concealed lanceolate or pointed spots of brown- 
ish-black; quills brownish-black; shaft of first primary white, of 
the others brown; secondaries tipped and edged with white; 
tertiaries edged with dull reddish-yellow; bill and feet dark 
greenish-black. 
Length, 9; wing, 5.25; tail, 2.50; bill to gape, 1.12; tarsus, 1. 
Habitat, North America. 
TRINGA BAIRDIL (Couns). (241.) 
BAIRD’S SANDPIPER. 
In the spring of 1875, Dr. T. S. Roberts stated that he had 
obtained several specimens of this species, since which time 
they have been collected by different parties on many occasions. 
Mr. J. Ransom of Pelican lake, has sent several in the flesh, 
all of which were spring birds, in good plumage. 
There is no doubt of their habitual migrations through the 
State, and in considerable numbers in the fall, reaching the 
upper counties early in August, and passing on below, in the 
latter part of September. 
They are said to breed in Alaska. The description of the 
species, of the habits of which I know nothing, I quote from 
“Birds of the Northwest” by Coues. Adult Male. ‘Bill 
wholly black, small and slender, slightly shorter than the 
head, just as long as the tarsus, or as the middle toe and claw, 
slightly expanded or lancet shaped at the end, the point acute; 
grooves long, narrow, deep; feathers on side of lower mandible 
evidently reaching further than those on upper. Upper parts 
brownish-black (deepest on the rump and middle upper tail 
coverts, and lightest on the neck behind), each feather bor- 
dered and tipped with pale brownish-yellow, the tipping of the 
scapulars broader and nearly white, their margining broad and 
brightest in tint, making several deep scollops towards the | 
shafts of the feathers. Only the outer series of upper tail 
