124 With Rod and Gun in Netv England 



secluded localities. It arrives from the south about the tenth of April, 

 and, separating into pairs, it soon commences the duties of incubation. It 

 manifests no preference for a location near the seacoast to one in the 

 interior ; and I have found it breeding as abundantly on the shores of 

 lakes in the depths of the Maine forests as on the low, sandy islands, or 

 in the marshes by our seacoast. 



" Unlike most other species of its class, it does not court the society of 

 others, and it is almost as reserved in its habits as its cousin, the solitary 

 sandpiper. Its Might is generally low, its wings being kept bent at an 

 angle beneath its body. It has a peculiar note, peet-wect, peet-weet, easily 

 recognized." 



"It's the bird the gunners call the 'teeter,' is it not"? asked the 

 Doctor. 



" It is," I replied ; " its comical appearance as it tilts its tail and bobs 

 its head, has caused many a smile. Every farmer's boy is familiar with its 

 habits, and answers its whistle as he drives the cows across the pasture. 

 It was formerly known among naturalists as the Totanus mandarins ; its 

 present technical name, however, is the Artitis macularia." 



"It is quite a different bird, then, from the solitary sandpiper"? 

 queried the Doctor. 



" Oh, yes," I replied ; "that species is even more solitary in its habits 

 than the ' teeter.' It is called the Totanus solitarius. It has many of the 

 odd ways of the other, bowing its head and elevating its tail in a comical 

 way. It loves to frequent little ponds and streams among the woods, and 

 for that reason is often called the ' wood tattler.' 



" When come upon unexpectedly, it utters its peculiar whistling note, 

 and runs off quickly over the muddy ground that it delights to visit. If 

 forced to take wing, it darts away in an irregular flight, but it quickly 

 alights again, folds its wings, after extending them a moment over its back, 

 and resumes its quiet, dignified manner. It is one of the handsomest of 

 our waders, and breeds more or less frequently in our latitude. I have 

 seen it in Massachusetts all through the summer. In the autumn it some- 

 times visits the seashore, and occasionally, though not very often, joins 

 with the flocks of other species. As a rule, however, it prefers the society 

 of a few of its own species, and is rather a bird of the interior than one 

 of the shore." 



"Well, gentlemen," exclaimed the Doctor, "it is supper time, and I 

 propose that we return to camp." 



We found that the guides had cooked a bountiful repast, to which we 

 did full justice. 



In the early evening the distant rumbling of thunder was occasionally 

 heard, and the clouds gave every indication of a heavy rainfall. The 

 guides gathered together, and placed under cover everything that could be 



