280 LITTLE SANDPIPER. 



a little compressed, | inch long, A\ twelfths broad, its lateral muscles mode- 

 rately developed, its tendons large, the epithelium tough, longitudinally 

 rugous, and of a reddish-brown colour. It contains particles of quartz and 

 small seeds. The intestine, of which the diameter is generally 1 twelfth, 

 measures 10 inches in length; and the cceca, which come off at the distance 

 of \ of an inch from the extremity, are 1 inch long, and three-fourths of a 

 twelfth in their greatest diameter. 



The trachea, which is 1 inch 10 twelfths long, passes to the right side of 

 the neck, along with the oesophagus, as in all birds destitute of crop, is con- 

 siderably flattened, and varies in diameter from 1^ twelfths to f twelfth. 

 The rings are about 98; the bronchial half rings about 15. The lateral mus- 

 cles are strong, and terminate in the sterno-tracheal, at the distance of a 

 twelfth and a half from the inferior larynx, which is destitute of any other 

 muscle than a slender continuation of the contractor, which goes to the first 

 bronchial ring. 



LITTLE SANDPIPER. 



t-Tringa pusilla, Wils. 

 PLATE CCCXXXVII.— Male and Female. 



Before proceeding to detail my observations on the habits of this humble 

 but extremely intei*esting bird, 1 deem it necessary to inform you that I dis- 

 claim as species belonging to the United States, or even to any part of North 

 America, the following, which however are given in the Synopsis of the 

 Prince of Musignano, and in the work of my generous friend Thomas 

 Nuttall, viz., Tringa plaiyrhi?icha of Temminck, T. Temminckii of 

 Leiseer, T. minuta of Leisler, T. minuta of Temminck, and T. pusilla 

 of Bechstein. This opinion of mine I divulged to the Prince of Musig- 

 nano in London, and he has on this account omitted these species in his 

 recently published list. The extreme confusion that exists with respect to 

 these species, and many others of the same tribe, is in my opinion caused 

 solely by the anxiety of authors to discover or invent new species, often 

 founding distinctions on slight differences in the length of bills, tarsi, or 



