000 PR.ECOCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOL^. 



In Pennsylvania the eggs are liatclied out early in June ; and there, as elsewhere, 

 only a single brood is raised in one season. The nest is always placed in an open 

 situation ; but, notwithstanding this circumstance, it is not easily found without the 

 aid of a good dog trained for the purpose. In 1843, in company with my friend Baird, 



1 searched in vain in an open ploughed iield for the nest of a pair we knew must be 

 near. Its site was not found until after the youug had gone — only a few days 

 after our first search — the empty egg-shells showing where in the open field it was. 

 The female must have kept closely to the nest, even when we were near her, while 

 her mate was doing his best to delude us. The young are singularly beautiful little 

 balls of soft down, a mottling of white, brown, and black. They are cared for by 

 their parents until nearly grown, and from the shell instinctively hide themselves at 

 the approach of danger. 



The eggs of this species — always four in number — vary in length from 1.79 

 to 1.86 inches, and in breadth from 1.35 to 1.41 inches. Their ground-color is 

 usually a deep pinkish drab, and over this are distributed small roundish spottings 

 of a burnt-sienna tint. These are rather sparsely scattered over the smaller end of 

 the egg, but become more densely aggregated about the larger portion. In others 

 the ground-color is more of a cream-colored drab, without any perceptible shading 

 of pink. In a few the ground is a pale pearly-white color, with a faint shading 

 of cream-color. In these the markings are usually blotches of various shades of 

 a purplish slate, much scattered, and overlain by spottings of a deep sepia, which 

 become confluent at the greater end. The shape of the eggs is a slightly rounded 

 oval, strongly tajjering at one end and rounded at the other ; their number is uni- 

 formly four. 



Genus TRINGOIDES, Bonaparte. 



Tringoidcs, BoxAP. Saggio di una ilist. etc. 1831, 58 (type, Tringa htjpoUucos, Linn.). 

 Actitis, lioiE, Isis, 1822, 560. Not of Illigee, Prodroimis, 1811. 



Char. Upper niaiidilile grooved to the terminal fourth ; the bill tapering and rather acute. 

 Cleft of mouth ouly moderate ; the culmeu about five sixths the commissure. Feathers extenj- 



T. vuicularius. 



ing rather farther on side of lower jaw than upper, tlie former reachiug as far as the beginning of 

 the nostrils ; those of the chin to about tlieir middle. Bill shorter than the liead, strais^ht, equal 

 to the tarsus, which is of the length of midiUe toe and claw. Bare part of tiliia half the tarsus. 

 Outer toe webbed to first joint ; inner cleft nearly or quite to the base. Tail much rounded, more 

 than half the wing. 



