260 BULLETIN 142, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



small sandpipers with which it associates. Arthur H. Howell (1924) 

 says: 



Six stomachs of this bird collected in Alabama showed its food to be minute 

 fly larvae, aquatic beetles and bugs, marine worms, and small snails. 



Stuart T. Danforth (1925) found 150 bloodworms and a Hyclro- 

 philid larva in the stomach of one taken in Porto Rico. 



Behavior. — S. F. Eathbun has sent me the following notes on the 

 habits of the western sandpiper on the coast of Washington : 



This is one of tbe small sandpipers of this region that will be found common 

 at the time of the migration periods along the ocean beaches and on the tide 

 flats. It occurs in flocks of varying sizes, some of which contain an exceed- 

 ingly large number of birds. At times if care is used one can approach a 

 flock quite closely, often within 15 or 20 feet, and it is of interest to watch 

 the actions of the individuals. They are active birds, being constantly on the 

 move as they feed, and while thus engaged keep up a continual conversation, 

 as it were, this being of the nature of a soft, rolling whistle which is pleasant to 

 hear. These sandpipers seem to prefer to feed at or near the waters edge, 

 particularly where there is an ebb and flow, being very active in following up 

 the water as it recedes and equally so in avoiding its incoming, but always at 

 the very edge as it were. They secure their food by a skimming like movement 

 of the bill over the surface of the mud that has just been covered by the 

 water, and as the birds advance or retreat in following the flow it is quite 

 amusing to observe the seeming pains taken to avoid coming into contact 

 with it. And still at times individuals may be seen in some of the very 

 shallow spots. It is a fine sight to see a flock of these sandpipers suddenly 

 take alarm as they are feeding ; all quickly spring into the air as if moved by the 

 same impulse at exactly the same moment, and then form a compact body 

 that will execute a variety of evolutions in perfect harmony. The flock will 

 rise and fall and wheel and turn, and at times may split into several smaller 

 ones, these to again reunite, and should one happen to stand where the light 

 falls directly on the birds the white of their underparts as they turn is very 

 striking. These actions may be repeated a number of times, and then without 

 warning the flock of birds will alight and quickly scatter in search of food. 

 Scenes like this are what give an enlightenment to the waste places and fortu- 

 nately, under the protection now afforded the species, are likely to continue to be 

 enacted in the future. But large as the numbers of the western sandpiper 

 still appear to be, they are not comparable to those of fifteen or twenty years 

 ago, and the cause of this decrease in their numbers is the same old story. 

 It seems hardly possible that a bird so small could have been regarded as game 

 and its hunting come under the name of sport, but such was the case and it 

 brought about the logical result. One may be thankful, however, that this no 

 longer can be done, and hope that the lapse of time may bring about somewhat 

 of an increase in the number of these birds. 



Voice. — John T. Nichols contributes the following on the calls of 

 this species : 



The most common loud call of the western sandpiper has the ee sound found 

 in the ki-eep of the least sandpiper, a plaintive quality as in the voice of the 

 sanderling, and suggests somewhat the squawk of a young robin. It is variable 

 and may be written chee-rp, cheep, or chir-eep. It seems to be the flight note 

 of the species, corresponding to the cherlc of the semipalmated sandpiper, and 

 is also used by a bird on the ground calling to others in the air which alight 



