LEAST SANDPIPER 209 



ently get their bearings, and continue their journey. The spring movement 

 begins about the middle of April or a little later, and lasts until about the 10th 

 of May, beginning again the first week in July and lasting until the middle of 

 September. 



Game. — Fortunately this bird has been removed from the list of 

 game by the Federal law, and we may be sure it will never be re- 

 placed. In the absence of larger birds — too frequently the case — the 

 gunner used to shoot these tiny birds in large numbers, and it must 

 be admitted the}^ were delicious eating. At his blind near a slough 

 or mud hole in the salt marshes he would arrange his flock of tin or 

 wooden decoys, generally made to represent yellowlegs, within easy 

 reach of his gun, and he would call down with his tin whistle any 

 passing flock. A projecting spit of mud extending out into the little 

 pool afforded a convenient alighting place for the " peep," and their 

 death trap, for here they could conveniently be raked by gun fire 

 from the blind. The terrified and bewildered survivors spring into 

 the air, and circling about over their dead and djdng companions 

 afford several more effective shots, which shower the victims down 

 into the mud and water. Only a remnant of the flock escapes, to fall 

 victims, perhaps, to their easy credulity at a neighboring blind. 

 Sometimes the gunner in his greed would wait for the birds to 

 bunch together closely on the spit, but before this took place to his 

 satisfaction the alarm calls of a tattler or vellowlegs might ring out 

 over the marsh and every bird would spring into the air and be off, 

 much to his chagrin. Fortunately this destruction has not been 

 carried too far. The law has stepped in before it is too late, as alas ! 

 may be the case with some of the larger shore birds. The increase of 

 this species since the Federal law went into effect in 1913 is verv 

 striking. Mr. Philipp (1925) says there is "a large increase in this 

 dainty shore bird. In 1907 an exhaustive search for breeding birds 

 in the Magdalens resulted in finding 11 pairs. In 1923 in the same 

 territory over 50 pairs were located with eggs or young." 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — North and South America ; casual in Europe and Asia. 



Breeding Range. — The least sandpiper breeds north to Alaska 

 (Cape Blossom and the Kowak River) ; probably Yukon (Herschel 

 Island) ; Mackenzie (Peel River, Fort Anderson, Rendezvous Lake, 

 and Franklin Bay) ; southern Franklin (Cambridge Bay) ; Kcewatin 

 (Cape Fullerton) ; Labrador (Ramah) ; and Newfoundland (Quarry 

 and Gaff Topsail). East to Labrador (Ramah, Okak, and Nain) ; 

 Newfoundland (Quarry) ; and Nova Scotia (Sable Island). South 

 to Nova Scotia (Sable Island) ; Quebec (Magdalen Islands) ; 

 Keewatin (probably Fort Churchill) ; probably Saskatchewan (Isle 

 de la Crosse) ; southern Mackenzie (probably Fort Simpson) ; south- 



