26 
RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 
i-ank it with the Snipes) slightly bent, grooved on the upper man- 
dible, and wrinkled at the base ; crown, back and scapulars bright 
reddish rust, spotted with black ; wing-coverts pale olive ; quills 
darker ; the first tipt, the latter crossed with white ; front, cheeks, 
hind-head and sides of the neck quite round, also the breast, gray- 
ish white, marked with small specks of black ; belly white, marked 
with a broad crescent of black ; tail pale olive, the two middle fea- 
thers centred with black ; legs and feet ashy black ; toes divided 
to their origin, and bordered with a slightly sealloped membrane ; 
irides very dark. 
The males and females are nearly alike in one respect, both 
differing greatly in color even at the same season, probably owing 
to difference of age ; some being of a much brighter red than 
others, and the plumage dotted with white. In the month of Sep- 
tember, many are found destitute of the black crescent on the belly ; 
these have been conjectured to be young birds. 
After an attentive examination of many of these birds on the 
coast of Cape May, in the month of April, I am perfectly con- 
vinced, that the hitherto supposed two species, the present and the 
Purre, constitute but one species, the latter being in immature plu- 
mage. In some instances, I found the Purres were beginning to 
get the broad band of black on the belly, and the back thickening 
with ruddy feathers, appearing almost perfect Black-bellied Sand- 
pipers. 
