SPECIES 3. TRINGA MACVLARM. 

 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 



[Plate LIX. Fig. 1.] 



Arct. Zool.p. 473, JVo. 385. La Grived'eau, BUFF, vm, 140. 

 EDW. 277. PEALE-S Museum, No. 4056.* 



THIS very common species arrives in Pennsylvania about 

 the twentieth of April, making its first appearance along the 

 shores of our large rivers, and, as the season advances, tracing 

 the courses of our creeks and streams towards the interior. 

 Along the rivers Schuylkill and Delaware, and their tributary 

 waters, they are in great abundance during the summer. This 

 species is as remarkable for perpetually wagging the tail, as 

 some others are for nodding the head; for whether running on 

 the ground, or on the fences, along the rails, or in the water, 

 this motion seems continual; even the young, as soon as they 

 are freed from the shell, run about constantly wagging the tail. 

 About the middle of May they resort to the adjoining corn fields 

 to breed, where I have frequently found and examined their 

 nests. One of these, now before me, and which was built at 

 the root of a hill of Indian corn, on high ground, is composed 

 wholly of short pieces of dry straw. The eggs are four, of a 

 pale clay or cream colour, marked with large irregular spots of 

 black, and more thinly with others of a paler tint. They are large 

 in proportion to the size of the bird, measuring an inch and a 

 quarter in length, very thick at the great end, and tapering sud- 

 denly to the other. The young run about with wonderful speed 

 as soon as they leave the shell, and are then covered with down 



* Tringa ruacu/anc.GMiii.. Sysi. i,)>.672,JVb. 7. LATH. Ind. Orn.p.734, .A0. 

 29. Totunus macuZanus, TEMM. Man. d'Orn.p. 656. 

 VOL. III. S 



