43 2 The Water-fowl Family 



This is on the ground and lined with dried grass, 

 resembling that of the golden plover. During 

 the breeding season the birds are active and 

 demonstrative, pursuing each other closely, often 

 towering to some height in the air. 



The strange actions of the males during the 

 breeding season at Point Barrow are described 

 by Murdoch as follows : " A favorite trick is to 

 walk along with one wing stretched to its fullest 

 extent and held high in the air. I have frequently 

 seen solitary birds doing this for their own amuse- 

 ment, when they had no spectators of their own 

 kind. Two would occasionally meet and ' spar ' 

 like fighting cocks for a few minutes and then 

 rise together like ' towering ' birds, with legs 

 hanging loose for about thirty feet, then drifting 

 off to leeward. A single bird will sometimes 

 stretch himself up to his full height, spread his 

 wings forward, and puff out his throat, making a 

 sort of clucking noise, while one or two others 

 stand by and apparently admire him. They are 

 very silent, even during the breeding season." 



The young are hatched rather late in July, and 

 by August all have gone. 



SPOTTED SANDPIPER 

 {Actitis macularid) 



Adult male and female in breeding plumage Entire upper parts, 

 lustrous ashy green, irregularly spotted with black, the lustre 

 less noticeable on the neck ; a white stripe over the eye ; 



