BIRDS. 281 



Oak Point, Ruthven observed three of these birds flying toward the 

 beach. Two of these were taken, and the following day he took 

 another (probably the third one of the three seen the day before) from 

 a flock of spotted sandpipers on the beach just northeast of Little 

 Oak Point. These were the only ones observed. 



20. Pisobia macula ta. Pectoral sandpiper. — Michigan: This 

 species is a common migrant, but not a breeder, in the state. 



One was seen on the beach near Oak Point on August 24. This 

 specimen was feeding with a flock of sanderling and was the onh^ one 

 seen. 



21. Pisobia minutilla. Least sandpiper. — Michigan: A common 

 migrant but does not breed in the state. 



First seen at Sand Point on August 18, and at Oak Point on August 

 14. These birds were rather common after these dates, and were found 

 in company with semipalmated sandpipers which greatly outnum- 

 bered them. 



22. Pelidna alpina sakhalina. Red-backed sandpiper. — Michigan: 

 A common migrant, not breeding in the state. 



A flock of about twenty were seen flying along the beach near Oak 

 Point on August 20. These birds still retained the black patch on 

 the belly which served in part to identify them. 



23. Ereunetes pusillus. Semipalmated sandpiper. — Michigan: A 

 common migrant, not breeding in the state. 



This species was first seen at Sand Point and also at Oak Point on 

 August 18. Small flocks were seen feeding all along the beach, but 

 it was more common on the sand flat at Oak Point. 



24. Calidris leucophaea. Sanderling. — Michigan: An abundant 

 migrant along the shores of the Great Lakes, not known to breed in 

 the state. 



It was first seen at Sand Point on August 8, and east of that place 

 at Hat Point on August 18. After August 20, it became very com- 

 mon all along the beach from Sand Point eastward. It was, how- 

 ever, most abundant along the beach from the sand flat at Oak Point 

 eastward, flocks of from twenty to sixty being commonly observed. 



Nearly all of the birds were in the fall plumage. The first one 

 seen, August 8, was an adult female and still partly retained its 

 spring plumage, and a male, August 20, was also in changing plumage. 

 In common with most species of waders the adult birds migrated 

 first, and the later ones were juvenile and immature. They were 

 very fearless and ran along the beach at the waters edge within a few 

 feet of us. The\' apparently fed principally on insects, but they 

 were often seen to pick up small fish, swallowing them whole if 

 small, or picking them to pieces if too large. 



