SCOLOPACID.E — THE SNIPE FAMILY — TEYXGITES. 



305 



Genus TRYNGITES, Caba>sIs. 



Tringites, Cab. Jouni. I'iir Oiu. 186ti, 418 (type, Trimja rufcsccn.s, Vieill. ). 



t'liAH. Upper mandible gi'ooveil to about the terminal fourth ; the lower not quite so far. 

 Culmeu and gonys about straight. Jlouth deeply cleft more than half way to the eye ; the culnien 

 about two thirds the commissure, ('ulmen much shorter than the head, anil about equal to middle 

 toe without claw. Tarsus about one and one si.xtli as long as middle toe and claw. Bare part of 



^f*^r. 



T. rufescens. 



tibia decidedly shorter than middle toe without claw. Toes cleft to the base, with only a very 

 rudimentary web. Upper jaw feathered to the nostrils ; the side of the lower and beneath feath- 

 ered much fiirther, or to the end of the nostrils ; the interspace of the rami entii-ely filled. Tail 

 somewhat graduated, not half the wing. 



Tryngites rufescens. 



THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPEE. 



Tringa rufescens, \ VRWA.. Nouv. Diet. XXXIV. 1819, 470 (Louisiana). — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 



113.— AUD. Orn. Biog. III. 1835, 451, pi. 265 ; Synop. 1839, 235 ; B. Am. V. 1842, 264, pi. 



331. 

 Tryngites rufescens, C.\ban. J. f. 0. 1856, 418 (Cuba). — Cassin, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 739. 



— Baikd, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 546. — Cohes, Key, 1872, 260; Check List, 1S73, no. 



439 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 641 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 506. — Rinr.w. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 556. 

 " Tringa subnificolUs, A'ieill." (Gk.w and Schleg. ). 

 "Tringa brevirostn's, Lichtenstein" (Gr.\y ami Schleg.). 

 Actidurus nccvius, Heekm. Pr. Ac. Nat. Sei. Philad. VII. 1854, 179 ; Pacific R. R. Rep. X. pt. VI. 



1859, 20, pi. 6 (Texas). 



Hab. North America in general, especially the interior ; breeding chiefly in the interior of 

 British America and the Yukon distiict ; migrating south to Peru and Uruguay. Frequent in 

 Europe. No West Indian record, e.xcept Cuba. 



Sp. Char. Bill shorter than the head, straight, compressed, narrow at the point ; nasal 

 groove long ; w-ings very long, the first quill longest ; tertiaries rather shorter ; tail- moderate or 

 longer than usual in this group ; legs rather long, lower third of the tibia naked ; toes free at base, 

 flattened underneath, and slightly margined ; hind toe small. Upper parts pale and dull ochra- 

 ceous, -with an ashy tinge ; every feather -with a large central, lanceolate, crescent-shaped, or oblong 

 spot of black, frequently with a glossy green tinge, especially on the back and shorter tertiaries. 



VOL. I. — 39 



