Vol 'i9ii XV ] Bowles, The Limicolce of Washington. 329 



on the tide flats opposite town. There were about twenty individuals, in 

 small bunches of three to six, associated with other sandpipers. When 

 flushed they invariably travelled together. In the middle of February the 

 year previous there were none of these birds about at this point, nor on 

 November 22 to 28 of 1916. Lien records another specimen, a male, col- 

 lected in Jefferson County on the ocean shore on January 8, 1917. 



Pisobia maculata. Pectoral Sandpiper. — A tolerably regular and 

 sometimes common fall migrant to the tideflats and freshwater marshes in 

 the vicinity of Tacoma. I have no spring records. The earliest record 

 is of one taken August 30, 1913, the latest one taken September 29, 1896. 

 I have never seen them associating with the other sandpipers, always seem- 

 ing to keep by themselves, but I have several times flushed this species and 

 the Wilson's Snipe only a few feet apart in the same marsh. However, I 

 am inclined to think that this was accident rather than design of the birds. 



Pisobia bairdi. Baird's Sandpiper. — The only records that I have 

 for this species were made by Mr. Stanton Warburton, Jr., and myself 

 during the fall of 1916 on the Tacoma Flats. The first specimen taken 

 was a female on July 26, from which date they were to be found at 

 almost any time up to September 5, when the last was collected. They 

 , were found in singles, pairs, or trios, most often associating with the Semi- 

 palmated Plover {Mgialiiis semipalmata) when any were to be found. 

 When flying with a company of the other small sandpipers they would 

 separate as soon as the flock alighted to feed, the Baird's going to com- 

 paratively dry ground for their food while the others waded about in the 

 water and at the water's edge. They could not have been called common, 

 but from one to three or four were to be found on almost any day. 



Pisobia minutilla. Least Sandpiper. — Although possibly not as 

 abundant in the aggregate as the Western Sandpipers this tiny bird is the 

 most often and most regularly found of all the Limicolse. They make their 

 flrst appearance during the first week of July, remaining well on towards the 

 latter part of September. I have collected only a few of them, as it seemed 

 a useless waste of life to take many specimens. Their tameness makes 

 close approach to within a few feet easy, when then yellow-green legs at 

 once distinguish them from the black-legged Western Sandpipers, the only 

 species with which they can be confused. Earliest spring record, April 29, 

 1917, on the Tacoma Flats by S. Warburton, Jr. 



Pelidna alpina sakhalina. Red-backed Sandpiper. — These birds 

 are among the last of the Limicolse to arrive in the fall migration, often 

 reaching Washington after many of the other species have left for the south. 

 They make up for it, however, by staying with us all winter and late into 

 the spring. On the Nisqually Flats I have seen them in flocks of hundreds 

 when the marsh was a solid pack of snow and ice, the ris'e and fall of the tide 

 making sufficient feeding grounds to keep them fat and strong. The earli- 

 est record, September 26, the latest being Mr. Gamble's remarkable shore- 

 bird flight of May 11, 1913, when they were plentiful. 



Ereunetes mauri. Western Sandpiper. — In total numbers this 



