LITTLE SANDPIPER. 285 



from farther south-west, and proceeding eastward. In South Carolina, they 

 are frequent in spring and autumn, along the borders of the rice fields, and 

 inland fresh-water ponds. 



Since writing the above, Mr. Townsend has furnished me with a list of 

 some of the birds seen by him on the Rocky Mountains and the Columbia 

 river, in which this species is mentioned as being found along the shores of 

 that celebrated stream of the far west. 



Little Sandpiper, Tringa pusilla, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. v. p. 32. • 

 Tringa pusilla, Bonap. Syn. p. 319. 



Wilson's Sandpiper, Tringa Wilsonii, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 120. 

 Little Sandpiper, Tringa pusilla, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 180. 



Male, 5|, llf. 



Distributed along the whole coast from Texas eastward, and throughout 

 all intermediate districts to the Columbia river. Breeds in Labrador and 

 the Fur Countries. Found even along the lakes and ponds in the woods. 

 Very abundant. Migratory. 



Adult Male in summer plumage. 



Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, compressed, tapering from 

 the base to near the point, which is slightly swelled, but with the tip rather 

 acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge narrow and 

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

 with the nasal groove extending to near the tip. Lower mandible with the 

 angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line straight, toward the end slightly 

 declinate, the sides sloping a little outwards, with a groove extending to 

 near the tip. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather short. Body 

 compact, ovate. Feet of moderate length and slender; tibia bare a fourth of 

 its length; tarsus of moderate length, compressed, scutellate before and 

 behind, so as to leave scarcely any intermediate space; hind toe extremely 

 small; anterior toes rather long, slender, free, slightly margined, and with 

 numerous scutella above. Claws small, slightly arched, much compressed, 

 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 

 longest, the second very little shorter, the third rather more than one-eighth 

 of an inch shorter than the second, the rest rapidly decreasing; outer 

 secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded, inner straight, tapering, one of 

 them reaching to two-twelfths of an inch of the end of the first quill. Tail 

 of moderate length, doubly emarginate, that is with the middle feathers 



Vol. V. 40 



