3l8 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



This little Sandpiper is one of our commonest shore birds and still 

 appears in large nxinibers during both spring and fall migrations on the 

 beaches and mud flats of our seacoast and inland waters. The spring 

 migrations begin froni the 28th of April to the 8th of May and end from 

 the ist to the 13th of June. The return flight begins from the 4th to the 

 20th of July and continues until the 20th of September, and occasionally 

 to the middle of October. On the central lakes I have sometimes observed 

 it as late as the last of October and the 5th of November. This species 

 winters from the gulf coast to South America and breeds in arctic 

 America. 



The Semipalmated sandpiper often associates with the Stint, or Least 

 sandpiper, and both are known as peeps, or oxeyes, the present species often 

 being called the Sand oxeye, and the former the Meadow oxeye, the names 

 indicating a slight difference in the preferred haunts of the two species. 

 They are as gregarious as dunlins and great clouds of peeps are often seen 

 executing their aerial maneuvers over the shores and marshes. Like the 

 lead-backs also they keep up a continuous peeping chatter of good fellow- 

 ship as they run nimbly about the beach, searching for the small crustaceans, 

 worms and insects upon which they feed. 



Ereunetes mauri Cabanis 

 Western Sandpiper 



Ereunetes mauri Cabanis. Journal of Orn. 1856. p. 419 

 Ereunetes occidentalis A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 2. 1895. No. 247 



occidentd'lis, Lat., western 



Description. Bill longer than inE. pusillus. In summer the 

 upper parts are much brighter rusty or cinnamon and the breast more heavily 

 marked with dusky than in the preceding species. In winter 

 the dimensions must be relied upon. 



Wing 3.6-3.9 inches; tarsus .85-. 95; middle toe .55- 

 E.Pusiiiiu .65; bill .85-1.15. The larger dimensions are of females as 



in the preceding species. While the length of the bill in 

 females of pusillus equals or exceeds that of the smallest 

 E Occidentalis males of mauri, the dimensions of the same sex do not 



Bills of Semipalmated ovcrlap, thc bill of p u s i 1 1 u s cT being .66-. 7 5 and the $ 

 "pi'^rs^r^^si^"'^' .8-.92, while the bill of m a u r i c? .85-.95 and the 9 1-1.2. 



