164 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



of the upper parts tipped with small roundish white markings. Wing 4.85 

 to 5.12 ; culmen 0.96 ; tarsus 0.93. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, breeding in Arctic regions ; in winter 

 ranging southward to the eastern coast of Patagonia and Falkland Islands. 



County Records. — Cumberland ; transient, in autumn common, rare in 

 spring, appearing in July on its southward journey and found throughout 

 October, in spring found but twice. May 30, 1881 and May 29, 1881, (Brown, 

 C. B. P. p. 27). Knox; migrant, (Rackliff). Oxford ; (Smith, F. & S. 20, p. 

 66). Penobscot; taken at Bangor, October 23, 1881, (Merrill, B. N. 0. C. 7, 

 p. 191). Piscataquis; seen in 1900, (Ritchie). Washington; rare, (Board- 

 man) ; quite plenty in fall of 1904, (Clark). 



Along the coast the species occurs locally common as a 

 summer or autumn transient from late July to late November, 

 and occasionally inland at the same season. It rarely occurs 

 in spring in late May. They are found in small flocks along 

 the beaches or about small ponds inland. In the northern 

 home the nest is a mere depression in the earth, lined with a 

 little grass or leaves and four eggs are said to be usually laid. 



The eggs are described as olive brown, spotted with chestuut 

 brown and black, and averaging in size 1.37 x 0.94, (Davie). 

 They occur in small bands, either by themselves or associated 

 with allied species, feeding on the various insect and crustaceous 

 life of the shore, marsh and beach. They are rather tame and 

 when flushed fly only a short distance uttering a "tweet, tweet" 

 on flying and alighting. 



241. Actodromas bairdii Coues. Baird's Sandpiper. 



Plumage of summer adults : crown, back and scapulars spotted or streaked 

 in the former, with mixed brownish black and pale buff ; median upper tail 

 coverts fuscous with whitish margins ; outer tail feathers grayish, the inner 

 fuscous with whitish margins ; below white with buffy washing on breast 

 and fuscous spots and streaks ; white superciliary line. Plumage of winter 

 adults : buffy grayish brown above with faintish medial dusky streaks ; fea- 

 thers of upper tail coverts dusky with light buffy terminal borders ; below 

 white with strong buffy washings on sides of neck, sides of breast and chest. 

 Immature plumage: the back, scapulars and wing coverts with rounded 

 whitish tips to the feathers, otherwise not different from winter plumage. 

 Wing 4.60 to 4.95 ; culmen 0.94 ; tarsus 0.95. 



Geog. Dist. — Chiefly the interior of North America and the western por- 

 tions of South America south to Chili and Patagonia in winter ; breeding 



