SPECIES 7. TRINGJl RUFA. 
RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 
[Plate LVII. — Fig. 5.] 
Peale’s Museum, Mv. 4050. 
Op this prettily marked species I can find no description. 
The Tringa Icelandica, 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 
Gray-hack, and among the gunners it is a particular favourite, 
being generally a plump, tender, and excellent bird for the ta- 
ble; and, consequently, brings a good price in market. 
The Gray-hacks 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 togetlier on the sand 
flats, where they search for the small bivalve shells already de- 
scribed. On the approach of the sportsman, they frequently 
stand fixed and silent for some time; do not appear to be easily 
* This appears to be an en-or. Tliis 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 fi’om prince Musignano’s 
observations, Journal Acad. Nat. Sc. Phil. vol. v, p. 93. — ‘ ' Tringa alpina, 
Linn . Gmee. Lath. — Tringa cinclus, Linn. Briss. Gmel. Lath, winter plu- 
mage. — Tringa rvjicollis, Gmel. Lath, spring moulting.'— Scolop ax pusil- 
la? Gmel. (moulting.) Is it not rather T. schinzii, Brehm? — Tringa cinclus 
torquatus, Briss. moulting — Scolopak galUnago anglicana? Briss. moulting. 
Is it not rather T.scfcinzii? — TRiNGAt)ana6iiis,METER,TEMM. Sabine. — Le Cin- 
cle, Boff. PI- Enl. 852, moulting. — L’ MoutUe de mer? Buff. PI. Enl. 851, 
moulting. With Vieillot we do not think this plate intended for Tringa 
subarquala, Temm. as it is thought by Meyer and Temminck.” 
