86 THE WILSON BULLETIN No. 60. 



fall, Oct. 15, lOOTi, wlu'ii about twenty were seen on mud banks in the 

 Lake I'oml. Several were taken at this time. 



50. */;/> Hiti'tt'N pusillus Sciuipalinated Sandpiper. 



The commonest wader on the beach in the fall. When we arrived 

 on the Point August 24, 1907, we found flocks already there aggregat- 

 ing hundreds. After the 20th their numbers decreased, until after 

 the 30th, when but isolated bunches of from a couple to seven or eight, 

 mingled together with Semipalmated Plover and Sanderling, were 

 met with scattered along the shore. This is about the same numerical 

 condition that we have found on other September trips of the two pre- 

 vious years, and so they continued to our latest dates for the month. 

 Sept. 22, 19CG. We saw none Oct. 15 of same year. At Detroit, the 

 Semipalmated Sandpiper arrives in the fall about the last of July and 

 leaves the last of August. It is likely the same at Point Pelee, 

 though as above indicated, a number of individuals linger well to- 

 wards the end of September. In the spring we have but one good 

 record, Saunders. reports it from there June 5, 1884. May 30, 1907, 

 we saw several individuals that we thought were this species, but the 

 conditions of observation were so poor and the chances of mistake so 

 great that we could not be at all certain of our identification. It is 

 likely a late spring migrant here as at Detroit, arriving the latter end 

 of May and departing the first week of June. 



51. *Caliclris arenaria, Sanderling. 



It seems evident that the last days of May are the times to look 

 for this beautiful little wader. Saunders found it there May 30, 1884, 

 and again the same date in 1907 it was quite common on the east 

 beach. It has been noted on all September trips, and was very com- 

 mon August 24, 1907, though together with most of the other small 

 waders present then, it much decreased in numbers after the 30th. 

 We saw two as late as Oct. 15 (1906). This is one of the most inter- 

 esting of the sandpipers. Unlike most of the waders it is frequently 

 seen some distance from the water line and on top of the dunes on the 

 dry sand, though its usual station is just at the water's edge, running 

 forward after each receding wave and nimbly back again just in time 

 to escape being overwhelmed by the next succeeding breaker. They 

 run with great rapidity over the sand and sometimes prefer that 

 method of escaping to flight. At such times it takes a sharp and well 

 sustained pace to walk them down. At times they are absurdly tame, 

 and at one time allowed us to approach within shooting distance and 

 to collect all of a bunch of three, one at a time, the survivors showing 

 not the slightest alarm at the successive reports of a heavy twelve- 

 gauge gun. On the wing, the black and white of their plumage shows 

 up in striking contrast, and when in the bright sunlight they pass over 

 the green water they make a rarely beautiful sight. 



