1G0 On the Nest and Eggs of the Solitary Sandpiper. 



brown, and purplish grey. The average size of these four eggs 

 is 1*36 X "98 in.*, and they are very large for the size of 

 the bird. 



"Set II. Northern Alberta, June 9th, 1904. Four eggs 

 found in the nest of a Bronzed Grackle, built in a low tree; 

 these eggs were unfortunately lost 



" Set III. Northern Alberta, June 24th, 1904. Four eggs 

 found in the nest of a Cedar-Waxwing, which was built in a 

 small spruce-tree growing in a swamp, the nest being about 5 

 feet from the water. Mr. Thomson was fortunate in shooting 

 the parent bird as she Hew from the nest. Thus identification 

 is very complete, and establishes the fact once for all, that 

 the Solitary Sandpiper does not lay its eggs in a nest on the 

 ground like other Sandpipers, but takes possession of the 

 ii< st of other birds, built in trees, just the same as its Old- 

 W oriel representative the Green Sandpiper is known to do. 

 The ground-colour of this clutch is also pale greenish white, 

 and the eggs arc spotted with purplish brown, vandyke-brown, 

 and purplish grey, and average in size 1*36 x -99 in.f Thus 

 it will be seen [that] they average larger than eggs of the 

 Spotted Sandpiper, which measure about 1*34 x -90 in. Both 

 clutches, with the skin of the parent Solitary Sandpiper, 

 together with the nests, are now in my possession for the 

 inspection of ornithologists." 



Mr. Raine has kindly forwarded a photograph of the two 

 clutches side by side in the nests in which they were found. 

 1 le tells me that the eggs are pyriform in shape and very 

 handsome, excelling even those of the Yellowshank in beauty. 

 They bear a family likeness to eggs of the Green and Wood- 

 Sandpipers, as might be expected, but, like the birds them- 

 selves, the eggs are smaller than those of the two European 

 species mentioned. It is interesting to note that the late 

 Capt. Bendire, writing to Air. Poynting, expressed his opinion 

 that possibly, like T. ochro/jus, T. solitarius nested in trees, 

 and that this might partly account for the eggs having 

 hitherto escaped observation. 



* Or, in millimetres, 34*6x25. 

 t 34-6 x -25-2 mm. 



