SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. 279 



which the outer is larger, and extends to opposite the second joint of the 

 third toe, both however margining the toes to their extremity; the outer toe 

 a little longer than the inner, and not much exceeded by the third. Claws 

 small, much compressed, tapering, slightly arched, that of the third toe 

 larger, with the inner edge a little dilated. 



Plumage soft, blended on the neck and lower parts, somewhat compact on 

 the upper. Wings long, pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first long- 

 est, the second a twelfth and a half shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; outer 

 secondaries incurved, obliquely pointed, inner straight, tapering, one of them 

 reaching to nine-twelfths of an inch from the tip of the longest primary. 

 Tail rather short, doubly emarginate, that is, with the middle feathers a quar- 

 ter of an inch longer than the lateral, which are a little longer than some of 

 the intermediate. 



Bill greenish-dusky; iris hazel; feet dull yellowish-green, claws black. 

 The upper part of the head, the cheeks, the hind part and sides of the neck 

 are ash-grey, streaked with dusky; on the rest of the upper parts the feathers 

 are dusky-brown, margined with pale grey, those on the rump and the upper 

 tail-coverts blackish-brown; secondary coverts tipped with white; alula and 

 primary coverts brownish-black, the latter tipped with white; primary quills 

 greyish-black, with white shafts; secondary quills gradually more grey; the 

 primaries externally edged with white toward the base, as are the outer se- 

 condaries in a fainter degree, as well as terminally, some of them also having 

 the greater part of the inner web greyish-white. The two middle tail- 

 feathers greyish-black on the inner web, their outer web and all the other 

 feathers ash-grey. The anterior part of the forehead and a band over the 

 eye greyish-white; the lower parts of the neck and body white. 



Length to end of tail 6^ inches; to end of wings 6f-, to end of claws 7-g-; 

 extent of wings 12^; bill along the ridge ly 1 ^; wing from flexure 4; tail ly 8 ^; 

 bare part of tibia y 5 ^; tarsus \l; hind toe ff , its claw T j; middle toe yj, its 

 claw yf . Weight 1 oz. 



The female is considerably larger than the male, but otherwise similar. 



In winter the upper parts are ash-grey, tinged with brown, each feather 

 with a central dusky line. 



In a female preserved in spirits, the roof of the mouth is flat, with the 

 edges a little prominent, and two medial series of reflected papillae. The 

 tongue is 1(H twelfths long, slender, papillate at the base, concave above, 

 rather obtuse and somewhat jagged at the extremity, horny in nearly its 

 whole length. The extremity of the upper mandible is somewhat scrobicu- 

 late; the lower mandible deeply concave. The oesophagus, which is 2\ 

 inches in length, is very slender, being scarcely so wide as the trachea, its 

 diameter nearly uniform, and about 1^ twelfths. The stomach is elliptical, 



