53 



Rare summer resident but not uncommon in the spring and 

 fall. Earliest arrival May 8 ; departs in October. Raises 

 one brood. Eggs 4, clay-colored, thickly spotted with dark 

 brown. Nest of a few stalks of grass, and leaves, in a slight 

 hollow on the ground, usually in an open meadow. Eggs laid 

 the first of June. Feeds on insects and seeds. Notes loud 

 and shrill ; sometimes written qiiip-ip-ip, quip-ip-ip. 



35. Actitis macularia (Linn.). 



SPOTTED SANDPIPER. TIP-UP. 



Above, ashy-olive, finely varied -with black; beneath, white, in the adults 

 thickly spotted with blackish; feet, flesh color or yellow. Length, 7-8 

 inches. 



Common summer resident. Earliest arrival April 29 ; 

 departs in September. Raises 1 brood. Eggs 4, buff or clay- 

 colored, spotted with brown. Nest in a slight hollow on the 

 ground, of a few leaves and grasses. Eggs laid the last of 

 May. Feeds on insects, mollusks, seeds, etc. Note a loud 

 peet-weet, often repeated. 



36. Numenius hudsonicus Lath. 



HUDSONIAN CURLEW. 



Above, grayish brown with white spots; rump and tail, barred with, 

 buffy and blackish ; under parts, pale buffy streaKcd with blackish. Length, 

 17 inches. 



Accidental visitor. One instance, a specimen taken at 

 Northampton ; now in Springfield {fide Morris) . 



37. Aegialitis vocifera (Linn.). 

 KILDEER PLOVER. 



Above, grayish-brown; rump, chestnut; forehead, neck-collar and under- 

 parts, white; band above forehead, neckcollar and crescent on throat 

 black. Length, 9-10 inches. 



Rare and very irregular visitor. 



