236 PR^COCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOL^. 



black ; lateral upper tail-coverts white, streaked with dusky- Middle tail-feathers dusky, edged 

 with whitish ; uther rectrioes deep brownish gray, distinctly bordered with white. A whitish 

 superciliary stripe, sharply defining the cinnamon of the crown ; jugulum very pale brownish gray 

 sparsely slreakeil laterally and anteriorly only ; remaining lower parts white, the sides with sparse 

 V-shaped markings, and the lower tail-coverts with streaks of dusky grayish. Young, first plum- 

 age : Above, chiefly bright rusty ochraceous, the feathers black centrally, the outer scapulars and 

 interscapulars edged terminally with white ; whole pileum bright ferruginous, broadly streaked 

 with black, bounded sharply on each side by a white, finely streaked superciliary stripe ; rump 

 and middle upper tail-coverts brownish black, the leathers bordered terminally with rusty ; outer 

 upper tail-coverts white, with medial streaks of black ; middle tail-feathers black, edged laterally 

 with rufous; other rectiices dusk}--, bordered with rusty whitish. Cheeks whitish, finely streaked 

 with dusky ; jugulum, breast, and sides, anteriorly, deep rusty buff, finely streaked anteriorly and 

 late];ally with dusky ; remaining lower parts, including the throat, white, the lower tail-coverts 

 streaked with dusky. "Iris hazel ; bill black at tip, changing to dingy greenish yellow on 

 basal third of lower mandiVile and base of upper ; feet and tarsi dull greenish yellow " (Nelson, 

 MS.).i 



Wing, 4.90-5.50 ; culmen, .95-1.00 ; tarsus, 1.10-1.25 ; middle toe, .88-, 95. 



This species resembles very closely the common A. maculata, but differs constantly in several 

 respects. As to proportions, the bill is decidedly shorter and more slender, and the tarsus slightly 

 longer, while the wing is about the same length. The middle tail-feathers are narrower and more 

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

 unspotted centrally and posteriorly, and the crown decidedly rufous. 



A specimen from New South Wales, which appears to be this species (No. 15313, U. S. Expl. 

 Exp.), liut lalielled " Tringa aurita (>.), Lath.," differs notably from an adult from Australia, re- 

 ceived from Mr. J. E. Harting, in the following particulars : The posterior and lateral parts of 

 the breast have coarse, irregular markings of dark brown, many of these markings being V-shaped, 

 others irregularly sagittate or even transverse ; these markings are continued, but increased in size 

 along the sides to the crissum, and even the abdomen has a i'ew small markings; the crown is not 

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

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

 sufficient material at hand. 



Actodromas minutilla. 

 THE LEAST SANDPIPER. 



Trinrja mmutilla, ViEiLL. Nouv. Diet. XXXIV. 1819, 452. — CouES, Key, 1872, 251; Check List, 



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

 Actodromas mirMtilla, Mo'SA.v. Covci\it. Rend. 1856. — RiDGW. Nora. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 538. — 



CouES, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 614. 

 Trinrja pusilla, WiLs. Am. Orn. V. 1813, 32, pi. 37, f. 4 (nee Linn.). — Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II. 



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



pi. 337. 

 Tringa Wihonii, Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 121. — Cas.s. in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 721. — Baikd, 



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

 Triiuja nana, Licnr. Nomencl. 1854, 92. 

 " Trinya gcorgica, LiciiT.'' (Gray). 



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

 accidental in Europe. 



Sp. Char. Adult, sximmer plumage: 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 brownish black ; 

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



' .SwiNHOE (" Ibis," 1863, p. 412) says : "Apical h.ilf of hill purplish black, basal half olive-brown, 

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



