SPOTTED SANDPIPER 89 



primaries pointing well backward like wings are trimmed as birds cut down 

 from some height to alight. The wing-beats were slow and even but not 

 labored, and progress was uniform and not at all hurried. 



In addition to the anomalous behavior of the spotted sandpiper in 

 and under the water, the bird shows a further departure from the 

 regular habits of the other shore birds in its ability and frequent 

 tendency to perch on small supports which requires a grasping power 

 in the feet to hold the bird in place. M}^ notes supply an extreme 

 instance of this habit, noting the action of an adult bird (exer- 

 cised, to be sure, over the safety of its young) which alighted on a 

 slender wire running between poles and stood crouched a little and 

 leaning forward, but keeping its balance by securely gripping the 

 wire. 



The literature furnishes one other record of grasping a wire. 

 L. L. Snyder (1924) reports thus: 



On June 25, 1923, at Orient Bay, Lake Nipigou, Ontario, the writer ob- 

 served a spotted standpiper perching on a telegraph wire. The fact that 

 the species was perching was not surprising but the size of the perch made 

 the observation of interest. The bird was not in an erect position, being 

 squatted, which probably made the feat less difficult. In this case the act 

 was entirely voluntary and not an instance of unusual conduct due to the 

 pressure of an emergency. 



Other quotations, showing the bird acting in unsandpiper-like 

 behavior follow. Mousley (1915) says: 



On one occasion only have I seen a very excited parent bird vvith young 

 alight on a cat-tail head, and very out of place and uncomfortable it seemed 

 to be. 



H. H. Cleaves (1908) says: 



We were returning along a rather unused railroad when, in an area to 

 one side, which was flooded for the most part with a number of inches of 

 water, we noticed a spotted sandpiper flying about in circles and acting 

 peculiarly. We had all come to the conclusion that her young were about 

 somewhere, when she did a most peculiar thing. The wet area in question 

 was covered with considerable underbrush, out of which grew rather tall, 

 second-growth timber. The sandpiper alighted on the tops of some of these 

 trees, on the small twigs, and remained balancing there for some time, fully 

 25 or 30 feet from the ground. This performance she repeated several times, 

 making her appear for all the world like a perching bird. 



P. A. Taverner (1919) says: 



Common all along the river [Red Deer River, Alberta] and breeding every- 

 where. One bird on being flushed from her eggs flew into adjoining bushes 

 and climbed about them in a most unwaderlike style while complaining at our 

 intrusion. 



J. T. Nichols points out in his notes that the foot of the spotted 

 sandpiper is adapted to its peculiar habits; that the bird is able 



