EREUNETES PUSILLUS I SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. 213 



An abundant spring and autumn migrant, along the 

 coast, thronging the beaches at those seasons in flocks 

 numbering hundreds and even thousands. The usual 

 periods of the passage are April and September ; but it 

 appears in August, and a few individuals are to be seen 

 during the summer. Though this does not prove that 

 it breeds with us, there is some additional evidence that 

 it occasionally does so. Thus Mr. 

 Merriam notes the egg of a Sand- 

 piper, believed by Dr. Brewer to be 

 this species, taken at Bradford, Conn., 

 July 20, 1877, by Mr. Walter R. Nich- 

 ols (Rev. B. Conn., 1877, p. 105). 



In general habits, this species F IG - 48. FOOT OK 



EREUNETES PUSILLUS. 



closely resembles Tringa minutilla, Natural size - 

 and the two are often found flocking together. 



A very large series of the eggs of Ereunetes shows 

 the variations probably always observable when great 

 numbers of any limicoline wader's eggs are examined. 

 Some of them are nearly like the Buff-breasted Sand- 

 piper's eggs described beyond, and such appears to 

 be the normal pattern. Others, however, are quite dif- 

 ferent. One variation affects the ground-color, which, 

 instead of being clay colored (very pale grayish or 

 greenish-drab), is decidedly olivaceous ; and in these 

 eggs the markings are correspondingly heavy, rather 

 umber-brown than chocolate. In another decided 

 variety the markings, instead of being bold blotching, 

 massed at the large end, are exceedingly fine dotting, 

 uniform over the whole egg, drawn like a veil, as it 

 were, over the ground, giving the predominant com- 

 plexion to the egg. The following are several measure- 

 ments : 1.22 by 0.84; 1.25 by 0.83 ; 1.20 by 0.85. The 



