SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 663 



but the Sandpiper had again resumed her place, and left 

 it with great reluctance on my near approach. The nest 

 contained four eggs, which I determined to remove on my 

 return at night, and for the purpose of preventing the bird 

 sitting again upon them, I placed a number of stones in a 

 slanting position over the nest, and so close that it was 

 impossible for the bird to get into it. On my return in 

 the evening, however, I observed the little creature rise 

 from beside the stones, apparently in greater trepidation 

 than ever, and more anxious to draw me away by the 

 exhibition of all those little arts which they practise for 

 this purpose. On examining the spot I was very much 

 surprised to find that the poor thing had not only hollowed 

 out a new nest, but had actually succeeded in abstracting 

 two eggs from the other nest. How the bird had con- 

 trived to remove the eggs I cannot conceive, as the stones 

 remained unaltered. This attachment to its nest and eggs 

 appeared to me more singular as the bird had but just 

 commenced incubation, the eggs exhibiting very little ap- 

 pearance of the young.' " 



Two eggs of the Spotted Sandpiper, given me by Mr. 

 Audubon, very closely resemble those of our Common Sand- 

 piper, being about one inch four lines long, by one inch in 

 width ; of a pale reddish white, spotted and speckled with 

 ash grey, and two shades of reddish brown. 



This bird is smaller than our Common Sandpiper, but so 

 like it in the general colour and markings of the plumage 

 on the upper surface of the body, that the distinctions 

 only need be noticed. The beak is shorter and paler in 

 colour, both at the point and at the base ; the dark streak 

 on the feathers of the back seems more confined to the 

 transverse direction, and is not so often conspicuous down 

 the line of the shaft of the feather; the secondaries are 

 tipped with white, as in the Common Sandpiper, but the 



