202 
PRJECOCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOL^E. 
feathers light gray, the others varied longitudinally with white and pale gray. Pileum dusky, 
streaked with whitish ; a dark-brown loral stripe, from base of maxilla to the eyes ; auriculars and 
patch on each side the occiput, light cinnamon-rufous. Lower parts dirty white, the throat and 
jugulum streaked, other portions transversely barred with dusky. Lining of the wing, and axillars, 
white, the latter slightly marked with gray. Adult in winter: Above, uniform ash-gray, the upper 
tail-coverts, tail, and wings, only, as in the summer plumage. Superciliary stripe and lower parts 
white, the jugulum, sides of the neck, and crissum, streaked with gray. Young: Back and scap- 
ulars blackish, all the feathers widely bordered with huffy white, the middle of the back tinged 
with rusty ; wing-coverts bordered with pale buff and white ; upper tail-coverts nearly immaculate 
white. Pileum streaked with dusky, pale buff, and grayish ; nape nearly uniform ash-gray. 
Lower parts soiled white, the breast and sides more or less strongly suffused with buff, the jugu- 
lum, sides of the neck, and flanks, indistinctly streaked with grayish. “Bill black ; iris brown ; 
feet dull yellowish green, claws black” (Audubon). 
Wing, about 5 . 00 - 5.25 ; culmen, 1 - 50 - 1.75 ; tarsus, 1 . 50 - 1.75 ; middle toe, . 80 -. 85 . 
The Stilt Sandpiper, once regarded as a very rare species, lias within a few years 
been found to be far from uncommon in different parts of the country. It has not 
been met with, that 1 am aware, on any portion of the Pacific coast north of Central 
America ; a single individual only was observed by Mr. Salvin in Guatemala. This 
was taken in the interior, near Duenas, from among a flock of Actodromas maculuta, 
in April. According to Major Wedderburn, it occasionally occurs in Bermuda; and 
Mr. 1ST. B. Moore mentions procuring four specimens of this species on one of the 
Bahamas as early as August 5. It visits in winter the West Indies and a large part 
of South America to Brazil and Peru. 
In New England — where it has not been recognized as occurring at all till within 
a few years — - it is of irregular appearance in the summer and fall, but is not known 
to occur in its spring migrations. It has been seen along the coast of Massachusetts, 
New Hampshire, and Maine, west of Portland ; 1 but not in the interior. A single 
specimen has been taken on Nantucket, and one reported from Cape Cod. It is only 
occasionally met with, usually singly, or in pairs, and generally in company with 
Totanus flavipes. It is an occasional straggler rather than a regular migrant, and 
only very rarely known to appear in flocks, or even in family groups, but usually has 
the air of having wandered off in company with non-kindred species. They evidently 
move in a due south course, leaving our shores at Buzzard’s Bay over the open sea, 
and some of them reaching the West India Islands early in August. Two instances 
are recorded of the capture of this bird in Massachusetts as early as July 24 ; others 
were taken as late as September 29. 
Mr. Lawrence records the obtaining of a single specimen at San Mateo, Mexico, in 
February, 1869. Professor Snow mentions it as a rare migrant in Kansas, his only 
record of its occurrence there being three specimens taken near Lawrence in Septem- 
ber, 1874, by Mr. William Osburn. Dr. Merrill records it as occurring in the Kio 
Grande region, on Oct. 13, 1877. Mr. J. Dwight, Jr., mentions meeting with it on the 
Jersey coast at Squam Beach. Out of ten examples all were single birds except three, 
showing the straggling character of its movements. Mr. N. T. Lawrence speaks of 
this species as being not uncommon on the south side of Long Island, where it was 
seen in parties of from three to five. Two in adult breeding-plumage were taken in 
July ; all the others, in the fall plumage, in September. Mr. George N. Lawrence 
informs us that on one occasion, at Rockaway, there was a large flight of this species 
and of Totanus flavipes, the latter being the more abundant. Six Stilt Sandpipers 
were killed at a single shot ; he never saw so many together at any other time. 
Mr. M. Chamberlain has recently recorded its capture in New Brunswick. — J. A. A. 
