112 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. 



towards the end slightly declinate, the sides sloping a little outwards, 

 with a groove extending to near the tip, which is a little widened and 

 rather obtuse. 



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, scutel- 

 late before and behind, so as to leave scarcely any intermediate space ; 

 hind toe very short and extremely slender ; anterior toes rather long, 

 slender, connected by webs of which the outer is larger and extends to 

 opposite the second joint of the third toe, both however margining the 

 toes to their extremity ; the outer toe a little longer than the inner, and 

 not much exceeded by the third. Claws small, much compressed, ta- 

 pering, slightly arched, 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, 

 the first longest, the second a twelfth and a half shorter, the rest ra- 

 pidly graduated ; outer secondaries incurved, obliquely pointed, inner 

 straight, tapering, one of them reaching to nine-twelfths of an inch from 

 tlie tip of the longest primary. Tail rather short, doubly emarginate, 

 that is, with the middle feathers a quarter of an inch longer than the 

 lateral, which are a little longer than some of the intermediate. 



Bill greenish-dusky ; iris hazel ; feet dull yellowish-green, claws 

 black. The upper part of the head, the cheeks, the hind part and 

 sides of the neck, are ash-grey, streaked with dusky ; on the rest of the 

 upper parts the feathers are dusky brown, margined with pale grey, 

 those on the rump and the upper tail-coverts blackish-brown ; secon- 

 dary coverts tipped with white ; alula and primary coverts brownish- 

 black, the latter tipped with white ; primary quills greyish-black, with 

 white shafts ; secondary quills gradually more grey ; the primaries ex- 

 ternally edged with white toward the base, as are the outer secondaries 

 in a fainter degree, as well as terminally, some of them also having the 

 greater part of the inner web greyish-white. The two middle tail- 

 feathers greyish-black on the inner web, their outer web and all the 

 other feathers ash-grey. The anterior part of the forehead, and a band 

 over the eye greyish-white : the lower parts of the neck and body white. 

 Length to end of tail 6f inches ; to end of wings 6f , to end of claws 

 7J ;extent of wings 12i ; bill along the ridge li ^ ; wing from flexure 4 ; 



