162 Eidgway on a new Alaskan Sandpiper. 
the foreneck is also invariably squamated or streaked with white, 
and not uniform mouse-gray, as in maritima. It is still more nearly 
related to A. ptilocnemis, Cones, of the Prybilov Islands, but aver- 
ages much smaller and is always very much darker-colored in every 
stage of plumage. The three are not only strictly congeneric, but 
are very probably the descendants of one original stock ; but, since 
no intermediate specimens have been observed in a large series of 
each kind, they may be considered as having passed the “ varietal 
stage,” so that we may treat them as distinct species. Both Mr. 
Harting and Dr. Coues were wrong in referring A. ptilocnemis to 
the same group as Pelidna alpina , which bears only a superficial 
resemblance in coloration, the details of form being quite different. 
While I have been unable to find any name which can be applied 
to this species, it appears that Pallas refers to it in his description 
of Tringa arquatella, in “ Zoogr. Bosso-Asiat.,” II, p. 190, since he 
says that specimens of his species from the Kurile Islands are 
marked with rusty yellow, as in the bird under consideration : “ Cor- 
pus supra plurnis fuscis, margine pallidis (in Curilica ave ferrugineo- 
luteis) .... pectore cinerascens (in curilica var. lutescens ).” It 
remains to be proven, however, that A. couesi extends to the Kuriles, 
although it doubtless does. All Alaskan references to Tringa ma- 
ritima of course apply to the present species. 
I give below the comparative characters of A. maritima , A. couesi , 
and A. ptilocnemis: — 
1. A. maritima. Breeding dress: Pileum streaked with yellowish- 
gray, or grayish- white ; scapulars and interscapulars irregularly spotted 
and indented with dull buff, or whitish, and bordered terminally with 
white ; foreneck and jugulum distinctly streaked with dusky, the breast 
dull grayish, everywhere spotted with darker. Winter dress : Back and 
scapulars sooty black strongly glossed with purplish, the feathers bordered 
terminally with dark plumbeous-gray ; jugulum uniform mouse-gray, or 
brownish plumbeous. Young, first plumage : Scapulars, interscapulars, and 
wing-coverts bordered with pale grayish-buff, with little or none of rusty. 
Chick : Above hair-brown, lighter and grayer on the nape, the brown 
irregularly marbled with black, the wings, back, and rump thickly be- 
spangled with white downy flecks ; head grayish-white, tinged with ful- 
vous, variously marked with black* the lores having two distinct longitu- 
dinal, nearly parallel streaks ; lower parts grayish-wliite, without fulvous 
tinge. Average measurements of 13 adults: Wing, 5.06; culmen, 1.20; 
tarsus, 0.99; middle toe, 0.90. Hah., Northeastern North America, 
Europe, etc. 
