March, I9I9] 



The Ottawa Naturalist 



159 



25, and on May 28 twenty-five more were observed 

 in the same place. In 1918, Young observed eight 

 on May 25 and 28. They returned again on Aug. 



26, and from four to six were seen to the end of 

 the month. The Wards regard them as common 

 migrants. 



59. ^PECTORAL SANDPIPER, Pisobia maculata. 



On May 25, 1917, a small flock of eleven waders 

 that we took to be of this species were seen. On 

 June 2 a single individual was taken. Young did 

 not see the species in the spring of 1918, but on 

 Aug. 24 ten birds appeared and he noted them 

 almost daily, in numbers fluctuating between four 

 and fifty, to the end of September. Only one of 

 these, taken Aug. 27, is adult. 



60. *WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, Pisobia 



fuscicollis. 

 In 1917 a single individual was seen on May 29 

 in company with a flock of Least Sandpipers, but 

 it was very common on June 2 with large mixed 

 flocks of Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers and 

 Plover. In 1918, Young observed them almost 

 daily from May 22 to June 12, and a later group 

 of four on June 20. On Aug. 7 ten returned and 

 remained in approximately constant numbers until 

 Sept. 12. 



61. *BAIRD's SANDPIPER, Pisobia bairdi. 



Not recognized in 1917. Amongst the small 

 waders collected by Young in 1918 are individuals 

 taken on Aug. 8 and 9 from companies of White- 

 rumped Sandpipers. 



62. *LEAST SANDPIPER, Pisobia minuiilla. 



In 1917, very common until June 6, when it de- 

 parted with the majority of the other waders. During 

 the September visit, I saw a number of small sand- 

 pipers with Semipalmated Sandpipers and Plover 

 that I took to be Leasts, though the presence of 

 more important material near by prevented shooting 

 them for absolute verification. In 1918, Young 

 reports the first Least Sandpiper on May 16, be- 

 coming common on the 28th, and remaining so until 

 June 12. Individuals were seen June 20 and July 

 27, but the species did not return until Aug. 22, 

 remaining until Sept. 7. 



63. *RED-BACKED SANDPIPER, Pelidna alpina. 

 Common in the spring of 1917. First noted on 



May 25. Most abundant on the 28th; they dis- 

 appeared with most of the other migrant waders on 

 June 5. In 1918, observed from May 22 to June 

 1 in limited numbers; not noted in the autumn of 

 either years. 



64. ^SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, Ereunetcs 



pussillus. 

 In 1917, we did not note this species definitely 

 amongst the flocks of mixed small sandpipers until 

 May 25 when they were selected from a bunch of 



Leasts and collected. On June 2 the flocks were 

 composed almost entirely of this species and three 

 solitary individuals were seen after June 5. A few 

 were seen and collected during the autumn visit 

 Sept. 22. In 1918, Young reported them between 

 May 19 and 29, and again in the autumn from 

 Aug. 23 to Sept. 10. 



65. ^SANDERLING, Calidris Icucophaea. 



In 1917, common in the mixed flocks of small 

 waders from May 28 to June 5 when most of the 

 migrant shore birds left. In the fall several were 

 seen on Sept. 24. In 1918, seen by Young from 

 May 19 to June 12 and again from Aug. 8 to 31. 



66. MARBLED GODWIT, Limosa fedoa. 



Though the Wards recognize two Godwits oc- 

 curring at Shoal Lake, we were unable to positively 

 identify the Marbled, though several flocks observed 

 the day of our arrival, in 1917, we tentatively 

 ascribed to this species. The Wards do not know 

 of either species breeding. 



67. ^HUDSONIAN GODWIT, Limosa haemastica. 

 One of the surprises of the 1917 trip was the re- 

 discovery of this fast disappearing species. On May 

 18, Young took one male from a flock of five and 

 the day after I saw a bird that I was satisfied was 

 of the same species. In 1918, Young saw flocks 

 of 12 and 15, on May 21 and 25, and a single bird 

 on the 29th. On July 31, five more were noted 

 passing over towards Lake Manitoba. Of the 

 specimens taken, two females have considerably 

 more white and grayish feather edgings below than 

 the males and a third shows this sexual (?) char- 

 acter less distinctly. The Ward brothers say 

 that the Hudsonian is the commoner of the two 

 Godwits and that it is more easily approached and 

 shot. The fact is they call this the "Foolish Godwit" 

 and say it can be repeatedly approached after having 

 been fired at. This is quite similar to an ex- 

 perience I had with a bird of the same species at 

 Point Pelee, Ont., in 1915, when I stalked and 

 secured a specimen after having once missed it. In 

 seeking for a cause for the rapid decrease of the 

 species this unwariness should be considered as a 

 factor. It may be that similar habits will also 

 explain the unexpected disappearance of other 

 species. (See antea, Trumpeter Swan.) 



68. ^GREATER YELLOW-LEGS, Toianus 



melanoUucus. 

 But single birds identified May 27 and 30 in 

 1917. In 1918, Young found it present in small 

 numbers in a ratio of about one to ten, as com- 

 pared with the Lesser Yellow Legs, from April 24 

 to May 15, leaving about two weeks before the 

 latter. In the autumn but casual singles were seen 

 between Aug. 21 and Sept. 12. Said to have been 

 the commoner of the two Yellow-legs when the lake 



