C. H. Merriam — Birds of Connecticut. 105 



tweene thern and those of my native country, and more I did not 

 regard them."* 



187. G-allinagO WilsOlli (Tetnminck) Bonaparte. Wilson's Snipe. 



A resident; common during the migrations; sometimes breeds. 

 In October and November (some remain into December) large num- 

 bers are shot on our salt marshes. Mr. W. W. Coe took it Feb. 4th, 

 1872, near Portland, Conn., and thinks they sometimes winter there in 

 low swampy places. Arrives in March (Mar. 18, 1874, Sage). Mr.. W. 

 W. Coe and Mr. J. II. Sage inform me that they took a nest containing 

 three fresh eggs of this species at Portland, Conn., May 13th, 1874. 

 The eggs were "fully identified, as the parent bird was found on the 

 nest."f It was not previously known to breed as far south as Con- 

 necticut. The nearest approach to it is k ' a set of eggs in the Smithson- 

 ian labeled Oneida Co., X. Y."J Mr. Coe tells me that there were a 

 number of Snipe in the field at the time, and he thinks there were 

 other nests which they did not find. 



188. Macrorhamphus griseus (Gmelin) Leach. Red-breasted Snipe. 



Not rare daring the migrations. "Stratford," Linsley. Mr. J. H. 

 Sage of Portland has a specimen which he shot at Saybrook, Conn., 

 Aug. 21st, 1874. 



189. Ereunetes pusillus (Linne) Cassin. Semipalmated Sandpiper. 



A summer resident; common along the shore during the migrations. 

 .Mr. W. W. Coe has seen it in June. On the 20th of .Inly, 1877, Mr. 

 Walter R. Nichols found, at Branford, Conn., four eggs of a small 

 Sandpiper. They were placed on a i'vw straws in a slight excavation 

 in a corn field, about half a mile from the shore. Supposing them to 

 be the eggs of this species I sent one to Dr. Brewer, w ho writes: "In 

 the absence of my cabinet, for comparison, I cannot be certain, but I 

 have little or no doubt that it is the egg of Ereunetes p-usiUus" It 

 is unnecessary to state that this is the first authentic record of its 

 breeding in southern New England. In fall, Dr. F. W. Hall has taken 

 it as early as Aug. 25th (1874). 



* Reprinted in Force's Historical Tracts, vol. ii, Tract 5, p. 47. 

 f MS. notes of John H. Sage, Esq. 

 \ Coues' Birds of the Northwest, p. 476. 

 Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. IV. 14 Aug., 1877. 



