THE AMERICAN PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 583 



yellow-buff, down blackish at base ; remaining upper -parts as 

 crown but intermixed with yellow-burl, a black-brown line from 

 lores to eye ; cheeks and fore -neck white suffused yellow-buff ; 

 remaining under -parts white. 



Juvenile. — Crown and nape as adult summer ; mantle and 

 scapulars black-brown, feathers edged tawny, ochraceous-buff and 

 cream-white, remaining upper- and under -parts and tail as adult 

 summer ; wing as adult summer but median and lesser coverts sepia 

 or black-brown, edged tawny, ochraceous and light buff. 



First winter and first summer. — (Not examined.) N.B. — One 

 March spec, in worn winter plumage with worn wings and tail and 

 innermost median and greater coverts with buff and worn tawny 

 edges is in body-moult apparently acquiring 1st summer plumage. 



Measurements and structure. — <$ wing 136-146.5 mm. (one 

 150), tail 50.5-62, tarsus 27-30, bill from feathers 27.5-30.5 (12 

 measured). $ wing 127-143.5, bill 26.5-29.5. Primaries : 1st 

 minute, 2nd longest, 3rd 2-5 mm. shorter, 4th 9-13 shorter, 5th 

 17-23 shorter, 6th 26.5-36 shorter. Longest inner secondary be- 

 tween 4th and 7th primaries. Tail with two central pairs longest, 

 three outer pairs equal. Bill short, straight, slender and somewhat 

 tapering. Other structure as in C. a. alpina. 



Soft parts. — Bill greenish -black, base olive-green ; legs clay- 

 yellow ; iris dark brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Large size, absence of white upper 

 tail-coverts, heavily streaked throat and breast and shape of tail 

 distinguish this species. 



Field -characters. — Heavily streaked breast separated abruptly 

 from white belly. Feeds on marshes and mud-flats, probing. At 

 times associates with other species, and manoeuvres in close ranked 

 flocks of its own kind but when alighted to feed individuals scatter 

 and are flushed singly. A stocky, short-necked, short-legged bird. 

 Legs yellowish or greenish. Sluggish in taking wing, its pale grey 

 tail with dark central feathers conspicuous, and wing with a pale 

 lengthwise shade often noticeable. Flight very variable, at times 

 swift, at times sluggish with measured wing-beats. Silent when 

 feeding, rather noisy in air. Flight-note " kerr," conf usable with 

 the " chrruk " of Semi-palmated Sandpiper but heavier and huskier ; 

 also a dissimilar short note when in flocks. (J. T. Nichols.) 



Breeding-habits. — A tundra haunting species. Nest. — Usually on 

 dry ground such as banks of streams, or edge of pool, consisting of 

 depression in ground lined with a little dry grass. Eggs. — Four, 

 ranging from pale greenish to brownish -ochraceous in ground, 

 pyriform in shape and spotted or blotched with umber-brown. 

 Average of 13 eggs, 37.5x26.7. Max. : 39.7x27.5 and 36.7x28. 

 Min. : 36 x 25.5 mm. Breeding -season. — Mid -June onward in Alaska. 

 Incubation. — No details given. 



Food. — Insects (small coleoptera and their larvae), also vegetable 

 matter (Ulva latissima and Fucus sp ?). 



