PECTORAL SANDPIPER 173 



horizontal. In outline they range from subpyriform to ovate pyriform. The 

 exterior of the shell has a smooth, almost polished surface that reflects in many 

 eggs a high luster. The ground color varies considerably from dull white to 

 " cream buff " and even to " deep olive buff," but in all sets I have seen the 

 ground color and markings follow the same shades and types in the same 

 set of eggs. The surface markings are bold and individual, and appear as if 

 they were daubed with a paint brush. These large rich spots are elongated 

 and are placed parallel to the long axis of the egg, showing but little tendency 

 to spiral. The heaviest markings are at the larger end, often merging into a 

 large " chocolate " blotch, and in one case this rich blot of color covered more 

 than a fourth of the egg. The color of the markings ranges from " walnut 

 brown " and " sepia " to " chocolate " and " blackish brown," with " chocolate " 

 the predominating shade. The underlying spots are prominent and numerous 

 on some eggs, while on others they are almost wanting. They vary from 

 " pearl gray " to " violet gray," with an occasional egg inclined to " Isabella 

 color." In fact, each different clutch of eggs exhibits some individual interest- 

 ing peculiarity. 



My only set, taken for me by Mr. Hersey, would fit the above 

 description very well, but it is not particularly handsome. The 

 ground color is dull white or " pale olive buff," which is more or 

 less evenly marked with small blotches and spots of " bister " and 

 "bone brown." Mr. Murdoch (1885) says that they "may be dis- 

 tinguished from those of the buff-breasted sandpiper, which they 

 closely resemble, by their warmer color." The measurements of 116 

 eggs, in the United States National Museum and in Mr. Brandt's 

 collection, average 36.5 by 25 millimeters; the eggs showing the 

 four extremes measure 38.5 by 25, 38 by 27, 34 by 24.9, and 35.5 

 by 24.5 millimeters. 



Young. — Mr. Conover writes to me as follows: 



The incubation period seems to run from 21 to 23 days. A nest found 

 May 31 with the complete set of four eggs was hatched on the morning of 

 June 21. Another nest containing four eggs, from which the old bird was 

 flushed, was found on June 2 and hatched on June 25. The first young 

 were found on June 21. Contrary to their habits when there were only 

 eggs in the nest, the mothers now showed great concern for their young. 

 At one time Murie caught some newly hatched young, and holding his hand 

 containing them extended on the ground, induced the old bird to come up 

 and brood the chicks. She was so tame that he caught and banded her 

 without difficulty. The male seems to take no part on the incubation or 

 care of the young. He was often seen to join a hen driven from the nest, 

 but only for purposes of courtship, as he would start booming immediately 

 and chase her about. Before the eggs began to hatch, male birds seemed 

 to disappear from the tundra. There was never more than one bird seen 

 with the young. Thirty days seemed to be about the time necessary for 

 the chicks to mature, as by July 20 fully fledged young were seen commonly 

 about the tundra. 



Mr. Butmiin (1907) says: 



When I approached the breeding ground I lie old birds flew to meet me, one 

 after another, and wheeled around uttering low tremulous notes of various 

 kinds. These calls were evidently meant for the young and had different 



