174 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



On August 27th, 1898, at Ipswich, my brother and I saw a single bird fly- 

 ing over the beach that looked like a large Peep. We both noticed its size and 

 my brother brought it down. It proved to be a Baird's Sandpiper. Another 

 specimen was shot among a flock of Peep, by Mr. T. S. Bradlee in a pond-hole 

 of the marsh at Eagle Hill, on July 28th, 1902. The specimen is in his collec- 

 tion. On August 30th, 1904, Mr. C. W. Loud shot three immature birds of 

 this species at the lagoon or stagnant pool just back of Ipswich Beach. Two 

 of these are in my collection, the third is in that of Dr. A. L. Reagh, kindly 

 presented to us by Mr. Loud. On September 15th, 1904, in a violent down- 

 pour of rain, I found and secured a single bird of this species on Ipswich Beach. 

 His note, which I heard several times, seemed to me exactly like that of the 

 Semipalmated Sandpiper, a rather shrill trilling whistle. Still another record 

 can be given for the Baird's Sandpiper, a specimen of which I found among 

 some shore birds shot at Ipswich on October 1st, 1904, by Mr. J. H. Kimball. 



The Baird's Sandpiper is only a little larger than the Semipalmated species, 

 but can be distinguished from it in life by its darker breast. From the Bona- 

 parte's Sandpiper, it is distinguished by its black instead of white rump, and 

 from the Dunlin by its straight instead of curved bill. 



105 [242] Actodromas minutilla (Vieill.). 

 Least Sandpiper; "Peep"; "Mud-peep." 



Abundant transient visitor ; May 5 to June 7 ; (summer) ; July 6 to 

 September 13 (October 13). 



This little bird is hardly gone in the spring before he reappears again. 

 Indeed, there is but a scant month from June 7th to July 6th when he is away, 

 and during this time two or three birds, supposedly immature or barren, may 

 often be found. Can the bird have reached the arctic regions, laid the eggs, and 

 reared the young in this time ? One must suppose that the early migrants in 

 the spring are the early ones to return in the fall, but this gives only two months 

 for this important process. There are too many migrants early in July to put 

 them down as mere stragglers or birds that have been spending the summer 

 along the coast. Thus, on July 10th, 1904, I counted all the Peep that I saw 

 from 5.30 to 1 1.30 a. m. in the marshes at Ipswich and they amounted to twenty- 

 seven. Nearly all flew by me going south, singly and in small bunches up to 

 twelve. In the autumn, they are generally all gone by the end of the first week 

 in September, not tarrying so late as the Semipalmated Sandpiper. Occasion- 



