NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 125 



also common eastward. It is known as Field " Plover," Upland 

 "Plover," Grass "Plover," Prairie "Pigeon," and Prairie "Snipe." 

 In Ohio and Pennsylvania the eggs are hatched by the first or second 

 week in June. One of the most familiar birds on the dry, open 

 prairies of Manitoba, where it breeds, and is known as the " Quaily," 

 from its soft, mellow note. Mr. L. Jones, of Grinnell, Iowa, informs 

 me that it nests in that region about the 2Oth of May. Known to 

 breed in various portions of Michigan, but its eggs are not often 

 taken. The bird is less aquatic than most of the other Sandpipers, 

 and is seldom seen along the banks of streams. Its favorite resorts 

 are old pastures, upland, stubble fields and meadows, where its nests 

 may be found in a slight depression of the ground, and they are not 

 always well concealed. It frequently alights on trees or on fences, like 

 a Meadow Lark. The eggs of Bartrarn's Sandpiper are of a pale clay 

 or buff, thickly spotted with umber and yellowish-brown, especially 

 about the larger end ; commonly four in number ; sizes range from 

 1.70 to 1.90 long by about 1.28 broad. 



262. Tryngites subruficollis (VIEILL). [556.] 



Buff-breasted. Sandpiper. 



Hab. North America, especially the interior. Breeds in the interior of British America and in 

 Alaska. Occasional occurrence in Europe. 



This interesting little Sandpiper is of general distribution in 

 North America, but apparently nowhere very common. It is migra- 

 tory in the United States, and breeds in the Arctic regions. Winters 

 south of United States. It is often found in company with the 

 Semipaltnated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers on the gravelly 

 banks of rivers. This bird is said to resemble Bartrarn's Sandpiper 

 in frequenting upland fields and meadows. Breeds in the MacFarlane 

 and Anderson River regions and in the Barren Lands of the Arctic 

 coast. The nesting season in these regions is the latter part of 

 June, extending to the middle of July. The bird also breeds in the 

 Yukon River district. The nests are slight depressions in the soil, 

 scantily lined with a few grasses or withered leaves. The eggs are 

 clay color of various shades, sharply spotted and blotched with rich 

 umber-brown ; there is a great diversity in the shades of the ground 

 color in a large series of specimens, and there is also the same varia- 

 tions in the markings ; the eggs are pointedly pyriform in shape ; 

 commonly four in number, and measure from 1.40 to 1.50 long by 1.02 



to i.io broad. 



263. Actitis macularia (LINN.) [557.] 



Spotted Sandpiper 



Hab. North and South America and West Indies. Winters chiefly south of the United States. 



The familiar little Spotted Sandpiper is an extremely abundant 



