BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY. 1 87 



The Upland Plover is certainly the aristocrat of its class and the gunner 

 marks the day on which he succeeds in shooting one of them. They are 

 extremely shy, and generally manage to keep out of sight in the open pastures 

 which they frequent. They are fast runners, and one is fortunate to see them 

 on the ground. They are particularly fond of the high hills covered with open 

 pastures close to the sea, and I have found them here when other hills appar- 

 ently equally favorable a few miles back may be explored for them in vain. 

 They occasionally alight in the upper parts of the salt marsh among the " black- 

 grass," and I once saw one drop for a few moments onto the beach, but this 

 was certainly very exceptional. 



In alighting, they often stretch their wings straight up over the back, and 

 then fold them carefully. Then they extend their heads cautiously above the 

 grass, and look about them before beginning to feed. Notwithstanding their 

 shyness of man, I have known them to show no alarm at the report of a gun. 



Their call note is very characteristic and is frequently sounded as they fly 

 over. I have also heard it in the night. It is a liquid bleating or bubbling note, 

 sweet yet mournful and suggestive somewhat of a tree-toad rather than a bird. 

 Hardly a day goes by during the first part of August when this call may not be 

 heard from my house at Ipswich, and the birds seen with characteristic flickering 

 flight. The flight is often at a great height and the call seems to come from 

 the depths of the sky. Occasionally the call is harsher, as when the bird is sud- 

 denly disturbed. By these points, particularly the call notes, the bird can be 

 recognized. Other points I have noted are the absence of a white line on the 

 wings, dark rump, and barred whitish outer tail feathers. 



119 [262] Tryngites subruficollis (Vieill.). 

 Buff-breasted Sandpiper ; " Hill Grass-bird." 



Rare transient visitor ; July 28 to September 10. 



This is a bird of the' interior of the continent, but a few stray to the east- 

 ern coast. Two or three are shot nearly every autumn at Ipswich. I have no 

 spring records. There are three specimens in the collection of the Boston 

 Society of Natural History, and four in that of the Peabody Academy, all from 

 Ipswich. I have three specimens from that locality. Mr. W. A. Jeffries took 

 two in Swampscott in August, 1876. 



The Buff-breasted Sandpiper frequents the hills as its local name would 

 imply, although it is said occasionally to visit the marsh and I have known of 



