276 SCHINZ'S SANDPIPER. 



Male, 71, 14f. 



From Labrador to St. Augustine in Florida, and Kentucky, during autumn. 

 Missouri. Saskatchewan Plains. Not very rare. Migratory. Breeds in 

 high northern latitudes. 



Adult Male in winter. 



Bill about the length of the head, slender, sub-cylindrical, straight, com- 

 pressed at the base, the point slightly enlarged and rather obtuse. Upper 

 mandible with the dorsal line straight, excepting at the tip, the ridge narrow 

 and convex, broader and flattened towards the end, the sides sloping, the 

 edges rather obtuse. Nasal groove extending to near the tip; nostrils basal, 

 linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and extremely nar- 

 row, the dorsal line straight, the sides sloping outwards, the tip a little 

 broader than that of the upper. 



Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate length. Body 

 rather slender. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare a third part of its 

 length; tarsus compressed behind, covered anteriorly and posteriorly with 

 numerous scutella, which scarcely leave any intermediate space; hind toe 

 extremely small; the rest of moderate length, slender, the fourth slightly 

 longer than the second, the third longest; all free, there being only a very 

 slight rudimentary web between the third and fourth, flat beneath, slightly 

 marginate with rather pointed scales. Claws small, slightly arched, com- 

 pressed, rather acute, that of the third toe much larger, with the inner edge 

 dilated. 



Plumage very soft, blended on the lower parts, the feathers distinct above. 

 Wings very long, pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, the 

 second almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries incurved, 

 narrow, obliquely sinuate at the end of the outer web, the inner rounded 

 and extending beyond the outer; inner secondaries very narrow, tapering to 

 a point, reaching, when the wing is closed, to about half an inch from its tip. 

 Tail of moderate length, nearly even, but with the two middle feathers ex- 

 ceeding the rest, the number of feathers twelve. 



Bill and feet dusky. Iris brown. The general colour of the upper parts 

 is brownish-black, each feather edged with yellowish-grey, the scapulars 

 with light red. Wing-coverts greyish-brown, the shaft black; primary and 

 secondary coverts tipped with white; quills brownish-grey, darker towards 

 the tips, the inner primaries and outer secondaries more or less edged and 

 tipped with white; the tail-coverts white, with a dusky spot, excepting the 

 two central, which are blackish, with a few greyish-w T hite markings. Tail- 

 feathers light grey, the two middle brownish-black towards the end. Sides 

 of the head, fore neck, anterior part of breast and sides greyish-white, with 



