Species VII. THING A RUFA. 
RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 
[Plate LVII. Kg. 5.] 
Op this prettily marked species I can find no description. The 
Tringa Icdandica, or Aberdeen Sandpiper of Pennant and others, is 
the only species that has any resemblance to it ; the descriptions of that 
bird, however, will not apply to the present. * 
The common name of this species, on our seacoast, is the Gfray-hach, 
and among the gunners it is a particular favorite, being generally a, 
plump, tender, and excellent bird for the table ; and, consequently, 
brings a good price in market. 
The Gray-backs do not breed on the shores of the Middle States. 
Their first appearance is early in May. They remain a few weeks, and 
again disappear until October. They usually keep in small flocks, 
alight in a close body together on the sand flats, where they search for 
the small bivalve shells already described. On the approach of the 
sportsman, they frequently stand fixed and silent for some time ; do not 
appear to be easily alarmed, neither do they run about in the water as 
much as some others, or with the same rapidity, but appear more 
tranquil and deliberate. In the month of November they retire to the 
south. 
This species is ten inches long, and twenty in extent ; the bill is black, 
and about an inch and a half long ; the chin, eyebrows, and whole 
breast, a pale brownish orange color ; crown, hindhead, from the upper 
mandible backwards, and neck, dull white, streaked with black ; back a 
* This appears to be an error. This species is probably no other than the 
Tringa Islandica in summer dress ; and as many nominal species have been made 
of it, we quote the following synonymes from Prince Musignano's observations, 
Journal Acad. Nat. Sc. Phila. vol. v., p. 93. — u Tringa alpina, Linn. Gmel. Lath. — 
Tringa cinclus, Linn. Briss. Gmel. Lath, winter plumage. — Tringa ruficollis, 
Gmel. Lath, spring moulting. — Scolopax pusilla? Gmel. (moulting). Is it not 
rather T. schinzii, Brehm? — Tringa cinclus torquaius, Briss. moulting. — Scolopax 
gallinago anglicana? Briss. moulting. Is it not rather T. schinzii? — Tringa varia- 
bilis, Meyer, Temm. Sabine. — Le Cincle, Buff. PI. Enl. 852, moulting. — L'Alouette 
demer? Buff. PI. Enl. 851, moulting. With Vieillot we do not think this plate 
intended for Tringa subarquata, Temm., as it is thought by Meyer and Temminck." 
(349) 
