LITTLE SANDPIPER. 185 
I found these birds quite abundant on the whole coast of Flo- 
rida, during winter, and I have no doubt that many remain with 
us all the year; indeed, it would not at all surprise me to hear 
that some of them actually breed in parts of the alpine districts 
of our Middle States. I have also found them equally numerous 
along the whole coast of the Bay of Mexico, during my recent visit to 
Texas, when, late in April, some of them were still travelling from 
farther south-west, and proceeding eastward. In South Carolina, they 
are frequent in spring and autumn, along the borders of the rice fields, 
and inland fresh-water ponds. 
Since writing the above, my friend Dr TownsEnp has furnished 
me with a list of some of the birds seen by him on the Rocky Moun- 
' tains and the Columbia River, in which this species is mentioned as 
being found along the shores of that celebrated stream of the far west. 
Trinea Pusitta, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. v. p. 32, pl. 37, fig. 4—Ch. Bonap., 
Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 319. 
Witson’s SanpriPer, Trinca Witsontt, Vutiall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 120. 
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. Plate CCCXX. Fig. 1. 
Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, compressed, tapering 
from the base to near the point, which is slightly swelled, but with 
the tip rather acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, 
the ridge narrow and convex, a little broader and flattened towards 
the end, the sides sloping, with the nasal groove extending to near the 
tip. Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal 
line straight, towards the end slightly declinate, the sides sloping a 
little outwards, with a groove extending to near the tip. 
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather short. 
Body compact, ovate. Feet of moderate length and slender; tibia 
bare a fourth of its length; tarsus of moderate length, compressed, 
scutellate before and behind, so as to leave scarcely any intermediate 
space; hind toe extremely small; anterior toes rather long, slender, 
free, slightly margined, and with numerous scutella above. Claws 
small, slightly arched, much compressed, that of the third toe larger, 
with the inner edge a little dilated. 
Plumage soft, blended on the neck and lower parts, somewhat com- 
pact on the upper. Wings long, pointed ; primaries tapering, obtuse, 
