BAIRD’S SANDPIPER. 473 
TRINGA MINUTILLA VY. 
Least Sandpiper. 
Tringa wilsontt, KIRTLAND, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1833, 165.—WHEATON, Ohio Agric. Rep. 
for 1860, 369; Reprint, 1861, 11. 
_ Tringa minutilla, WuEATON, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1874, 572; Reprint, 
1875, 12.—LANGDON, Cat. Birds of Cin., 1877, 14; Revised List, Journ. Cin. Soc. 
Nat. Ilist., i, 1879, 182; Reprint, 16; Summer Birds, ib., iii, 1880, 226. 
Tringa minutilla, ViEILLOT, Nouv. Dict. d’Hist., Nat., xxxiv, 1819, 452. 
Tringa wilsonit, NUTTALL, Man., ii, 1834, 121. 
Upper parts in summer with each feather blackish centrally, edged with bright bay, 
and tipped with ashy or white; in winter and in the young simply ashy; tail feathers 
gray with whitish edges, the central blaskish, usually with reddish edges, crown not 
conspicuously different from hind neck ; chestnut edgings of scapulars usually scalloped ; 
below white, the jugulum with dusky streaks and an ashy or browish suffusion; bill 
black; legs dusky greenish. Smallest of the Sandpipers ; length, 53-6 inches; wing 
24-34; tail, 2 or less; bill, tarsus and middle toe with claw, about 2. 
Habitat, North, Central and South America, and West Indies. Accidental in Europe. 
Migrant, not common in spring, abundant inthefall. In this vicinity 
the Least Sandpiper is of rather rare occurrence in small flocks in spring, 
but in the fall they are more abundant than the last species. I have 
never seen them in the winter plumage as above described. They 
arrive a few days earlier than their Semipalmated cousins, and depart 
for the south sooner. But they have the same habits, frequent the same 
localities, and flocks of birds are cften composed of both species. When 
this is the case, the Semipalmated Sandpipers even if largely in the 
minority, take the lead, as their somewhat larger size, stronger flight 
and louder note fit them for doing. 
When not im company with other species none of our_shore birds are 
more confiding and unsuspecting than these, considerable flocks con- 
tinuing their search for food almost under the feet of the cbserver. 
The Least Sandpiper breeds from Canada northward, and has been 
found nesting in the vicinity of Chicago, Illinois, by Mr. E. W. Nelson. 
TRINGA BAIRDII Coues. 
Baird’s Sandpiper. 
Tringa bairdiit, WuEATON, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep., for 1874, 572; Reprint, 
1875, 12.—LANGDON, Cat. Birds of Cin., 1877, 14; Revised List, Journ. Cin. Soc. Nat. 
Hist., i, 1879, 188; Reprint, 22.—Dury and Freeman, ib., iii, 1880, 104; Reprint, 5. 
Actodromas bairdit, Cours, Proc. Phila. Acad., 1861, 194. 
Tringa bairdiit, ScLarTgeR, P. Z. §., 1867, 332. 
“Adult male: bill wholly black, small and slender, slightly shorter than the head, just 
as long as the tarsus or as the middle tce and claw, slightly expanded or lancet shaped 
