LITTLE SANDPIPER. 
285 
from farther south-west, and proceeding eastward. In South Carolina, 
they are frequent in spring and autumn, along the borders of the rice fields, 
and inland fresh-water ponds. 
Since writing the above, Mr. Townsend has furnished me with a list of 
some of the birds seen by him on the Rocky Mountains and the Columbia 
river, in which this species is mentioned as being found along the shores 
of that celebrated stream of the far west. 
Little Sandpiper, Tringa pusilla, Wife, Arner. Orn., vol, v. p. 32. 
Tringa pusilla, Bonap. Syn., p. 3 19. 
Wilson’s Sandpiper, Tringa Wilsonii, Nutt. MaD., vol. ii. p. 120. 
Little Sandpiper, Tringa pusilla, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iv. p. 180. 
Male, 5i 111. 
Distributed along the whole coast from Texas eastward, and throughout 
all intermediate districts to the Columbia river. Breeds in Labrador and 
the Fur Countries. Found even along the lakes and ponds in the woods. 
Very abundant. Migratory. 
Adult Male in summer plumage. 
Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, compressed, tapering from 
the base to near the point, which is slightly swelled, but with the tip rather 
acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge narrow and 
convex, a little broader and flattened towards the end, the sides sloping, 
with the nasal groove extending to near the tip. Lower mandible with the 
angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line straight, toward the end slightly 
declinate, the sides sloping a little outwards, with a groove extending to 
near the tip. 
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather short. Body 
compact, ovate. Feet of moderate length and slender ; tibia bare a fourth 
of its length ; tarsus of moderate length, compressed, scutellate before and 
behind, so as to leave scarcely any intermediate space ; hind toe extremely 
small ; anterior toes rather long, slender, free, slightly margined, and with 
numerous scutella above. Claws small, slightly arched, much compressed, 
that of the third toe larger, with the inner edge a little dilated. 
Plumage soft, blended on the neck and lower parts, somewhat compact 
on the upper. Wings long, pointed ; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first 
longest, the second very little shorter, the third rather more than one-eighth 
of an inch shorter than the second, the rest rapidly decreasing ; outer 
secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded, inner straight, tapering, one of 
them reaching to two-twelfths of an inch of the end of the first quill. Tail 
of moderate length, doubly emarginate, that is with the middle feathers 
Vol. V. 40 
