The Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 
the last century. In those days powder and shot were deemed too precious 
to waste upon them (they were worth ten cents a dozen in the Boston 
market); so the more economical system of “hre lighting” was adopted. 
Dazzled by the light of a lantern or torch held low, the birds were seized 
by hand by an assistant who crept about on hands and knees, and they 
were bitten through the neck to insure a quiet death, gathered into sacks 
or barrels, and shipped to market. Writing in 1893, Mr. Mackey had 
to say: 1 ‘‘For twelve years past the number of Knots in the vicinity of 
Tuckernuck Island (a favorite resort of early days) has not averaged 
more than fifty birds.” Is it any marvel, then, that our Federal authori¬ 
ties have placed this bird upon the protected list and are striving to nurse 
the embers of a vanishing race back into life? 
No. 237 
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 
A. O. U. No. 238. Pisobia acuminata (Horsfield). 
Description. —Adults (in autumn): Above black, much restrained by ochra- 
ceous edgings; pileum tawny in excess of black; cervical region, shading on sides of 
neck, warm buff; edgings of tertials ochraceous buff; the lengthened scapulars sharply 
edged with white on outer web; tail blackish, lightly margined with ochraceous, wedge- 
shaped, graduated, each feather tapering sharply; underparts white, with warm bufify 
suffusion on throat and across breast; this area lightly speckled with obscure dusky, 
more heavily on sides of neck and breast; sides of head white, speckled with dusky; 
a broad superciliary white; flanks narrowly streaked with dusky. “Bill changing from 
greenish yellow basally to blackish toward tip; feet greenish yellow.” Adults in 
breeding plumage are said to be more rufescent, with jugulum heavily spotted or barred 
with dusky. Length of adult male: 203.2-228.6 (8.00-9.00); wing 132 (5.20); tail 58 
(2.28); bill 26 (1.02). Females average smaller. 
Recognition Marks. —Towhee size; the strength of the buffy brown element 
above and the strong buffy suffusion of breast most distinctive; comparative absence 
of streaks on chest in winter plumage distinguishes from P. maculata. 
Nesting. —Scarcely known; probably much as in next species. Does not breed 
in California. 
General Range. —Breeds in northeastern Siberia; south in winter, chiefly along 
eastern Pacific shores and islands, to Australia and New Zealand; also in autumn 
migrations, western Alaska, and occasionally south to British Columbia. Casual in 
Washington, California, the Hawaiian Islands, and England. 
Occurrence in California. —One record,—San Diego, Sept. 16, 1921, by A. W. 
Anthony. 
Authorities.—Anthony (Pisobia aurita ), Auk, vol. xxxix., 1922, p. 106 (San 
Diego, Sept. 16, 1921, 1 spec.); Cooke, U. S. Dept. Agric., Biol. Surv. Bull., no. 35, p. 35 
(distr. and migr.). 
1 The 4 Auk," Vol. X., Jan. 1893, p. 28. 
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