SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER 169 



swamps. In October, 1922, I saw a flock of four on the open country near 

 a dam on Alice Downs Station, near Blackall, central Queensland, a locality 

 about 350 miles from the coast. Mr. D. W. Gaukrodger subsequently secured 

 an excellent photograph of three of these birds at the same dam. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — The sharp-tailed sandpiper breeds in the northeastern 

 part of Asia — so far as known, in northeastern Siberia — wintering 

 south to New Guinea, Tonga Islands, Australia, and New Zealand. 

 Occurs in migration in Kamchatka, China, and Japan. 



During fall migration it is of regular though rare occurrence in 

 Alaska (Hotham Inlet, September 1, 1880; Port Clarence, Septem- 

 ber 9, 1880; Nome, September 2 to 16, 1910; St. Michael, September 

 16, 1877, August 29 and September 11, 1879, September 18, 21, and 

 24, 1899; Bethel, September 30 and October 1, 1914; St. Paul Island, 

 August 17, 1897, September 7 and 13, 1910, September 14 and 20 

 and October 12, 1914; St. George Island, October 3, 1899; and Val- 

 dez, September 18, 1908). 



Casual records. — The species is accidental in British Columbia 

 (Massett, December 27, 1897, and Comox, October 4, 1903) ; Wash- 

 ington (mouth of the Nooksack River, September 2, 1892) ; England 

 (Breydon, Norfolk, August, 1892, and Yarmouth, September, 

 1848 [?]) ; and the Hawaiian Islands (Laysan [specimen in museum 

 at Bremen], a second specimen near Honolulu, a third specimen was 

 collected on Maui [Henshaw], and Bartsch secured two specimens 

 and saw others on Sand Island, November 8, 1907). One was taken 

 near San Diego, Calif., on September 16, 1921. 



PISOBIA MACULATA (Vieillot) 



PECTORAL SANDPIPER 



HABITS 



This familiar sandpiper is well known as a migrant throughout 

 most of North America, especially east of the Rocky Mountains, as it 

 travels on its long journeys between the Arctic tundras, where it 

 breeds, and its winter home in southern South America. It is 

 more popular among gunners than the other small sandpipers, to 

 whom it is known by several names. It is called " jack snipe " on 

 account of its resemblance in appearance and habits to the Wilson 

 snipe. It deserves the name, "grass bird," because it usually fre- 

 quents grassy meadows. The name, " creaker," " creeker," or 

 "Krieker," may have been derived from its reedy notes, from its 

 haunts along the muddy banks of creeks, or from the German word 

 Kriecher, on account of its crouching habits. 



