RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 
318 
winter quarters. During their stay, they seldom collect in 
separate flocks by themselves, but mix with various other 
species of strand birds, among whom they are rendered con- 
spicuous by the red colour of the upper part of their plumage. 
They frequent the muddy flats and shores of the salt marshes 
at low water, feeding on small worms, and other insects, which 
generally abound in such places. In the month of May they 
are extremely fat. 
This bird is said to inhabit Greenland, Iceland, Scandinavia, 
the Alps of Siberia, and, in its migrations, the coasts of the 
Caspian Sea.* It has not, till now, been recognized by 
naturalists as inhabiting this part of North America. Wherever 
its breeding place may be, it probably begins to lay at a late 
period of the season, as, in numbers of females which I examined 
on the 1st of June, the eggs were no larger than grains of 
mustard seed. 
Length of the Red-back, eight inches and a half; extent, 
fifteen inches ; bill, black, longer than the head, (which would 
seem to rank it with the Snipes,) slightly bent, grooved on 
blackish at base ; sides, white, the plumage towards the tail slightly lineate 
with dusky ; feet, greenish yellow ; toes, divided to the base ; length, nearly 
nine inches ; bill, 1 1-8. 
T. Douglasii, Swainson. Described in the Northern Zoology , from a 
specimen killed on the Saskatchewan, and is not uncommon in the Fur 
Countries, up to the 60th parallel. The authors express a kind of doubt 
regarding this species, having been unable to compare it with a specimen of 
Bonaparte’s T. himantopus ; but mention the tail as even with the central 
feathers alone, longest, and not barred with ferruginous ; with chestnut-coloured 
ear-feathers, and somewhat smaller in size. 
To these nearly undescribed species, the Prince of Musignano mentions, 
in his catalogue, T. Temminckii, Leisler ; T. minuta, Leisler ; Numenius pygmceus, 
Latham ; the Tringa platyrhyncha , Temminck, and Pigmy Curlew of our 
shores ; and the T. maritima, Brunnich, our Purple Sandpiper. The latter 
has been met with by most of the late arctic expeditions, and breeds abundantly 
on Melville Island, and the shores of Hudson’s Bay, and T. subarquata , 
Becasseau corcoli, Temm. ; and we may add, the T. rufescens of Vieillot, 
lately taken in this country Ed. 
* Pennant. 
