﻿3l6 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  Red-backed 
  sandpiper, 
  Dunlin, 
  Black 
  -bellied 
  sandpiper, 
  Black- 
  

   heart, 
  Winter 
  snipe 
  or 
  Purre, 
  is 
  well 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  bay 
  men 
  of 
  Long 
  Island. 
  

   It 
  usually 
  occurs 
  in 
  flocks, 
  sometimes 
  of 
  hundreds 
  of 
  individuals, 
  which 
  

   sweep 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  or 
  over 
  the 
  marshes 
  like 
  clouds, 
  now 
  showing 
  the 
  

   glistening 
  white 
  of 
  their 
  under 
  parts, 
  and 
  now 
  their 
  leaden 
  backs, 
  as 
  they 
  

   swiftly 
  wheel 
  to 
  come 
  up 
  the 
  wind 
  and 
  alight 
  on 
  the 
  muddy 
  flats, 
  to 
  scatter 
  

   immediatel}' 
  in 
  search 
  of 
  the 
  small 
  worms, 
  crustaceans, 
  and 
  insects 
  which 
  

   are 
  hidden 
  among 
  the 
  grasses 
  or 
  seaweed. 
  On 
  such 
  occasions 
  they 
  keep 
  up 
  a 
  

   contented, 
  peeping 
  chatter. 
  When 
  frightened, 
  or 
  flying, 
  they 
  utter 
  a 
  hoarse, 
  

   grating 
  note. 
  

  

  Erolia 
  ferruginea 
  (Briinnich) 
  

  

  Curlew 
  Sandpiper 
  

  

  Tringa 
  ferruginea 
  Briinnich. 
  Orn. 
  Borealis. 
  1764. 
  p. 
  53 
  

  

  Tringa 
  subarquata 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  239, 
  fig. 
  213 
  

  

  Tringa 
  ferruginea 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  ^o- 
  244 
  

  

  ero'lia, 
  name 
  given 
  by 
  Vieillot, 
  meaning 
  unknown 
  to 
  me; 
  jerrugi'nea, 
  Lat., 
  rust}' 
  or 
  

  

  reddish 
  

  

  Description. 
  Bill 
  decurved 
  beyond 
  the 
  middle, 
  slightly 
  widened 
  at 
  

   the 
  tip; 
  tarsus 
  longer 
  than 
  iniddle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw. 
  Summer: 
  Upper 
  parts 
  

   rusty 
  and 
  blackish; 
  under 
  parts 
  cinnamon-rufous 
  or 
  chestnut-red, 
  slightly 
  

   barred 
  with 
  dusky 
  on 
  the 
  flanks 
  and 
  belly; 
  tail 
  coverts 
  white 
  barred 
  with 
  

   black. 
  Winter: 
  Upper 
  parts 
  ashy 
  brown 
  with 
  dusky 
  shaft 
  streaks; 
  under 
  

   parts 
  and 
  upper 
  tail 
  coverts 
  white, 
  the 
  breast 
  streaked 
  with 
  gray. 
  

  

  Length 
  7-9 
  inches; 
  wing 
  4.8-5.2; 
  tarsus 
  1.2; 
  tibia 
  bare 
  .7; 
  bill 
  1.4-1.6. 
  

  

  This 
  palearctic 
  species 
  is 
  of 
  rare 
  occurrence 
  in 
  America. 
  Audubon 
  

   mentions 
  a 
  specimen 
  from 
  Long 
  Island, 
  and 
  Giraud 
  states 
  that 
  Mr 
  Bell 
  

   obtained 
  seven 
  or 
  eight 
  specimens 
  in 
  Fulton 
  Market, 
  New 
  York, 
  and 
  mentions 
  

   two 
  or 
  three 
  others 
  obtained 
  there 
  — 
  "all 
  of 
  which 
  were 
  procured 
  on 
  the 
  

   ever 
  productive 
  shores 
  of 
  Long 
  Island." 
  In 
  Mr 
  Butcher's 
  Collection 
  there 
  

   is 
  a 
  female 
  taken 
  Ma}^ 
  24, 
  1883, 
  on 
  Shinnecock 
  bay, 
  L. 
  I. 
  [Auk, 
  i: 
  32-33], 
  

   and 
  another 
  presuinabh' 
  from 
  Long 
  Island, 
  which 
  was 
  sent 
  to 
  Mr 
  Butcher 
  

   b\' 
  mail, 
  June 
  9, 
  1891. 
  

  

  The 
  Curlew 
  sandpiper 
  associates 
  with 
  dunlins 
  on 
  the 
  shores 
  and 
  mud 
  

   flats, 
  and 
  in 
  appearance 
  resembles 
  a 
  diminutive 
  Knot 
  with 
  a 
  long 
  decurved 
  

   bill 
  [Seebohm]. 
  

  

  