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A ME RICA N ORNI THOLOGY. 



SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 



-A. O. \/.Mo. 263 



(Aclitij macutari'a.) 



RANGE. 



The entire North America. They winter in the southern states and 

 in Central and South America. They breed throughout temperate Amer- 

 ica, more abundantly in the central and eastern parts. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 7.5 in.; extent, 13.5 in.; tail, 2 in. Bill and feet, flesh color, 

 the former being tipped with black. Eye, brown. Head, neck and back, 

 olive brown, slightly glossed. Head and neck stretched longitudinally, 

 and the back and rump crossed with wavy black lines. Throat, breast 

 and under parts white, spotted with dark brown. The wing coverts like 

 the back; primaries brown with a spot of white on the basal portion, 

 which shows only when in flight; secondaries edged with white. The 

 outer tail feathers barred with white. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



The Spotted Sandpiper breeds during the latter part of May and early 

 June. You may look for their nests in the grass just above high water 

 mark along the sea coast, or near the edge of ponds or pools, and in the 

 grass bordering on some cultivated field. The nest is formed of a few 

 grasses. The three or four eggs are of a buff color spotted and blotched 

 with reddish brown and black. 



NEST OF SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 



