STILT SANDPIPER. 471 



Not common migrant. The Red-breasted Snipe is named by Dr. Kirt- 

 land without comment, and given by Mr. Langdon as a rare spring and 

 fall migrant. I have never met with it in this vicinty. 



This bird, which greatly resembles the Common Snipe in structura 

 and general appearance, differs from it in habit. It is described as mi- 

 grating in flocks, often of large size, and as being so unsuspicious as to 

 allow a near approach. 



The eggs of this bird resemble those of the Common Snipe so closelj 

 as not to be with certainty distinguised. They average alpout 1.62 by 

 1.12. It is known to breed only in high latitudes. 



Genus MICROPALA.MA. Baird. 



Bill mnoli as in Gallinago, bat shorter ; less widened at the end, and leas distinctly 

 farrowed above, Bometimes perceptibly curved ; legs very long ; tibia bare an inch ; 

 tarsus as long as the bill ; feet semlpalmate ; tall feathers 13. 



MiCROPALAMA. HIMANTOPUS (Bp.) Bd. 



Stilt Sandpiper. 

 Mieropalma (error) himantopua, Whbaton, Ohio Agric. Eep. for 1860, 380, 480 ; Reprint, 



1861, 11. 

 Micropalama himaniopits, Wheaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 572; 



Reprint, 1875, 12.— Lakgdon, Cat. Birds of Cin., 1877, 14 ; Revised List, Journ. Cia. 



Soo. Nat. Hist., i, 1679, 184 ; Reprint, 22. 



Tringa himantopus, Bostapaktb, Ann. Lye. N. Y., il, 1826, 157. 

 Mioropalama himaniopua, Baird, Birds N. A., 1858, 726. 



Adult in summer, above blackish, each feather edged and tipped with white aacl 

 tawny or bay, which on the scapulars becomes scalloped ; auricnlars chestnut ; a dusky 

 line from bill to eye, and a light reddish superciliary line ; upper tail coverts whita 

 with dusky bars; primaries dusky with blackish tips; tail feathers ashy-gray, their 

 edge and a central field white ; under parts mixed reddish, black, and whitish, in streaks 

 on the jugulum, elsewhere in bars; Tbill and feet greenish-black. Yonng and adult ia 

 winter, ashy-gray above, with or without traces of black and bay, the feathers nsnally 

 with white edging ; lino over the eye and under parts white; the jugulum and sidea 

 suffused with the color of the back, and streaked with dusky ; legs usually pale. Length, 

 8-9 inches ; wing, 5 ; tail, 2J ; bill and tarsus, both l^-lf ; middle toe, 1. 



Habitat, North America generally. Not observed west of the Rocky Mountains. 

 Rare in the United States. West Indies. Central America and most of South America^ 



Very rare migrant. The Stilt Sandpiper was given as a bird of Ohio 

 by me in 1861, on the authority of Mr. R. K. Winslow, who informed me 

 that specimens had been taken on Lake Erie, where it was very rare. 

 Mr. Ridgway gives it as a bird of Illinois, and Mr. Nelson mentions two 

 specimens on Lake Michigan, near Chicago. 



No description of their nesting or eggs is known to me. 



