452 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 



straight, the sides sloping outwards, with a long narrow groove, the tip a 

 little broader, but tapering. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large. 

 Neck of moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet rather long, 

 slender ; tibia bare a third part of its length ; tarsus compressed, an- 

 teriorly and posteriorly with numerous small scutella ; hind toe very 

 small ; the rest of moderate length, slender, the fourth slightly longer 

 than the second, the third longest ; all free, scutellate above, flat beneath, 

 slightly marginate ; claws rather small, slightly arched, compressed, ra- 

 ther obtuse, that of the third toe much larger, with the inner edge di- 

 lated. 



Plumage very soft, blended on the lower parts, the feathers rather 

 distinct above. Wings very long, pointed ; primaries tapering, obtuse, 

 the first longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated ; 

 oviter secondaries slightly incurved, narrow, very obliquely sinuate on 

 the outer web towards the end, the inner web rounded, and extending 

 beyond the outer ; inner secondaries very narrow, tapering, acute, reach- 

 ing, when the wing is closed, to within half an inch of its tip. Tail 

 of moderate length, nearly even, with the two middle feathers exceed- 

 ing the rest, and having the shaft projecting, of twelve narrow, rounded 

 feathers. 



Bill dull olive-green, dusky towards the point. Iris hasel. Feet dull 

 yellowish-green, claws dusky. The general colour of the upper parts is 

 greyish-yellow, each feather blackish-brown in the centre ; wing-coverts 

 lighter ; quills and their coverts light greyish-brown, greenish-black at 

 the end, but with a whitish tip, the inner webs whitish in the greater 

 part of their breadth, and beautifully dotted with black in undulating 

 lines ; the inner secondaries like the feathers of the back. The two middle 

 tail-feathers greyish-brown, dark-brown glossed with green at the end, and 

 slightly margined and tipped with white, the rest gradually paler to the 

 outer, margined and tipped with white, within which are two lines of 

 blackish-brown. Sides of the head, fore neck, and sides light yellowish- 

 red, the throat paler, the sides of the neck and body spotted with brown- 

 ish-black ; the rest of the lower parts paler and unspotted. The lower 

 wing-coverts are white, those near the edge of the wing black in the centre, 

 the primary coverts dotted with black, and having a spot of the same near 

 the end. 



