52 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 51. 



Mr. C. J. Peck and myself spent most of the nights of May 

 28 and 29, 1904, in an open boat upon a New Jersey tide 

 creek. During the early night and even at midnight we heard 

 a strange whistle which some bird made as it flew across the 

 marsh. It was of course too dark to see the bird, but on the 

 following evening we heard a Spotted Sandpiper give the 

 same note. Is this nocturnal flight common with this species? 

 Has it anything to do with the breeding season? Is this bird 

 astir all night? I have found them sleeping during the day 

 and flying about at night. If they sleep at night do they sleep 

 standing in the water or where do they roost? Can not some 

 other bird student throw some more light upon this subject? 



We always associate the Spotted Sandpiper with the vi- 

 cinity of water. Whenever I think of them I imagine I can 

 hear water rushing about rocks or see before me an expanse 

 of mud flats. What was my surprise, therefore, when one 

 July morning I found one of them walking the railroad tracks. 

 To be sure it was near a trestle that spanned the creek, but 

 here was the bird walking back and forth upon the steel rail, 

 occasionally stopping and "teetering" in its customary way. 

 It was a young bird of the year, lacking the conspicuous spots 

 upon the breast. As it walked the rail the toes were turned 

 in and it was "pigeon-toed" to perfection. I soon found, how- 

 ever, that there was an object in its madness as I saw it several 

 times drop down to one of the ties and capture an unsuspect- 

 ing spider, which it devoured with apparent relish. 



Philadelphia. Pa., May, 1905. 



BIRD HORIZONS FROM RUSSELLVILLE, KY. 



BY G. C. EMBODY. 



March 19, 1904. 



Time, 2:30-5:30 P. M.; temp., 70°; clear; light south wind. 



Wilson Snipe, 3; Bob-white, 15; Turkey Vulture, 10; Red-bellied 

 Woodpecker, 2; Flicker, 10; Bronzed Grackle, 50; Vesper Sparrow, 

 20; Savanna Sparrow, 5; Leconte Sparrow, 1: White-crowned Spar- 

 row, 2; White-throated Sparrow, 10; Field Sparrow, 8; Slate-col- 

 ored Junco, 50; Song Sparrow, 12; Swamp Sparrow, 1; Cardinal, 



