The Oologist. 



Vol. XXI. No. 10. 



Albion, N. Y., Oct., 1904. 



Whole Xo. 207 



The Oulocist. 



A Monthly I'liblieation Devoted to 

 OOLOfJY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXI- 

 DEI! MY. 

 FRANK H. LATTIN, Publisher, 

 ALBION, N. Y. 

 ERNEST H, SHORT, Editor and Manager. 



Correspondenoe and iteius of interest to tlio 

 stndent of Birds, tlieir Nests and Eg^'s-, solicited 

 from all. 



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ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and .Mauago-, 

 Chili, Monroe Co.. N. Y. 



Discovery of the Eggs of Solitary Sand- 

 piper. 



Walter Raine, Torijnto, Canada, 



At last the long-sought for egg of 

 the Solitary Sandpiper has been found, 

 and it affords one considerable pleasure 



to be the first ornithologist to record 

 its nesting haoits, which are unique 

 among North American birds, for I 

 have positive proof that the species lays 

 its eggs in the nests of other birds, 

 thi3 being one of the most important 

 discoveries in recent years in regard to 

 the niditicdtion of any American bird. 



In "Nests an I Eggs of British Birds 

 n ».i-Indige:i )us ' the author, Mr. 

 Chas, Dixon' says of this species, "In- 

 crediulj as it may seem the nest and 

 eggs still remain unknown to science, 

 for i^ is impossible to accept the 

 description of the latter given by the 

 late Dr. Brciver without authentication. 

 Here can be little doubt that this spe- 

 cies lays its eggs in the deserted nests' 

 of other birds in low treee like its old 

 world representative, the Green Sand- 

 piper, is known to do. Search should 

 be made in such places in the summer 

 hau Its of this species." 



I am aware that other ornithologists 

 have previously recorded what were 

 supposeti to be the eggs of Solitary 

 Sandpiper hut these records are far from 

 being satisfactory and mostly conject- 

 ure. For instance the above record of 

 which Mr. Chas. Dixon says "it is im- 

 possible to accept the description of 

 this egg given by the late Dr. Brewer 

 without authentication." The egg 

 recorded by Dr. Brewer found in V^er- 

 mont in 1878 according to Dr. Brewers' 

 own description was without doubt 

 only an egg of the Piping Plover, the 

 nest being found on the ground, a site 

 not selected by the Solitary Sandpiper. 



Another supposed nestof this species 

 was recorded by Dr. Clarke of Kings- 

 ton, Ontario, in the Auk for October, 



