CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 179 
XCV. TRYNGITES Casanis. 1856. 
262. Buff-breasted Sandpiper. 
Tryngites subruficolis (VIEILL.) Ripew. 1885. 
This is a migrant along the whole Atlantic coast and in the 
Gulf of St. Lawrence, as well as along the river itself. Although 
a rare migrant in Ontario its eggs have been taken near Dunville, 
Lake Erie, by Dr. Macallum. (Mc//wraith.) 
Seton-Thompson says it is a rare migrant in Manitoba and no 
specimens have been observed by the writer west of that province. 
On the Mackenzie, Bernard Ross reports this bird to be rare 
while on the Barren Grounds to the northeast Macfarline says it 
is common. 
Murdoch found it common at Point Barrow, while Nelson saw 
only a few specimens at the Yukon mouth. On the other hand 
Mr. Fannin reports it as tolerably common throughout British 
Columbia and also a resident. Mr. Brooks says it is a rare 
migrant in the Lower Fraser valley in the autumn. 
This species is common on the Arctic coast and on the Barren 
Grounds east of Horton River. Between the 26th June and the 
gth July upwards of twenty sets of eggs were secured, end there 
were four in every nest, which was a mere depression in the soil, 
scantily lined with a few withered leaves and dried grasses. 
When the nest was approached the female usually made a low 
flight to a short distance. (Macfarline.) This is an abundant 
summer resident at Point Barrow, and was more plentiful in the 
season of 1883 than it was the year before. They arrived in both 
seasons in a body about the same time (June 6th to 8th), and 
were first seen on the dry banks below the village feeding 
greedily on the flies and beetles which were out sunning them- 
selves. By the middle of June they had spread pretty well over 
the dryer parts of the tundra, but always confined themselves to 
high and dry banks, or what we called the black tundra. The 
eggs as might be inferred from their colours, are laid in the latter 
locality, as a rule, where they harmonize very well with the black 
and white ground and moss. Like the rest of the waders this 
bird builds no nest but deposits the four eggs small end down in 
a shallow depression in the ground lined with moss. Four is the 
usual number of eggs in a complete set, though we collected one 
set with five. (Murdoch.) 
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