122 Birds of Colorado 
company of which it is frequently found. It comes back early from 
the north—in fact it was taken on July 23rd by Thorne at Fort Lyon, 
and may possibly have been breeding there. Other records are: 
Pueblo, May 8th (Beckham), El Paso co., May 7th (Aiken coll)., 
Barr Lake where very common, and observed through May, June and 
July, but not known to breeed (Hersey & Rockwell); Loveland, 
April 15th (W. G. Smith), while Carter noticed it in Middle and 
South Parks, and Rockwell on the Grand Mesa, at 10,000 feet, in the 
mountains. 
Genus HELODROMAS. 
Bill moderate, slightly exceeding the head; tarsus short, slightly 
exceeding the middle toe and claw, approximately equal to the culmen ; 
resembling Totanus in most respects, but the sternum with only one 
notch instead of two posteriorly, and laying its eggs in trees in the 
deserted nests of other birds. 
This genus contains one Old World and one New World species, 
the latter separated into an eastern and western race. The western 
one is characterized by its larger size and greyer wings. 
Western Solitary Sandpiper. 
Helodromas solitarius cinnamomeus. 
A.O.U. Checklist no 256a—Colorado Records—Allen 72, pp. 152, 
159; Henshaw 75, p. 459; Tresz 81, p. 244; Allon & Brewster 83, 
p. 198; Drew 85, p. 18 ; Morrison 89, p. 168 ; Cooke 97, pp. 18, 67, 200 ; 
Henderson, 03, p. 107; 09, p. 228; Rockwell 08, p. 160; Cary 09, 
p. 180; Hersey & Rockwell 09, p. 116. 
Description.—Adult—Above dark olive-brown, streaked on the head, 
speckled elsewhere with white; primaries and edge of the wing rather 
darker, almost black; central tail-feathers and their coverts like the 
back with a few white spots at the edges ; lateral tail-feathers and their 
coverts white, barred with black ; below white, the throat and breast 
streaked, the sides and under wing-coverts closely barred with dusky ; 
iris brown, bill and legs dusky-greenish. Length 8-5; wing 5-15; 
tail 2-0; culmen 1-3; tarsus 1-25. 
The sexes are alike ; there is but little seasonal change, but the tone 
is more ashy and there is less white speckling above in winter. Young 
birds have distinct cinnamon spots above instead of white. 
Distribution.—Western North America, breeding in northern Alberta 
and probably south to Colorado and Utah, wintering in California 
and probable south to Peru. 
