Western Solitary Sandpiper 123 



In C!olorado this Sandpiper is a fairly comnaon transient visitor, 

 while some birds stay through the summer and probably breed, though 

 eggs have not been taken in the State. ||,,; 



It reaches Colorado about the last week in April, and is most common 

 in the plains though noticed as high as Breckenridge by Carter, and at 

 Pennsylvania Lake at 8,500 feet, August 27th, by Felger (Henderson). 

 Summer and possibly breeding records are : Grand Junction, June 22nd , 

 (Rockwell), near Ivremmling, July 13th (Cary), Pueblo, July 27th 

 (Henshaw), South Park, Juty, and Palmer Lake, Augus (Allen) ; while 

 on migration it has been taken at Salida, April 25th (Colo. Coll. Mus.), 

 El Paso CO., May 1st (Allen & Brewster), Barr Lake in the fall (Hersey 

 & Rockwell), and Loveland, April 20th (W. G. Smith). 



Habits. — The solitary Sandpiper is fond of quiet ponds 

 among the mountains surrounded by forest, and is then 

 rather solitary in its habits, but during migration it 

 is often seen in flocks. It wades with graceful move- 

 ments along the shallows in search of mollusca, insects 

 and worms, for which it probes with its bill. It is some- 

 what silent, differing in this respect from the Yellow-legs 

 or Tatlers. 



It has only quite recently been discovered (" Ibis," 05, 

 p. 158) that they make use of the nests of other birds 

 in which to lay their eggs. Evan Tompson, a collector 

 employed by Walter Raine, took three clutches in June, 

 1903 and 1904, in northern Alberta ; they were found 

 in the nest of an American Robin, a Bronzed Grackle, 

 and a Cedar Bird respectively. In each case the clutch 

 was four, and the eggs, which averaged r36 x '98, were 

 pale greenish-white, spotted and blotched with shades 

 of brown and purple. In this matter the Solitary Sand- 

 piper follows the Green Sandpiper of Europe. Further 

 search will probably result in the discovery of eggs in 

 Colorado. 



Genus CATOPTROPHORUS. 



Large birds — wing 8 to 9 — with the general characteristics of 

 Toianus ; bill longer than the head, cuknen about equal to the tarsus ; 



