SNIPES, SANDPIPERS 181 



common breeder, (Spinney). Somerset ; common summer resident, (Morrell). 

 Waldo; common summer resident, (Knight). Washington; abundant sum- 

 mer resident, (Boardman). York; common summer resident, (Adams). 



It is about May first when some day the cheery cry "peet- 

 weet, peet-weet" is heard as we pass along the river or pond 

 and the utterer of this call flies with rapid wing stroke close to 

 the water, leaving the shore and after describing a semi-circle 

 returning to it at another point. If followed up this process 

 is repeated until finally in disgust the bird takes a long flight 

 to some other place where it will not be disturbed. They run 

 along the shore pausing to bob their head and tail crying, 

 "peep" or "peep-weet", or are often seen on some log or point 

 projecting into the water likewise engaged in tipping and 

 tetering. 



About the middle of May the male may sometimes be seen 

 strutting around its would be wife, fluffed up as much as it can 

 and uttering a constant pleading, piping note. Then both 

 are ofi^ out and over the water with a "weet". Though the 

 nest is only a mere hollow lined with a little grass or occasion- 

 ally a quite well constructed affair of grass and leaves, it takes 

 considerable time to prepare this nest for the eggs. 



Both birds indulge in much wordy argument over the proper 

 place, though the site selected is always on the ground, either 

 in the grass, at the foot of some small bush or shrub or in a 

 similar spot not very far from the shore of some body of water 

 as a general rule, though very exceptionally I have found a 

 nest fully half a mile from water in a pasture. 



When the birds have agreed upon the nesting site both 

 male and female take turns in scuffling around and shaping 

 the slight hollow and bringing a little dried grass to the nest 

 all this "work" being subject to frequent interruptions, games 

 of tag, follow the leader and other frolics. Under such con- 

 ditions nest building often requires a week. Finally an egg 

 is laid and then one usually follows each day until the nest 

 contains four, all placed point inward. 



