° 1916 J Nichols and Harper, Long Island Shore Birds. 243 



probes into the mud with a rapid drilUng motion of its bill, which appar- 

 ently remains closed, though the tip, at least, must be opened beneath the 

 surface when a morsel is located. We have seen one squat in a skulking 

 attitude on the mud behind a short cat-tail stub, when it had been annoyed 

 by persistent stalking; and we have also seen birds wade into a little stream 

 and swim a foot or two to the other side. 



Though the Krieker is an unusually trustful snipe, it is well known, on 

 the other hand, for its lack of response to decoys. We were especially 

 pleased, therefore, with an experience we had at East Pond, Hicks Beach, 

 on September 30, 1911. It was near dusk when a band of eight or ten 

 small snipe appeared, flying low over the eastern end of the pool and head- 

 ing our way. The birds swung gracefully from side to side as they came on, 

 and having caught sight of our decoys, wheeled in over them. They had 

 scarcely passed by before they turned and dropped in, closely bunched, at 

 the edge of the mud-flat, 18 feet in front of us. There they stood daintily, 

 eyeing the occupants of the scanty blind with curiosity or wonder, as it 

 seemed, rather than with suspicion or alarm; but after some moments 

 they took wing and departed. 



The Krieker has two distinct notes — a short knk or chup, and a hoarse, 

 rolling whistle, k-r-r-r-u, k-r-r-r-u. 



The heavy streaks on its breast end in a rather abrupt line across the 

 body, and serve as a good field identification mark. These dark markings, 

 however, are of protective value when the Krieker's head is erect, for the 

 breast is then practically a part of the upper surface of the body, where 

 dark coloring is required to render the bird inconspicuous among its sur- 

 roundings. 



Pisobia fuscicollis. White-rumped Sandpiper; Bonaparte's Oxeye; 

 Big Oxeye. — Rare in spring. We find only the following records, all ex- 

 cept one within very recent years: June 10, 1882 (six, Mt. Sinai Harbor, 

 Helme); May 21, 1910 (two, Long Beach, LaDow); May 22, 1910 (six, 

 Freeport, Weber and Harper); May 21, 1911 (two, Oak Island, Harper); 

 May 28, 1911 (one. Long Beach, Griscom); May 30, 1911 (five collected 

 by J. A. Weber out of a flock of about 25 on Jamaica Bay); May 23-24, 

 1915 (fairly common at Gilgo Flats, Johnson, Rogers, Weber, and Har- 

 per). Fairly common fall migrant; usually present from the middle of 

 August to the middle of October, and noted as early as July 4 (Eaton) 

 and as late as November 4, 1912 (East Hampton, W. Helmuth). 



If one looks carefully through the large mixed flocks of snipe that resort 

 during the migrations to such favored feeding grounds as the Gilgo Flats 

 or the Oak Island pool, he will seldom fail to discover one or more White- 

 rumps among the others. Separate flocks of this species, consisting usually 

 of only a few individuals, are also observed. 



It feeds on the bare tidal flats, at the pools in the marshes, and on the 

 sands of the outer beach. In common with the smaller Oxeyes, it is unsus- 

 picious in disposition. It sometimes crouches on its tarsi when startled, 

 and is then extremely inconspicuous on the mud. We have seen it come 

 over stool, though ordinarily it does not respond to them. 



