654 THE BAIRD SANDPIPER. 



W'Ik'h siartlcil, a llm-k mI. say. filt\' mi' iIr-si' Saiulpipcrs mnves off as one 

 hird. wheeling ami liirniiij; at ])rccisel\' Uk' same niiiiiK'iit. and ])resenting in 

 the early morning a pleasing alternation uf Hashing white, when the under- 

 ])arts are ex])osed. and somher gray, when the hacks ajjpear. While on tlie 

 wing the hirds kee]) up a cross-hre of peculiar, wild, creaking mites; lint npini 

 alighting, lhe\- scatter widely in search of food and are mainl\- silent. They 

 both glean and jirolie on land, nr wade abont husily in the grassy plashes. At 

 the appro.ach nf danger the \\a<lers will id'ten crunch luw n]>(in the gronnd in 

 the hope of escaping observation. In the antinnn, when each indi\i(lnal shifts 

 for itself, the bird is said to lie well t<i ,i il<ig; rmd npon lieing flnshed it moves 

 olT with a rapid zigzag llight ninch admired by the knights of the reeking tube. 



Verv interesting accmmls nf the l)reeding habits of these birds in their 

 Alaskan home reach us thru the pen of Mr. E. W. Nelson. According" to this 

 careful obserxer, the males are able to distend the lousened skin ni the breast, 

 inflating it, together with the esophagus, with air. until it becomes nearly as 

 large as the rest of the body. With these absurd app-endages, the)' run up and 

 down lie fi ire the females, or essay strange sallies in the air. Wdiile engaged 

 in these attempts to win attention, thc_\' utter nutes which are hollow and re- 

 sonant, but at the same time li(|uid and musical, and may be represented by a 

 repetitiiin nf the syllables tdo-ii. tun'-ii, tdO'-ii. 



No. 262. 



BAIRD'S SANDPIPER. 



A. O. I'. No. 241. Pisobia bairdii (Coues). 



Description. — .Idiilt in siiniiiicr: l'])])er]iarts fuscous, with considerable 

 edging I if liuffv and light brownish gray, — the buff mostly in lateral striping on 

 top of head and hind-neck, where predominant, and as terminal edging on back, 

 etc.: some whitish edging on coverts, secondaries and inner quills, but no strong 

 shades or contrasts anywhere; upper tail-coverts and tail dark fuscous, the former 

 tipped with buff, and the latter edged with whitish, the outer feathers becoming 

 much lighter ; forehead and sujira-loral streaks white ; throat white ; the sides of 

 the head, and neck, and breast, with a heavy luiffy suffusion, lightly spotterl and 

 streakefl with brownish duskv ; remaining undcrparts wdiite ; bill and legs black. 

 /;/ winter, the shades of the ujiperiiarts arc a little more blended, liuinatiivc: 

 Similar to adtilt. but lighter above, light brownish gray predominating; die feath- 

 ers of back and scapulars rounded, with conspicuous, white, terminal edging: the 

 streaking of breast, etc., less distinct. Length 7.33 ( 180.7) ; wing 4.83 (122.7); 

 tail 2.03 (51.6) ; bill .(;[ (23. T) ; tarsus .94 (23.9). 



Recognition Marks. — "Sparrow" size, but ajipearing larger; about the size 

 of a Spotted Sand])ii)er; dull fuscous and buff'y coloration of up])erparts ; buffy 

 breast streaked with fuscous; upjier tail-coverts not w-hite. 



