baird's sandpiper. 587 



lesser coverts ash-brown with pink-buff or whitish edges, shaded 

 darker centrally. This plumage is acquired by complete moult 

 Aug. to Feb. or March. From few examined it appears that body- 

 moult commences in Aug. but wing-moult is deferred till early 

 spring, several having 2nd primary in quill and rest of remiges new 

 Feb. and Mar. Summer. — The body-feathers are moulted in spring, 

 sometimes wings but not usually tail. Coloration as winter but 

 crown, nape, mantle and scapulars black-brown, feathers broadly 

 edged light buff and ash -brown, sometimes scapulars and some 

 feathers of mantle suffused cinnamon-buff ; back and rump black- 

 brown, feathers edged sandy-rufous ; central upper tail-coverts 

 black-brown tipped ash-brown, lateral ones white with V-shaped 

 markings and barrings of black-brown or sepia. 



Nestling. — Down on fore-head white ; median black line from 

 base of upper mandible to crown ; crown and upper -parts varie- 

 gated black and tawny and dotted with tufts of white ; eye -stripe 

 white ; black line across lores to anterior corner of eye ; cheeks, 

 sides of neck and remaining under -parts white. 



Juvenile. — Crown and nape sepia, feathers edged sandy or 

 buff ; mantle and scapulars dark sepia, feathers with fairly broad 

 white edges ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts as adult summer ; 

 breast more pink-buff than adult and more faintly streaked ; 

 remaining under -parts as adult ; tail-feathers as adult but central 

 pair edged buff ; wing as adult but innermost secondaries and 

 coverts, median and lesser coverts sepia or ash-brown edged white 

 and pink-buff. 



First winter. — As adult but distinguished by white or buffish- 

 white edges to retained juvenile wing-coverts. The juvenile body- 

 feathers (not all scapulars and not feathers of back and rump), 

 some innermost secondaries and coverts, some median and lesser 

 coverts are moulted in autumn but not rest of wings and not tail- 

 feathers in birds examined. First summer. — Apparently not to be 

 distinguished with certainty from adult summer ; moult as adult. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 116.5-127.5 mm., tail 

 45-59, tarsus 20-23, bill from feathers 22-23.5 (7 measured). $ 

 wing 113-132, bill 23-25 (8 measured). Primaries : 1st minute, 

 2nd longest, 3rd equal or 2-4 mm. shorter, 4th 6-9.5 shorter, 5th 

 14-19 shorter, 6th 21-28 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 

 5th and 7th primaries. Tail short, central pair longest, outer pair 

 equal or slightly longer than next. Bill straight, short, slender and 

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



Soft parts. — Bill black ; legs and feet black ; iris brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Absence of white upper tail- 

 coverts, uniform white belly, short rounded central tail-feathers, 

 dark secondaries and bill (shorter than in G. a. alpina), distinguish 

 this species. 



Field -characters. — Most difficult of American Stints to distin- 

 guish in life. Closely resembles a small Pectoral Sandpiper, but less 



