21o Moore, Least Scmdpiper in the Magdalen Islands. [April 



on the ground, I gradually moved my hand through the short grass. 

 Each time she rose from the eggs, the hand halted and waited for 

 her to drop again. Sometimes I feinted with the other hand to 

 draw her attention. As the hand got nearer, her breathing became 

 heavier and the breast feathers palpitated visibly. At length my 

 first finger touched her neck and she raised slightly only to sink 

 again, when it stroked her. A minute later her neck was almost 

 surrounded and she resented the uncomfortable feeling only by 

 hunching upwards. Then, just as the fingers were about to close, 

 she slipped out from under and was free. Keeping my hand 

 circled about the nest I waited. Almost instantly she returned and 

 crept under my hand. I closed the fingers and lifted her for 

 examination. She endured it patiently and, when I let her go, 

 flew but a short distance, straightened out the ruffled feathers, 

 and in three minutes was back on the nest ! 



In the midst of this operation one egg hatched before my eyes. 

 It broke open violently, as if by explosion, the two sections shooting 

 to opposite sides of the nest and the new youngster burst valiantly 

 into the world. Immediately the wet wings began to strike out 

 vigorously and tossed the smaller section of the shell out of the nest. 

 The mother was manifestly perturbed about her new baby, plainly 

 concerned at my presence on such an important occasion. She 

 rushed up to the nest, hesitated uneasily, constantly uttering 

 solicitous call-notes (Call record Nos. 4, 5 and 6), and finally 

 brooded. Entering she stepped right on the head and neck of 

 the precious new-born, just as she had trod on the eggs previously. 

 Perhaps she would not have been guilty of this flagrant misconduct, 

 if my presence had not embarrassed her. At this moment I left her 

 and, when I returned, found her walking about some feet from the 

 nest. Both sections of shell had disappeared and could not be 

 found, though I searched long. Two days later the nest was empty, 

 the young undiscoverable, but the wee parent was still walking 

 about as tame as ever. x\gain I almost caught her, getting my 

 hand within six inches of her. Whenever I started the impercepti- 

 ble stalking motion, she always acted as if mesmerized and the 

 recovery from the state of seeming paralysis was announced by 

 tremulous call-notes. 



The field bird, whose nest was discovered by Mr. Baily June 25 



