128 The Ottawa Naturalist. [August 



far north. "From all this Audubon conjectured rig^htly " so Prof. 

 Baird says "that this bird bred within the Arctic Circle." It is 

 said to winter in South America and the West Indies. Gundlach 

 reports it as a winter visitant in Cuba making- its appearance there 

 from the north from August to November. Mr. Salvia reports 

 that he received a specimen from Bogata, and Natterer obtained 

 examples from Brazil between November and March. Henshaw 

 reports taking a specimen in Boston harbour and Boardman found 

 it at Calais, Me. The dates for these last are given as about 

 August 20th which would probably be the time of its southern 

 migration. 



My capture was on June loth, 1879. While walking along 

 the bank of the Grand River below the dam on the evening of 

 June 9th a bird arose in a hurried manner from near my feet. 

 I saw at once that it was not the common Spotted Sandpiper from 

 its color, size and manner of flight. I noticed too that it evidently 

 had a nest and looking where it arose I easily found it, between 

 two large tussocks of coarse marsh grass which grows in such 

 localities. There was a distinct depression in the soft ground and 

 although there was not much of a nest, some bits of moss were 

 gathered around the edge helping still more to form a nest. It 

 contained three very dark colored eggs lying with the small ends 

 pointing to the centre as is usual with most birds of this family. 

 Being anxious to secure the bird herself I did not take the eggs 

 then, but returned in the morning and having shot her I went to 

 the nest and was somewhat disgusted to find that during the night 

 two of the eggs had hatched and their places had been taken by two 

 pretty little creatures spotted with dark spots on a light fawn-colored 

 ground. They were all brought home and mounted and are now 

 in my collection. The egg although far advanced, I was able to 

 make a good cabinet specimen of and it also is in my collection. 

 It measures 1.25 x .95, and is very pyriform in shape. The ground 

 color is buff thickly covered with spots of two shades of dark 

 brown or sepia, the markings being much larger on the large end, 

 the general color being very dark. 



The location of the nest was on the bank of the river four or 

 five feet above the water and a short distance from the edge. I 

 did not see the male bird, in fact this is the only specimen I ever 

 saw outside of a collection, and I was at the time naturally very 

 proud of the find. The bird had little or nothing in her stomach 

 besides some bits of some small insects. 



