BIRDS—SCOLOPACIDAE—TRYNGITES RUFESCENS. 
739 
TRYNGITES, Cabanis 
Tringites, Cab. Journ. fur. Orn. 1856, 418. Type Tringa rufescens, Vieill. 
Ch.—U pper mandible grooved to about the terminal fourth ; the lower not quite so far. Culmen and gonys about straight. 
Mouth deeply cleft more than half way to the eye ; the culmen about two-thirds the commissure. Culmen much shorter than 
the head, and about equal to middle toe without claw. Tarsus about 1J as long as middle toe and claw. Bare part of tibia 
decidedly shorter than middle toe without claw. Toes cleft to the base, with only a very rudimentary web. Upper jaw 
feathered to the nostrils ; the side of the lower and beneath feathered much further, or to the end of the nostrils ; the inter¬ 
space of the rami entirely filled. Tail somewhat graduated, not half the wing. 
It is possible that the genus. Prosobonia of Bonaparte, 1853, maybe identical with Tryngites of 
Cabanis, as based on Tringa leucoptera of Gmelin, I, 678 ; but until this is proved to be the case, 
it may be best to take the last mentioned name as a certainty. It is a little remarkable that 
Bonaparte makes no mention whatever of Tringa rufescens in his Catalogue in Comptes Bendus, 
Sept. 1856. 
TRYNGITES RUFESCENS, (Yiei 11.) Cab. 
Kuff-breasted Sandpiper. 
Tri^arvfescens, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. XXXIX, 1819, 470. (Louisiana.)—I b. Galerie Ois. II, 1825, 105; pi. 238.— 
Nutt. Man. II, 1834, 113.— Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 451 ; pi. 265 .—Ib. Syn. 235 .—Ib. Birds 
Amer. V, 1842, 264 ; pi. 331.— Bon. List, 1838.— Jard. Br. Birds III, 235, (Am. sp.)— Yarrell, 
Trans. Linn. Soc. XVI, 109 ; pi. ii, European sp. 
? Actidurus naevius, Heermann, Pr. Acad. N. S. Phil. VII, 1854,179. (Texas.) 
Figures.—T rans. Linn. Soc. London, XVI, pi. 2 .—Gould, B. of Eur. IV, pi. 326 .—Aud. B. of Am. pi. 265 ; oct. ed. V, pi. 
331 .—Vieill. Gal. II, pi. 238. 
Sp. Ch. —Bill about the length of the head, straight, compressed, narrow at the point; nasal groove long ; wings very long ; 
first quill longest; tertiaries rather shorter ; tail moderate or longer than usual in this group ; legs rather long ; lower third of 
the tibia naked; toes free at base, flattened underneath, and slightly margined; hind toe small. Upper parts pale and dull 
ashy brown with a yellowish tinge ; every feather with a large central, lanceolate, crescent-shaped, or oblong spot of black, 
frequently with a glossy green tinge, especially on the back and shorter tertiaries. Under parts light yellowish red, or pale 
fawn color ; many feathers tipped with white, and paler on the flanks and abdomen, on the breast with partially concealed small 
spots of black ; axillary feathers white. Quills with their outer webs light brown, inner webs ashy white marbled with black 
and narrowly tipped with white; middle tail feathers brownish black ; outer feathers lighter, with transverse waved lines of 
black, and tipped with white ; bill greenish black ; legs greenish yellow. Total length, 7j to 8 inches ; wing, 5j ; tail, 3 ; bill, 
from gape, 1 ; tarsus, 1 | inches. 
Hab. — All of North America, South America, Europe. 
This is a little bird of rather peculiar style of form, and of remarkable and handsome 
plumage. Its relationship appears to be to the preceding well known species. Both this and 
the preceding bird more habitually frequent plains and other dry localities than any of the true 
sandpipers. 
This bird is distributed throughout the continent of America. Specimens in the present 
collection are the first ever brought from west of the Rocky mountains. 
In the collection of the Philadelphia Academy we find numerous specimens of this bird from 
various countries of Central and South America, in which it appears to be more especially at 
home than in North America or Europe. It is easily distinguished from all other known 
American species by the handsome mottling of the primaries, very conspicuous and characteristic 
on their inner webs. The intimate relationship of the present bird to that immediately 
