THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 265 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large. Neck 

 of moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet rather long, slender; tibia 

 bare a third part of its length; tarsus compressed, anteriorly and posteriorly 

 with numerous small scutella; hind toe very small; the rest of moderate 

 length, slender, the fourth slightly longer than the second, the third longest; 

 all free, scutellate above, flat beneath, slightly marginate; claws rather small, 

 slightly arched, compressed, rather obtuse, that of the third toe much larger, 

 with the inner edge dilated. 



Plumage ver)? soft, blended on the lower parts, the feathers rather distinct 

 above. Wings very long, pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first 

 longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated; outer seconda- 

 ries slightly incurved, narrow, very obliquely sinuate on the outer web 

 towards the end, the inner web rounded, and extending beyond the outer; 

 inner secondaries very narrow, tapering, acute, reaching, when the wing is 

 closed, to within half an inch of its tip. Tail of moderate length, nearly 

 even, with the two middle feathers exceeding the rest, and having the shaft 

 projecting, of twelve narrow, rounded feathers. 



Bill dull olive-green, dusky towards the point. Iris hazel. Feet dull 

 yellowish-green, claws dusky. The general colour of the upper parts is 

 greyish-yellow, each feather blackish-brown in the centre; wing-coverts 

 lighter; quills and their coverts light greyish-brown, greenish-black at the 

 end, but with a whitish tip; the inner webs whitish in the greater part of 

 their breadth, and beautifully dotted with black in undulating lines; the 

 inner secondaries like the feathers of the back. The two middle tail-feathers 

 greyish-brown, dark brown, glossed with green, at the end, and slightly 

 margined and tipped with white, the rest gradually paler to the outer, mar- 

 gined and tipped with white, within which are two lines of blackish-brown. 

 Sides of the head, fore neck, and sides light yellowish-red, the throat paler, 

 the sides of the neck and body spotted with brownish-black; the rest of the 

 lower parts paler and unspotted. The lower wing-coverts are white, those 

 near the edge of the wing black in the centre, the primary coverts dotted 

 with black, and having a spot of the same near the end. 



Length to end of tail 8 inches, to end of wings 8^; extent of wings 18; 

 wing from flexure 5|; tail 2ji; bill along the ridge ~|, along the edge of 

 lower mandible 1; bare part of tibia ^ tarsus 1 T 4 2, middle toe yf, its claw 

 f|. Weight 21 oz. 



Adult Female. 



The female is somewat larger than the male, which it resembles in colour, 

 but has the lower parts paler, and the feathers of the upper parts of a lighter 

 brown, with an inner margin of brownish-black and an outer of greyish- 

 yellow. 



Vol. V. 37 



