Part 118

Sanderling Plover, Calidris arenaria, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 4.

Sanderling, Tringa arenaria, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 231; v. v. p. 582.

GENUS II. PHALAROPUS, Briss. PHALAROPE.

Bill scarcely longer than the head, straight, slender, at the base somewhat cylindrical, toward the end broader and flattened, the tips narrowed; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, excepting at the end, where it is a little decurved, the ridge convex, flattened at the broad part, the sides slightly sloping, the edges rounded, and near the tip inflected; nasal groove linear, extending to near the tip; lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the sides convex and sloping outwards, the tip narrowed. Nostrils basal, linear-elliptical. Head small, with the fore part high and rounded; neck of moderate length; body rather full. Feet rather short, slender; tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus much compressed, narrowed before and behind, covered anteriorly with numerous scutella; toes very slender, first extremely small, free, with a slight membrane beneath; second shorter than the fourth; third toe much longer, all scutellate above, the anterior margined on both sides with lobed and pectinated membranes, which are united at the base, so as to render the foot nearly half-webbed, the outer web much longer than the inner. Claws very small, compressed, arched, obtuse. Plumage soft and blended; wings long and pointed, first quill longest, secondary quills rather short, the inner much elongated. Tail of moderate length, much rounded, of twelve feathers, the lower tail-coverts as long.

340. 1. Phalaropus fulicarius, Bonap. Red Phalarope.

Plate CCLV. Male and Female in summer. Male in winter.

In summer, the bill greenish-yellow, black at the point; feet pale green; upper part of head black; loral space and chin blackish-grey; sides of head, and a band round the occiput, white; sides and fore part of neck, breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts deep orange-red; fore part of back, scapulars, and inner secondaries, black, the feathers edged with whitish; wing-coverts deep ash-grey; quills dark greenish-brown, their shafts and basal parts white; the ends of the secondary and primary coverts, and the basal part of the outer webs of the primaries white, forming a band of that colour on the wing; upper tail-coverts orange-red; tail deep grey, darker towards the end, slightly tipped with reddish. Female in summer with the upper part variegated with light red and brownish-black, the central part of each feather being of the latter colour; the upper tail-coverts entirely of the former; tail deep grey, as in the male; lower parts of a less pure red, being paler, and tinged with grey. In winter the bill nearly black, upper and fore part of head, fore part and sides of neck, breast, abdomen, lower and lateral upper tail-coverts, with a band across the wing, white; a brownish-black line from the eye to the occiput, which is of the same colour, as well as in the middle of the hind neck; back, scapulars, and inner secondaries, ash-grey.

Adult, 7-1/2, 13.

Occasionally in flocks in Kentucky, on the Ohio, during autumn often at sea on the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. Breeds in high northern latitudes, as far as Melville Peninsula. Stragglers at times reach as far south as New Jersey, but the route of this species toward warmer regions, is along the Pacific coast.

Red Phalarope, Phalaropus hyperboreus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ix. p. 75.

Phalaropus fulicarius, Bonap. Syn. p. 341.

Phalaropus fulicarius, Flat-billed Phalarope, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 407.

Red Phalarope, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 236.

Red Phalarope, Phalaropus fulicarius, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 404.

GENUS III. LOBIPES, Cuv. LOBEFOOT.

Bill at least as long as the head, extremely slender, straight, nearly cylindrical, towards the end tapering; upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, unless at the end, where it is a little decurved, the ridge broad and depressed, the sides slightly sloping, the edges rounded, and inflected towards the narrow acute tip; nasal groove long, linear; lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the sides convex, the tip narrowed. Head small, with the fore part high and rounded; neck of moderate length; body rather slender. Feet moderate, slender; tibia bare at the lower part; tarsus extremely compressed, narrowed before and behind, covered anteriorly with numerous scutella; toes slender, first extremely small, free, with a slight membrane beneath, second slightly shorter than fourth; toes all scutellate above, the anterior webbed at the base, and margined on both sides with a lobed or sinuated membrane. Claws very small, arched, compressed, acute. Plumage soft, and blended. Wings long and pointed, the first quill longest; inner secondaries very long and tapering; tail of twelve feathers rounded or nearly even. Tongue extremely slender, grooved above, tapering to a horny point; œsophagus narrow, uniform; stomach rounded, muscular, with the epithelium dense and longitudinally rugous; intestine of moderate length and width; cœca rather long. Trachea much flattened, with a single pair of inferior laryngeal muscles.

341. 1. Lobipes hyperboreus, Lath. Hyperborean Lobefoot.

Plate CCXV. Male and Female.

Bill about the same length as the head, membranes of the toes scolloped, tail much rounded; upper parts greyish-black, the head lighter and more tinged with grey, the scapulars and some of the feathers of the back edged with yellowish-red, of which colour are the sides of the head and neck; throat and sides of the upper part of the neck white; wing-coverts and quills brownish-black, tinged with grey, the shafts of the quills, margins, and tips of secondaries, and a broad bar on the tip of the secondary coverts white; tail light grey, the feathers margined with white, the two middle dark brownish-grey, lateral upper tail-coverts white, barred with dusky; breast and abdomen white. Young similar, but with the colours paler.

Male, 6, 13-1/2; wing 5-3/4.

Rarely seen south of New York. Plentiful at some periods from Massachusetts to Maine. Abundant in the Bay of Fundy during spring and autumn. Breeds in Labrador and along all the Arctic coast. Migratory.

Phalaropus hyperboreus. Bonap. Syn. p. 342.

Hyperborean Phalarope, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 239.

Hyperborean Phalarope, Phalaropus hyperboreus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 118; v. v. p. 595.

342. 2. Lobipes Wilsonii, Sabine. Wilson's Lobefoot.

Plate CCLIV. Male and Young.

Bill half as long again as the head; membranes of the toes merely sinuous, tail nearly even; general colour of upper parts brownish-grey, hind neck and rump greyish-white, crown of head ash-grey; a white line over the eye; a band of black on the lore, under the eye, and down the side of the neck, where it enlarges, and changes into chestnut-red, extending down the back; another chestnut band crosses the wing, and includes part of the inner secondaries; quills greyish-brown, outer primaries and their coverts much darker, the shaft of the first white, tail-feathers pale brownish-grey on the outer, white more or less mottled on the inner webs; throat and cheeks white; fore neck orange-brown, fading below, and extending paler over the sides of the body; breast, abdomen, and lower wing-coverts white.

Adult, 10, 17-1/2.