496 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. 56. 



white-breast brujillo is unmistakable, whether in the air or on the 

 land. In flight the conspicuous white band on the upper surface 

 of the wing, the white breast, the almost black head, and bright 

 red bill directed downward and continually opening and closing, 

 makes this bird as conspicuous as does its shrill excited cry. While 

 on the ground they usually make a single isolated call, but when 

 flying high-pitched cries are uttered almost incessantly. On one 

 occasion, in the little Bay of Chilca, about a dozen of these birds in a 

 group on the shore, becoming excited from some cause, fairly filled 

 the small amphitheater with their shrill voices. This was an unusual 

 aggregation, for I rarely observed them except in pairs, whether at 

 rest or in fUght. 



A female, taken at the Chincha Islands in June, had only very 

 minute eggs in the ovary. In a female taken at Asia in the latter 

 part of August the eggs were 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter. Stomach 

 examinations revealed small pebbles, pieces of Crustacea (Hippa, 

 etc.), pieces of shell, opercula of gastropods, and mussel shells. A 

 specimen taken at Chincha had a weight of If pounds. 



The black oyster bird, or "brujillo" {Haematopus quoyi Brabourne 

 and Chubb), was more commonly observed than the other. It was 

 noted at the Chincha Islands, Chilca Bay, Asia Island, the Bay of 

 Independencia, Paracas Bay, and Lobos de Tierra. 



The curlew or "sarapico" Numenius liudsonicus (Latham), is 

 not infrequent on the islands, and, of course, is quite commonly 

 found on the mainland about small lakes or rivers. They frequent 

 the available beaches of the islands, singly, in couples, or in small 

 flocks, and at a little distance are barely distinguishable against the 

 sandy beach. They have a high-pitched excited cry when flying. 

 The stomach contents of two specimens examined were exclusively 

 portions of Hippa, the common "mui-muis" of the sand beaches. 

 In these examples the eggs were small, about 1 millimeter in diameter 

 (Chincha Islands, June 14, 1907, and Chilca, Aug. 27, 1907). 



The small beach birds, sandpipers, plovers, etc., were observed 

 rather abundantly at Lobos de Tierra in December, 1910, and they 

 were not uncommon at Lobos de xVfuera about the same time. The 

 following specimens were taken : 



Arenaria interpres (Linnaeus), Asia Island, August 26, 1907. 

 Common name: "Til-Til." 



Arenaria interpres (Linnaeus), Lobos de Afuera, December 3, 1907. 

 Common name: "Tfl-Til." 



Heteroscelus incanus (Gmelin), Lobos de Tierra, December 13, 1907. 

 Common name: "Til-Til." 



Calidris leucopliea (PaUas), Lobos de Tierra, December 10, 1907. 

 Common name: "Til-Til bianco." 



