200 HISTORY OF THE 



For a full description of their nests and eggs, I quote from 

 "North American Water Birds," Vol. I, p. 308: 



"It breeds abundantly in the Anderson River region, where 

 a number of its nests and eggs were found by Mr. MacFarlane; 

 and from his memoranda in reference to the nests and eggs of 

 this species, in upward of twenty instances, we gather that the 

 nest is always on the ground, and hardly distinguishable from 

 that of the Golden Plover, being a mere depression in the soil, 

 scantily lined with a few withered leaves and dried grasses. 

 These nests were all obtained on the Barren Grounds, between 

 Horton's River and the coast, between the 26tli of June and the 

 9th of July. The eggs were in every instance four in number. 

 Even in July tlie embryos were not far advanced. When the 

 nest was approached, the female usually made a short, low flight, 

 to a distance of about twelve yards. 



"The eggs of this species are conspicuously pyriform in shape, 

 and measure 1.51 inches in length by 1.10 in the greatest 

 breadth. So far as I have noticed them, however much they 

 may vary in certain minor respects, they all present a remarkable 

 uniformity in their general characteristics and appearance. Their 

 ground color is uniformly an ashy drab, over which are pro- 

 fusely spread rounded markings, splashes and confluent blotches 

 of deep sepia. The markings are smaller and more rounded in 

 shape around the smaller end, and larger and more confluent 

 about the other. The sepia tint is quite uniform, and the deeper 

 markings are mingled with washes of dilute purplish slate. These 

 markings vary in their shape, size and character, being in some 

 large splashes, and in others longitudinal, as if made by strokes 

 of a paint brush." 



Genus ACTITIS Illiger. 



"Upper mandible grooved to the termiual fourth; the bill tapering and rather 

 acute. Cleft of mouth only moderate; the culmen about five-sixths the commis- 

 sure. Feathers extending rather farther ou side of lower jaw than upper the 

 former reaching as far as the beginning of the nostrils; those of the chin to 

 about their middle. Bill shorter than the head, straight, equal to the tarsus, 

 which is of the length of middle toe and claw. Bare part of tibia half the tar- 

 sus, outer toe webbed to first joint; inner cleft nearly or quite to the base. Tail 

 much rounded, more than half the wing." 



