280 
LITTLE SANDPIPER. 
a little compressed, h inch long, 4 h. twelfths broad, its lateral muscles mode- 
rately developed, its tendons large, the epithelium tough, longitudinally 
rugous, and of a reddish-brown colour. It contains particles of quartz and 
small seeds. The intestine, of which the diameter is generally 1 twelfth, 
measures 10 inches in length ; and the coeca, which come off at the distance 
of 1 of an inch from the extremity, are 1 inch long, and three-fourths of a 
twelfth in their greatest diameter. 
The trachea, which is 1 inch 10 twelfths long, passes to the right side of 
the neck, along with the oesophagus, as in all birds destitute of crop, is con- 
siderably flattened, and varies in diameter from 14 twelfths to f twelfth. 
The rings are about 98 ; the bronchial half rings about 15. The lateral 
muscles are strong, and terminate in the sterno-tracheal, at the distance of 
a twelfth and a half from the inferior larynx, which is destitute of any 
other muscle than a slender continuation of the contractor, which goes to 
the first bronchial ring. 
LITTLE SANDPIPER. 
Tringa pusilla Wils. 
PLATE CCCXXXVIL— Male and Female. 
Before proceeding to detail my observations on the habits of this humble 
but extremely interesting bird, I deem it necessary to inform you that I dis- 
claim as species belonging to the United States, or even to any part of North 
America, the following, which however are given in the Synopsis of the 
Prince of Musignano, and in the work of my generous friend Thomas 
Nuttall, viz., Tringa platyrhincha of Temminck, T. Teinminclcii of 
Leisler, T. minuta of Leisler, T. minuta of Temminck, and T. pusilla 
of Bechstein. This opinion of mine I divulged to the Prince of Musig- 
nano in London, and he has on this account omitted these species in his 
recently published list. The extreme confusion that exists with respect to 
these species, and many others of the same tribe, is in my opinion caused 
solely by the anxiety of authors to discover or invent new species, often 
founding distinctions on slight differences in the length of bills, tarsi, or 
