254 Nichols and Harper, Long Island Shore Birds. [jyiy 



The Ringneck's ordinary flight-note or call-note is a sweet and mellow 

 whistle, tyoo-eep'. It is given repeatedly by birds on the wing, but those 

 on the ground are generally silent when not disturbed. From hearing this 

 whistle while spending the night on the marshes, we siu-mise that the 

 l)irds are more or less active during the hours of darkness. Another and 

 rougher note seems to signify excitement or suspicion; it is usually uttered 

 singly, but sometimes a bird standing on the ground will give a rapid 

 descendo series of these questioning notes, kewp-kewp-kewp-kewp, etc., the 

 last few almost running together. 



Explanation or Plates. 



Plate VII. 



Fig. 1. Blind and decoys at a pool on the outer beach — the Sander- 

 ling's haunt. Long Beach, L. I. September 19, 1909. (F. H.) 



Fig. 2. Sanderling tracks. Fire Island Inlet, L. I. May 29, 1911. 

 (F. H.) 



Fig. 3. Sanderlings on the outer beach. Mastic, L. I. September 15, 

 1913. (J. T. N.) 



Fig. 4. Sanderling on the inner beach. (Note the bill open only at the 

 tip.) Short Beach, L. I. August 14, 1910. (F. H.) 



Plate VIII. 



Figs. 1, 2. Northern Phalarope. Long Cove, Great South Bay, L. I. 

 April 2, 1911. (Photographed by Frank Overton, M. D.) 



Fig. 3. Dowitcher and Oxeye. Mastic, L. I. August 17, 1913. (J. 



T.N.) 



Plate IX. 



Fig. 1. Snipe blind and decoys at a pool on the salt marshes. Freeport, 

 L. I. May 15, 1910. (F. H.) 



Fig. 2. White-rumped Sandpiper. East Pond, Hicks Beach, L. I. 

 October 22, 1911. (J. T. N.) 



Fig. 3. Pectoral Sandpiper. Mastic, L. I. August 24, 1912. (J. T. 

 N.) 



Fig. 4. Least Sandpipers in concealing postures; one bird squatting. 

 Mastic, L. I. September 1, 1912. (F. H.) 



Plate X. 



Fig. 1. Semipalmated Sandpipers. Jones Beach, L. I. May 25, 1913. 

 (J. T. N.) 



