716 
U. S P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS-ZOOLOGY-GENERAL REPORT. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When collected. 
Whence obtained. 
2G77 
10445 
10444 
4170 
New Jersey_ 
1845. 
S. F. Baird. 
9 
8 
8 
Cape May, N. J... 
_do___ 
May, 1842.... 
John K. Townsend_ 
Brazos, Santiago_ 
Capt. Van Vliet_ 
TRINGA COOPERI, Baird. 
Sp. Ch. —Rather smaller than T. canutus. Bill straight; longer than the tarsus, which exceeds the middle toe. Above 
gray ; the feathers of back with dark centres, and without abruptly light borders. Upper tail coverts white, each feather with 
V-shaped marks of black. Beneath clear white ; the breast and sides with small oval spots or streaks of black. Length, 9| 
inches ; wing, 5.75 ; tail, 2.80 ; bill above, 1.23 ; tarsus, 1.14 ; middle toe and claw, 1. 
Hab. —Long Island. 
Bill straight, rather broad, and a little widened at the tip ; a little longer than the tarsi. 
Tarsus a little longer than the middle toe. Hind toe and claw well developed. Bare part of 
tibia a little more than half the tarsus ; just half the hill. Tail doubly emarginate, hut the 
central feathers projecting hut slightly. Upper parts ashy gray, this being the color of the 
borders ; the basal and central portion, however, is blackish, showing occasionally as a large 
spot. There are several scapular feathers which appear to he assuming a more perfect dress, and 
which are black, abruptly edged laterally with pale rusty, passing towards the tip into ashy. 
There is no rusty, however, on any other feathers. The head and neck are grayish, streaked 
with brown ; the chin whitish. The upper tail coverts are white, each one with a Y-shaped 
mark of brown ; the rump feathers are brown, edged with whitish. The under parts are quite 
pure white, with a trace of reddish on the lower neck, hut no indication of an ashy jugulum. 
The lower part of the neck, the jugulum, and the sides of the body, show elongated oval spots 
of brown, not much crowded, hut very well defined. These blotches under the wings are rather 
Y-shaped, hut where exposed are only in the end of the feather. There are also a few streaks 
in the crissum. 
The subject of the present description appears in many respects different from any Tringa 
described as North American. It approaches to Actodromas maculata and bonapartii in the 
short, straight hill and other peculiarities of form. It is rather larger than the former, the hill 
exceeding the tarsus, and the tarsus longer than the middle toe, instead of having hill, tarsus, 
and toes of about the same length. There is nothing of the ashy jugulum of maculata, nor 
the blackish central field of the rump and upper tail coverts. The spots on the sides are better 
defined, and, instead of being shaft lines, are oval spots. 
It is much larger than A. bonapartii, which has the same proportions of bill as A. maculata. 
The affinities after all, are, perhaps, closest to Tringa caniUus. It is, however, smaller, the 
bill not so stout at the base. The legs are slenderer and longer, the bare part of tibia nearly 
two-thirds the tarsus, instead of not more than two-fifths. The hind toe is longer, and all the 
claws are lengthened and acute, instead of short and blunt. The differences in coloration 
between winter specimens consists in the greater distinctness of the spots on the sides and 
breast. Both have the upper tail coverts white, with Y or U-shaped marks of black. The 
