Totanus Bartramius, Ch. Bonap., Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 262.
Tringa Bartramia, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 63. pl. 59. fig. 2.
Bartramian Tatler, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 169.
Totanus Bartramius, Richards. and Swains. Fauna Bor. Amer. vol. ii. p. 391.
Adult Male. Plate CCCIII. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, slender, straight, slightly defected at the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge convex, the sides grooved beyond the middle, afterwards convex, the edges inflected, the tips a little deflected, and tapering to an obtuse point. Nostrils sub-basal, lateral, linear, pervious, nearer the edge than the dorsal line. Lower mandible, with the angle very narrow and elongated, beyond it the outline slightly convex, the sides sloping outwards and concave until the middle, afterwards flattened, the edges sharp, the point very narrow.
Head rather small, convex above, compressed. Neck of moderate length, slender. Body rather slender. Feet long and slender; tibia bare for about half its length, scutellate before and behind; tarsus long, slender, having before and behind numerous scutella, the narrow lateral spaces with very small oblong scales. Toes slender, the first very short, the second much shorter than the fourth, the third and fourth connected at the base by a web; the scutella numerous; claws small, compressed, slightly arched, rather blunt.
Plumage soft, on the neck and lower parts, blended; on the upper rather distinct. Wings rather long, acute, narrow; primaries tapering, and rounded, the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail of moderate length, much rounded, of twelve rather narrow feathers.
Bill yellowish-green, the tip dusky, the edges towards the base yellow. Iris dark hazel. Legs and tarsi light yellowish-grey, toes rather darker, claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head dark brown, with a median pale yellowish-brown line, the margins of the feathers also of that colour, which prevails along the sides of the head and the back of the neck, which are streaked with dusky; the eye surrounded with yellowish-white. Throat yellowish white, without spots; fore-part and sides of the neck, with a portion of the breast and sides of the body, cream-coloured, with dusky lines, which gradually become arrow-shaped on the breast, forming a double transverse band; the feathers on the sides barred; the rest of the lower parts yellowish-white, the lower tail-coverts rich cream-coloured. Axillar feathers and lower wing-coverts white, banded with brownish-black. On the upper parts the feathers are dark brown, glossed with green, with rich cream-coloured margins; the rump darker. On the margins of the scapulars, within the pale edge, is a series of dusky spots, which towards the end become continuous. Alula, primary coverts, and primary quills, blackish-brown, the inner webs crossed by white bands, until about an inch from the end, the shaft of the first quill white, those of the rest dusky. Secondaries greyish-brown, their outer margins pale brown, with dusky spots; the inner darker. The two middle feathers of the tail are dark olive, tinged with grey, transversely barred with black, the last bar arrow-shaped, the margins light cream-colour: the next feather on each side lighter, and tinged with yellowish-red; the rest gradually lighter, the outer white, all barred with black.
Length to end of tail 12 1/2 inches, to end of wings 11 1/8, to end of claws 13 1/2; extent of wings 22; wing from flexure 7; tail 3 3/4; bare part of tibia 9/10; tarsus 1 1 1/2/12, first toe 4/12, its claw 1 1/2/12; middle-toe 1, its claw 2 1/4/12; bill along the ridge 1 2/12; along the edge of lower mandible 1 3/12. Weight 6 oz.