THE PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 



lORE than a score of Sand- 

 pipers are described in 

 the various works on 

 ornithology. The one 

 presented here, how- 

 ever, is perhaps the most curious speci- 

 men, distributed throughout North, 

 Central, and South America, breeding 

 in the Arctic regions. It is also of 

 frequent occurrence in Europe. Low, 

 wet lands, muddy flats, and the edges 

 of shallow pools of water are its favorite 

 resorts. The birds move in flocks, but, 

 while feeding, scatter as they move 

 about, picking and probing here and 

 there for their food, which consists of 

 worms, insects, small shell fish, tender 

 rootlets, and birds ; " but at the report 

 of a gun," says Cob Goss, "or any 

 sudden fright, spring into the air, 

 utter a low whistling note, quickly 

 bunch together, flying swift and strong, 

 usually in a zigzag manner, and when 

 not much hunted often circle and drop 

 back within shot; for they are not 

 naturally a timid or suspicious bird, 

 and when quietly and slowly 

 approached, sometimes try to hide by 

 squatting close to the ground." 



Of the Pectoral Sandpiper's nesting 

 habits, little has been known until 

 recently. From Mr. Nelson's interest- 

 ing description, in his report upon 

 " Natural History Collections in 

 Alaska," we quote as follows : " The 

 night of May 24, 1 889, I lay wrapped 

 in my blanket, and from the raised 

 flap of the tent looked out over as 

 dreary a cloud-covered landscape as 

 can be imagined. As my eyelids 

 began to droop and the scene to become 

 indistinct, suddenly a low, hollow, 

 booming note struck my ear and sent 



my thoughts back to a spring morning 

 in northern Illinois, and to the loud 

 vibrating tones of the Prairie Chickens. 

 [See Birds and All Nature, Vol. 

 IV, p. 18.] Again the sound arose, 

 nearer and more distinct, and with an 

 effort I brought myself back to the 

 reality of my position, and, resting 

 upon one elbow, listened. A few 

 seconds passed, and again arose the 

 note ; a moment later I stood outside 

 the tent. The open flat extended away 

 on all sides, with apparently not a liv- 

 ing creature near. Once again the 

 note was repeated close by, and a 

 glance revealed its author. Standing 

 in the thin grass ten or fifteen yards 

 from me, with its throat inflated until 

 it was as large as the rest of the bird, 

 was a male Pectoral Sandpiper. The 

 succeeding days afforded opportunity 

 to observe the bird as it uttered its 

 singular notes, under a variety of 

 situations, and at various hours of the 

 day, or during the light Arctic night. 

 The note is deep, hollow, and resonant, 

 but at the same time liquid and 

 musical, and may be represented by a 

 repetition of the syllables too-it^ too-ii^ 

 1 00-11^ too-ii^ too-uy The bird may 

 frequently be seen running along the 

 ground close to the female, its enormous 

 sac inflated. 



Mr. Murdock says the birds breed 

 in abundance at Point Barrow, Alaska, 

 and that the nest is always built in 

 the grass, with a preference for high 

 and dry localities. The nest was like 

 that of the other waders, a depression 

 in the ground, lined with a little dry 

 grass. The eggs are four, of pale 

 purplish-gray and light neutral tint. 

 It is sometimes called Grass Snipe. 



114 



