226 



PR^COCIAL GRALLATOKBS — LIMICOL^. 



Actodromas Cooperi. 



COOPER'S SANDPIPER. 



Tringa Cooperi, Baip.d, Birds N. Ain. 1858, 716 ; L-d. 1860, pi. 89, fig. 1. — CouES, Check List, 1873, 



no. 4-22 ; Bird.s N. W. 1874, 491. 

 Tringa (Actodromas) Cooperi, COUES, Key, 1872, 255. 



Actodromas (Bclcroptjgia) Cooperi, CouES, Pr. Ac. Nat. 8ci. Pliilad. 1861. -202. 

 Actodromas Cooperi, Ridgw. Norn. N. Aui. B. 1881, no. 535. — CouEs, Cliecli; List, 2d ed. 1882,no. 618. 



Had. Long Island ; only one .specimen knoAvii. 



Sp. Char. Nearly as large as Trinya canutus, but a typical Actodrninas in form and coloration. 

 Adult, summer plumage: Almo.^t e.xactly like A.fuscicollis, but with a less amount of reddish tinge 

 to the upper i).Trts, and the upper tail-coverts more di.stinotly marked with dusky. Above, brown- 

 ish gray, the feathers marked centrally with black, producing rather large, irregularly cuneate spots 

 on the back and scapnlar.s, and longitudinal streaks elsewhere, the lalter Ijroadest on the crown, 

 where the gi'ound-color inclines to grayish butf ; a few of the scapulars slightly tinged with light 

 rusty ochraceous ; rump grayish dusky, the feathers licirdered with grayish white, and marked with 

 blackish shaft-streaks ; upper tail-coverts white, with irregvtlar sagittate markings of dusky. Wing- 



coverts brownish gray, the smaller with darker centres and blackish shafts, the greater distinctly 

 tipped with w-hite ; reniiges dusky, the inner primaries edged toward bases, the secondaries toward 

 and around ends, with white ; shafts of the primaries white, liecoming brown basally and termi- 

 nally. Tail light brownish gray, the middle leathers darker terminally, the fithers indistinctly 

 edged with whitish. Lower parts white, the sides of the head and neck and the jugulum tinged 

 with light rusty buff, and thickly streaked with dusky ; breast, sides, and Hanks marked with 

 coarser, irregular, mostly longitudinal .specks of dusky, becoming sagittate in form on the flanks ; 

 lower tail-coverts with narrow streaks of dusky. Lining of the wing white, spotted exteriorly and 

 anteriorly with dusky ; under primary coverts pale gray, edged and tipped with white. 



Total length, about 9.50 inches ; wing, 5.80 ; cnlraen, 1,25 ; tarsus, 1.20 ; middle toe, .80. 



The relationships of this Itird, the type specimen of which still remains unique, are unquestion- 

 ably with Actodromas fuscicollis, from which it could hardly be distinguished, were it not for its 

 much greater size. The plumage is entirely the same, except that there is less of a reddish tinge 

 above, and the upper tail-coverts are more distinctly relieved by V-shaped markings of dusky. It 

 is totally distinct from T. canutus, with which it scarcely needs comparison at all, the very different 

 proportions, aside from the differences in coloration, distinguishing it at once. 



The history of the manners, lial>its, and distribution of thi,s rare species continues 

 to remain unknown, and its existence as a veritable species to rest on the evidence of 

 a single sj)ecimen. The type, which has thus far remained unique, was taken on 

 the 24th of May, 1833, on Raynor South, Long Island, by William Cooper, and named 

 by Professor Baird in honor of its discoverer. We know nothing as to any indi- 

 vidual peculiarities exhibited at the time of its capture, but we may venture the 

 suggestion that its habits probably do not essentially differ from those of the Bona^ 

 parte Sandpiper. 



