PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 371 



In North America, where the Pectoral Sandpiper is also 

 known as the "Meadow Snipe," " Grass Snipe," and "Jack 

 Snipe," it is of general distribution from Hudson's Bay to 

 Alaska in summer, and is supposed to breed in the arctic and 

 sub-arctic regions of that continent, although a description of 

 authenticated eggs does not as yet appear to be available.* 

 In autumn it migrates southwards, and is common through- 

 out the United States down to the extreme south ; its winter 

 range extending to Bermuda, the Bahamas, the West Indies, 

 Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, the east coast from Brazil 

 to Patagonia, Bolivia, Peru, and Chili. Dr. Elliott Coues 

 (B. of North- West, p. 486) says of it that, "unlike 

 most Sandpipers, it does not flock, at least to any extent, 

 being oftenest found scattered singly or in pairs. In 

 the United States it is chiefly, if not wholly, a bird of 

 passage ; for, though some may winter along our south- 

 ern border, and others breed along the northern tier of 

 States, such probabilities require to be confirmed. Its 

 winter range is very extensive, yet some individuals may be 

 found in the Middle States as late as November. I found 

 it in July along the forty-ninth parallel, where it probably 

 breeds, though I did not ascertain the fact. It occurred 

 sparingly about pools on Turtle Mountain, in company with 

 T. mmutilla. It is a very abundant bird in summer in 

 Labrador, where it frequents low, muddy flats, laid bare by 

 the tide, and the salt-marshes adjoining. When they arise 

 from the grass to alight again at a little distance, they fly 

 in silence or with a single tiveet, holding the wings deeply 

 incurved ; but when suddenly startled and much alarmed, 

 they spring quickly, with loud, repeated cries, and make 

 off in a zigzag, much like the Common Snipe. Sometimes, 

 gaining a considerable elevation, they circle for several 

 minutes in silence overhead, flying with great velocity, 

 perhaps to pitch down again nearly perpendicularly to the 



* In a paper by Major H. W. Feilden (Zool. 1879, pp. 1-9), on the Natural 

 History of Prince Albert Land, from the Medical Returns of the late Surgeon 

 R. Anderson, of H.M.S. 'Enterprise,' birds and eggs referred with a I to this 

 species are stated to have been obtained at Winter Cove in 1852. 



