18 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 
The presence of the latter subspecies, heretofore considered a bird of 
the Northwest and straying only occasionally to the Atlantic coast, was 
another of Sable Island’s surprises. They are outnumbered by the Semi- 
palmated Plovers perhaps a hundred fold, but they are moderately 
abundant. They lay their eggs in hollows made in the sand, without any 
attempt ata nest. The eggs are like those of the ordinary Piping Plover 
(which bird I did not find on the island), finely speckled on a light 
ground, and quite unlike the eggs of the Semipalmated Plover, which are 
heavily spotted on a dark ground. The birds themselves, including the 
females, had the neck-ring of black complete and conspicuous. The 
question of distribution raised by these facts is an interesting one. 
Another unexpected species found on Sable Island was the Least Sand- 
piper, although Dr. Gilpin mentions it back in 1858. Recent observers 
have found it breeding in Labrador, and doubtfully refer it to Newfound- 
land and the Magdalen Islands. On Sable Island it abounds, though 
far less abundant than the Semipalmated Plover, and unlike the latter 
confines itself to the turfy stretches adjacent to the inland ponds. This 
is another water-bird whose love song has never been mentioned by those 
who seem to have been well acquainted with the species in its northern 
haunts. This is all the more surprising, inasmuch as the song is striking 
— quite musical in fact, and more metallic than that of the Semipalmated 
Plover, which, however, it resembles in monotonous repetition. It, too, 
is delivered on the wing, but the flight of the little Sandpiper is quite 
different. He poises often high in air with a series of rapid flaps of 
the wings, followed by a soaring forward (never in circles) while the 
wings are stiffly set for a few moments. The flight of the Meadowlark, 
or of the Spotted Sandpiper, is suggested. Meanwhile the song, consisting 
of two rapidly repeated syllables, the inflection rising, and the emphasis 
falling on the second, continues to vibrate in the air. The intonation 
is very like that of the spring note of the common toad, and the couplet 
t0d-Gr' is repeated one hundred and thirty times every minute. As _ the 
length of the whole performance is usually about ten minutes without 
any break, the monotony of such a song is very obvious, although it 
blended pleasantly with the harsh cries of the ever-present Terns and had 
a silvery tinkle about it when heard off in the drifting fog. At its close 
the performer would glide to the ground with the low, cheerful chuckle 
that is familiar to us during the migration, and perhaps scamper away with 
his mate along the margin of some sandy pool. The nest is placed in the 
dry turf where there is actually not enough grass to conceal a croquet- 
ball, and the males assist in incubating the eggs which are so extraordin- 
arily large for the size of the birds. They sit on the nests until fairly 
