2o6 The Ottawa Naturalist. [December 



its g-lancing flight and lustrous dark colour. I left the eggs and 

 went away for a time in order that I might obtain a second view 

 of the bird. On my return it was back to the nest, and again rose 

 at my feet. This time I noticed the white in the tail very plainly, 

 for as it rose it spread its tail " fan-like," so I telt satisfied that I 

 had correctly identified the species. The Spotted Sandpiper neither 

 sits so close nor shows the white markings on the tail-feathers. 



The nest was in a tolerably dry sandy place, and each time 

 the bird left it, she flew to the creek, where she skulked and hid 

 among the long grass, behaving in a manner unlike their habit 

 during the spring and fall migration. It was constructed of bits 

 of bark, moss, grass and rootlets, a considerable quantity of 

 material being used. The three eggs are bluntly pyriform, the 

 ground-colour drab, and the texture ot the shell very fine and deli- 

 cate; in fact so much so that they required very tender handling in 

 blowing. They are spotted all over, the spots and specks varying 

 in size from a pin's head to a small pea : there are no blotches, 

 but a few shell markings. These eggs are a trifle larger than 

 Spotted Sandpiper's, averaging 1.25 x i. 00 inch. Having no gun, 

 we could not secure the bird, a matter for some reasons to be 

 regretted ; but the question of identification was as accurate as 

 circumstances would permit, and so sets at rest Mr. Dixon's 

 theory, that this bird does not build its nest on the ground. 

 Further notes and acquaintance with the habits of the species will, 

 however, be of great interest. 



Geological Note. — To further investigate the Fauna and 

 Flora of the Pleistocene beds in Canada, the General Committee 

 of the British Association for the Advancement of Science has just 

 announced that a further sum of ^^10 has been placed at the dis- 

 posal of the Canadian Committee, which consists of the following ; 

 Chairman, Sir J. W. Dawson ; Secretary. Prof A. P. Coleman ; 

 Prof. D. P. Penhollow, Dr. H. M. Ami and Mr. G. W. Lamplugh. 



