74 SHORE BIRDS. 



2. Breeds in Alaska and on the Barren Grounds; migrates 

 south in Aug. and Sep., but chiefly through the interior o f 

 the western states where it is often found on dry ground; 

 rare on the Atlantic Coast from N. E. south, occurring with 

 other sandpipers on both marsh and beach ; winters in south- 

 ern S. A. ; comes north in April always through the interior. 

 5. LEAST SANDPIPER, A. MINUTILLA. Smallest of all 

 our sandpipers ( 6.15 ; bill .85 ), in spring much like a small 

 edition of 1 but with less buff beneath and fewer streakings, 

 plate 7. Winter, grayish above ;' indistinctly streaked with 

 dusky and grayish on breast. Young, with the dark brown 

 feathers above very conspicuously bordered with bright ru- 

 fous and a few spots of whitish; breast, buff; bill, always 

 brown and feet greenish yellow. Ordinary call a trilling 

 whistle, also give a low piping note when feeding; Dr. C. 

 W. Townsend in his incomparable Birds of Essex County, 

 Mass, says; " In Spring I have frequently seen them fly over 

 the marsh with wings quivering forcibly downward, uttering 

 constantly sweet tremulo calls, the flight song of the spe- 

 cies. " In flight flocks often oscillate from side to side show- 

 ing first the dark backs then the white under parts. The 

 most abundant of our sandpipers, occurring more often on 

 marshes and mud flats than on the beaches, sometimes singly 

 but more frequently in flocks of from three or four to hun- 

 dreds, the larger numbers being usually found in the south 

 in winter; usually unsuspicious, allowing near approach. 

 Breeds north of the U.S., passes south in July and Aug. 

 often occurring in the interior but chiefly along the coast ; 

 winters from the Carolinas southward into S.' A. but not 

 common in the U. S. at this season; cqmes north in May. 



f. Dunlin Sandpipers. Pelidna. 



Medium sized Sandpipers with long, decidedly curved 

 l)ills, plate 9, A ; otherwise much as in e. 



1. RED-BACKED SANDPIPER, P. SAKIIALINA. 8.35; 

 bill, 1.50. Above red distinctly spotted with black; wings 



