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Colonel N (S Goss in his admirable Birds)

S. Goss, in his admirable Birds of Kansas, writes that he has observed this species along the edges of old channels of rivers or muddy pools of water, in which it wades while feeding; immersing the head and feeling with its sensitive bill in the thin mud for food. It moves about rather slowly as compared with the true Sandpipers, and at times will try and avoid detection by squatting close to the SNIPES, SANDPIPERS, ETC. ground, flying only as a last resort, and then darting swiftly away with a sharp tweet, tweet. 234. Tringa canutus Linn. KNOT; ROBIN SNIPE; GRAY SNIPE. (See Figs. 25, 6, 26, b.) Ad. in summer. - Upper parts barred and streaked with black and white and rufous; tail ashy gray, narrowly margined with whitish; under parts dull rufous; lower belly white or whitish, sides sometimes with black bars. (According to George H. Mackay, it requires about four years for birds to acquire this plumage. See Auk, x, 1893, p. 25.) Im. - Upper parts plain brownish gray; upper tail-coverts barred with black and white, tail brownish gray; breast and sides barred with black, belly white. Young.- Upper parts pale brownish gray; head streaked with blackish; back, wingcoverts, and scapulars with distinct black and white borders; upper tail-coverts barred with blackish; tail ashy gray, narrowly margined with white; under parts white; breast finely streaked or spotted with blackish; flanks barred or streaked with blackish. L., 10.50; W., 6.75; Tar., 1-20; B., 1.30.