204 The Ottawa Naturalist. [December 



In i8q5, none observed ; in 1896, May 18th, and youngf ones 

 near Graham's Lake on August ist. In 1897, none observed ; in 

 1898, August 15th, one old bird — a very large one. September 

 ist I shot one at Escott Pond. In 1899, May nth, observed three 

 at pools in small woods. June 8th saw birds ''several times at a 

 small creek flowing out of the large marsh on Amherst Island, 

 Ont. , into Lake Ontario, and near the creek found nest and three 

 6ggs. On June 25th saw one bird rise from a ditch near Lans- 

 downe, and on the 22nd and 25th September saw two and shot 

 one on each of these days at Escott Pond. This completes my 

 record during thirteen years, except that I saw one at Escott Pond 

 in June, and two others close to Lansdowne also in June, but I 

 forgot to note the year. It will therefore be seen that this bird is 

 a regular though comparatively rare migrant in Eastern Ontario ; 

 that it arrives yearly about the middle of May, from the loth to 

 the 15th, and after staying a week or two, as a rule goes further 

 north, though an occasional pair remains through the summer, 

 and, as I have observed, a brood is now and then brought out. 



On its return migration it may be looked for towards the end 

 of August, except in the case of birds that have nested ; and it 

 remains about water-holes and ponds until the end of September, 

 although, as stated, I have one record October 29th. 



It may easily be distinguished from the Spotted Sandpiper 

 both on the wing and when feeding, first by its size and glancing 

 flight — its wings are longer than the other species ; next by the 

 amount of white in the outside tail-feathers, which shows when it 

 rises close to a person ; and again by the dark-coloured bill and 

 legs, and longer " tarsi." The length of the bird I shot on 22nd 

 September was 8 inches, and weight 2 ^^ ounces. Some birds are 

 slightly larger and heavier. 



There are some peculiarities about this bird that render it of 

 unusual interest to ornithologists ; for instance, the range of its 

 migrations is imperfectly known ; it is not gregarious, being gen- 

 erally found singly, or in the spring two or three together ; hence 

 the name " solitary" is peculiarly appropriate. Unlike most other 

 sandpipers, it prefers wooded ponds and small "creeks fringed 

 with trees: even a small pool in a wood is frequently resorted to. 

 But most of all, the mystery that surrounds the breeding habits of 



