SANDER LING SANDPIPER 
289 
Adult Male in winter. 
Bill rather longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, straight, flexible, 
compressed at the base, the point rather depressed and obtuse. Upper 
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, slightly sloping to beyond tlio 
middle, the ridge convex, towards the end flattened, at the point convex ; 
sides sloping, edges rather blunt and soft. Nasal groove long ; nostrils 
basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and very 
narrow, the dorsal line slightly convex, the sides sloping outwards, towards 
the end convex. 
Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large. Neck of 
moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet slender, of moderate length ; 
tibia bare a considerable way up ; tarsus compressed, anteriorly and pos- 
teriorly with numerous small scutella ; hind toe wanting ; toes of moderate 
length, slender ; inner toe shorter than outer, middle toe considerably 
longer, all scutellate above and marginate, with prominent papillae, and free ; 
claws small, slightly curved, extremely compressed, blunt. 
Plumage very soft, blended beneath, slightly distinct above. Wings long 
and pointed ; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, the second a little 
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated : secondaries rather short, obliquely 
rounded, curved inwards, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail rather 
short, rounded, of twelve feathers, the two middle ones considerably longer. 
Bill and feet black. Iris brown. The general colour of the plumage 
above is ash-grey, the edges paler: the lower parts pure white. Alula and 
primaries brownish black, the latter with more or less white on their outer 
webs or along the shaft; secondaries white, the outer with a patch of 
brownish-black towards the end, the inner ash-grey ; primary coverts 
brownish-black, tipped with white ; secondary coverts greyish-brown, 
broadly tipped with white. Middle tail feathers greyish-brown, their 
shafts white, the rest of a paler tint on the outer webs, white on the inner, 
the lateral almost pure white. 
Length to end of tail Tr?) to end of wings 7ft> to end of claws Si; extent 
of wings 122 ; wing from flexure 411; tail 2 r 2 5 ; bill along the back 1; along 
the edge of lower mandible l-A; tarsus 1; middle toe I, its claw j 2 *. Weight 
If oz. 
Adult Female in winter. 
The female is precisely similar to the male. 
In its summer plumage, this species differs in the following particulars. 
The bill, feet, and iris, are as described above, and the lower parts are also 
pure white, excepting the fore part and sides of the neck, which, as well as 
the upper parts of the head, and the hind neck, are pale yellowish-red, 
spotted with brownish-black. The back is similarly marked, the spots 
