582 RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 



Thinga Cinclus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 251 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 335. 



Winter plumage. 

 TaiNGA ALPiKA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 429 — Lath, Ind. Omith. vol. ii. p. 736. — 



Summer plumage. 

 Thing A variabilis, Temm. Man. d'Omith. part ii. p. 612. 

 Tringa alpina, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 317. 

 Red-backed Sandpiper, Tringa alpina, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 5. pi. 56. 



fig. 2. Summer. 

 PuRRE, Tringa Cinclus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 39. pi. 67. fig. 3. Winter. 

 Tringa alpina, The American Dunlin, Swains, and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. 



part ii. p. 383. 

 Dunlin or Ox-Bird, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 106. 



Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXC. Fig. 1. 



Bill longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, nearly straight, 

 being sHghtly curved towards the end, compressed at the base, the point 

 rather depressed and obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly 

 straight, slightly sloping at the base, and shghtly decurved towards the 

 end, the ridge narrow, towards the end flattened, at the point convex, 

 sides sloping, edges rather blunt and soft. Nasal groove long, extending 

 to near the point ; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with 

 the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line slightly concave, the sides 

 sloping outwards, towards the end convex. 



Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather small. Neck 

 of moderate length. Body rather full. Feet slender, of moderate length ; 

 tibia bare a considerable way up, anterioi-ly and posteriorly scuteUate, as 

 is the compressed tarsus ; hind toe very small and elevated, anterior toes 

 of moderate length, slender ; inner toe slightly shorter than outer, middle 

 toe considerably longer ; all scutellate above, marginate with prominent 

 papillae, and free. Claws small, slightly arched, extremely compressed, 

 blunt ; edge of middle claw dilated and thin. 



Plumage very soft, blended ; on the back the feathers rather distinct. 

 Wings long and pointed ; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, 

 the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries rather 

 short, obliquely cut at the end with a recurved blunt point, the inner 

 elongated and tapering. Tail rather short, even, but with the two middle 

 feathers considerably longer, of twelve feathers. 



Bill and feet black. Iris dark brown. The upper part of the head, 

 the back and the scapulars, are chestnut-red, each feather brownish-black 



