JOURNAL OF INIAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL .SOCIKTY. 71 



bird on June jtli, I noticed a Sandpiper fly np in a peculiar manner 

 from a patch of salt ji^rass near the ])ank of a creek. The .spot was 

 surrounded by old, dry, salt grass, and drift material was plentiful. 

 It struck me as being a good place for a Sandpiper's nest. I with- 

 drew a short distance, whereupon the Sandpiper worked back toward 

 the place from which she had flown a short time before. After dart- 

 ing here and there with remarkable swiftness over bare spots in the 

 meadow, she disappeared in the grass. I allowed her time enough 

 to reach the nest (if there were one) and then ran in a direction 

 which I thought would be correct, in order to flush the bird. The 

 results were gratifying. The Sandpiper flew up, fluttered off a 

 short distance and alighted where she could watch me. I had little 

 difhculty in locating the nest, which was but a yard or two ahead. 

 It was a substantial structure for a Sandpiper's nest, being made of 

 short grasses, which were arranged in a depression in the ground. 

 It contained four eggs, which is the full complement. 



Near the spot where the nest was located runs a salt creek. 

 The stream flows through a quite extensive meadow, which is bor- 

 dered on all sides by trees. The meadows have been spoiled to a 

 certain extent by drainage ditches, which were dug with a purpose 

 to exterminate the mosquito. The result is that places where water 

 used to stand are now unsightly, barren spots, covered with curled- 

 up mud flakes. I took note that the Sandpiper, in maneuvering to 

 return to the nest, would often follow^ around the edge of one of 

 these bare patches, and not infrequently run up to the top of some 

 hummock to survey the surroundings. 



This suggested a scheme whereby I could take her picture. I 

 proceeded to remove all of these hummocks, so that the whole space 

 was level. Then I arranged a heap of gradually sloping sods which 

 had been cut from the meadow in the draining process near one 

 edge of the open area, and directly in the imaginary path of the 

 Sandpiper, in such a manner that she would be tempted to run to 

 the top of it before proceeding toward the nest. Then I placed my 

 camera in the grass that grew near by, focussed on the top of the 

 inclined, artificial platform and covered the camera with sods and 



