PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 437 
catch many in nets, so that in autumn the markets of the 
cities of Lower Egypt, that of Damietta especially, are abun- 
dantly furnished with ibises of this species, as well as the white, 
now no longer sacred, which are exposed for sale with the heads 
cut off. When taken alive, these birds appear really very low 
spirited, and reject food: they stand upright, the body hori- 
zontal, the neck much bent, the head inclined, moving it from 
right to left, advancing or withdrawing it, and striking the 
ground with the point of their bill. They often stand on one 
leg like the stork: are by no means shy, and will open their 
bill to defend themselves if you stretch out your hand, but 
their bite is scarcely felt. 
It should be mentioned that although this is the black ibis 
of antiquity, it is by no means that of systematical writers, 
which they describe as really black, with a red bill and feet. 
Such a species is very seldom if ever seen in Eeypt. 
PECTORAL SANDPIPER. (Tringa pectoralis.) 
PLATE XXIII.—Fie. 2. 
Pelinda pectoralis, Say, in Long’s Exp. i. p.171.—Tringa pectoralis, Nob. Cat. 
Birds, U.S. ; Id. Synops. sp. 250; Id. Speech. comp.—Tringa campestris ? 
Cat. ii.—Vogel. p. 74, sp. 764.—Tringa cinclus dominicensis? Briss. Licht. 
Av. v. p. 219, sp. 12, pl. 24, fig. 1.—Chorlito a cou brun? Azara, iv. p. 284, 
sp. 404.—Alouettede mer de St Domingue, Briss. loc. cit.—Philadelphiu 
Museum. 
Tis humble species, well marked, though closely allied to 
several other sandpipers, is, as well as I can judge, accurately 
described and figured by Brisson; but since then unnoticed 
even by compilers. His description had become obsolete, when 
Say found the bird in the western territory, and we replaced 
it in the records of the science. We have since shot it re- 
peatedly on the shores of New Jersey, where it is common. 
The species appears to be spread throughout the States, 
extending farther into the interior than most of its family : 
beyond the Mississippi it is very common; many flocks of 
them were seen by Major Long’s party both in the spring and 
