1 68 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



98 [232] Macrorhamphus scolopaceus (Say). 

 Long-billed Dowitcher ; Western Dowitcher. 



Accidental visitor from the west. 



The female of the preceding species {M. griscus) has a longer bill and is 

 of larger size than the male and is therefore sometimes mistaken for this bird. 

 There are two specimens of scolopaceus in the Peabody Academy collection, one, 

 sex not given, taken by E. A. Smith, at Ipswich, in 1871, the other a female 

 taken at Salem, on October 14th, 1876. Both of these were kindly identified 

 by Mr. William Brewster. In both, the bills measured 2.85 inches. I have a 

 young male in my collection with a bill 2.50 inches long, shot in the Newbury- 

 port marshes on September 20th, 1904. 



99 [^33] Micropalama himantopus (Bonap.). 

 Stilt Sandpiper ; " Bastard Yellow-leg." 



Irregular, and at times not uncommon transient visitor ; July 22 to Septem- 

 ber 16. 



After collecting over a dozen records of this bird under the impression that 

 it was a very rare or even accidental visitor, I have concluded that it should be 

 put among the not uncommon migrants. 



Dr. Brewer,^ in 1878, collected a considerable number of records for the 

 Stilt Sandpiper at Swampscott, Ipswich, and Salem, and he speaks of " a very 

 remarkable flight of this bird, during which nearly two hundred individuals 

 had been secured by members of the Phillips family." This was about the year 

 i860, at Swampscott. 



R. L. Newcomb ^ says of this bird : " As with all birds, there may be years 

 when they are without apparent cause scarcer than usual, yet about every season 

 when shooting shore birds I have taken them. I know of eight shot at a single 

 discharge at Eagle Hill, Ipswich." 



In August, 1902, a flock of about 25 came in to one of the mud sloughs at 

 Eagle Hill and nearly all were shot. They were very tame and many were shot 



'T. M. Brewer: Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist , vol. ig, p. 252, 1S78. 

 ' R. L. Newcomb: Forest and Stream, vol. 22, p. 483, 1884. 



