Mud toe, which we think in this ease hardly proper to represent
suhgeneric divisions. Ornith#Id^ist#'will perceive at once frpm
this that our genus, thus constituted reunites hi a natural grorip
species that were dispersed hy Lfnri& in his genera Trjw^pa Smk-
pax arid Ckaradrius; and eV&n sppte that Latham placed in his
restrioffe (Themis- Numerous; f t ' Criincides more nearly with the
better formed genus Tringa 'of Brisson, and especially of VieiRot,
Temminek, and Raniani, but with the addition of their Armaria
©r Calidris;-«ad the same addition, is wholly included in the
Actitis of llliger; although that learned systematist drie& not «sate
under his comprehensive genus a Single typical Tringa, and probably
P M examined One/ as they: do not possess; th e character
bh assigns to the group “ pedes coi|:igaM:i|f Our ■ Tringa embBa-ees
and is frirraied of the ifteowps Gdlieiris, Pelidna, Pakinelh^iMaeketes,
Smynarhynedsand Jlrenaria of.Cnvier; and we subdivide it pretty
nearly MtO’these very groups, which-we regard as '^bgedSm,
adding mereffer to them another which we call Memipalama^*
All owr WdngmMme. a bill compressed at the base, with bMi
mandibles-furrowed each side their whole length, thbilblFer a
little the shorter: the nostrils.are ifi the furrows, basal, linear,; apd
pervious*-but half closed by d%ietabrane: their tongue is -»ride-
rajWif long, slender, subfilifotm, canaliculated above, entire. and
acute. The. tarsus is slender, longer, or aubequal to the middle
toe, and always sc u te lla ted th e fore toes rather elongated, and
slender, the hind toe when present, is extremely short, slender,
much 'elevated, and hardly-,reaching the ground : the nails are
moderat# Compressed, ieurved and acute. The wings moderate
for this family, though; in Peality long, with the first primary
longest.; the tertials. rind scapulars shorter than the primaries.
The tail is rather short, sribequal to the wings, when closed, and
always of twelve feathers i#id no- more..
With the exception- of the subgenera Fttlcinellm,. distinguished
by an arched5 bill, and. &alidnêàhf- a-- sb<®t, straight; obe, and'hoth
three-toed, all l our Tringæ are tetÿridactyle, having the short hind
toe. With the exception of nay subgenus.Hemipalama, whose-chaand
of Machete^, -which has only the outer ones connected, all the
Tringæ have tlie feet, cleft to the base. Of the -spèriies that remain
after the separation of these four well marked groups, and which
are stiM the most numerous,' wèsfiorm our subgenus Tringa, We
must not however pass by unnoticed .^he Fmyrmrkyncm'oi Nilsson,
a group sa> important as- perhaps to merit generic distinction :
it is the Plataiea. pygmæa of Liriné,-®t which- a single! specimen
of uncertain nativity is known.* H i this, by an extreme development
of the Tringa character, the mli is remarkably »flattened and
widened at tip, somewhat in the manrier of the SpoonbiilLf y!
^ . * 0 Saàèpipers the female is similar to the male, being only
KtSswhat larger. young differ from the adult* and they
mïïult twice aÿear, changing greatly the colours, of their plumage.
These, are a mixture of white and ciri^êripti changing in sumaner
to- rufous and black.
The Sandpipers are maritime birds that live in flocks, oftentimes
composed of different speSres, on 'sandy beaches or muddy
shores, preferring mostly salt water. :;They magrateridththe
changes of the seasons along-co.asts.and fivers, and are seldom
seen in the temperate climates of North America and Europe,
except during autumn, winter, .and more especially in spring, when,
they are the most numerous. They retire to the north to breed,
which they do socially amopg the grass near the water, but never
in our climates. They feed on insects, mollusca, and other small
animals, which they seek in soft ground by thrusting in their
flexible bill, or among the rejectamenta of the sea. They run
* See Thunberg, Av. Sv. Holm. 1816, p. ld4, tab. vi.