and the Maritime Provinces. 281 



scarcely pass beyond the United States to winter and the marbled is abun- 

 dant in Florida at that season. 



Of the two yellow-legs the summer goes the farther south, passing 

 as low as southern South America. This species avoids the northern 

 Atlantic seaboard on its way north in spring to its Arctic summer home. 

 The winter yellow-leg, which also breeds far north, scarcely passes beyond 

 the Gulf States in winter. 



The willet is common in the West Indies and breeds from the Baha- 

 mas northward in the interior to the northern border of the United States. 



The upland plover winters in Brazil and breeds from Pennsylvania 

 northward to Quebec. 



Of the three curlews, the long-billed remains mostly within the United 

 States, but also occurs in Mexico and breeds from the Gulf coast north 

 through the temperate region of North America. 



The Hudsonian curlew breeds from northern Dakota to the Arctic 

 circle, and winters south of the United States ; but I never saw it nor any 

 of the curlews on the Bahamas. 



The Esquimo breeds very far north and migrates farthest south of any 

 known shore birds, reaching the extreme southern point of South America. 

 They avoid the eastern portion of the United States in going north. 



The two larger plovers breed far north within the Arctic circle, but 

 winter in South America, the golden reaching as far as Patagonia. This 

 species and the Esquimo curlew are probably instances of where species 

 were driven very far south by the encroachment of the ice during the last 

 glacial period, hence are now returning to the ancient home of their race 

 to spend the winter. 



A portion of our smaller eastern plover spend the winter in the Gulf 

 States, but many of them pass into South America. I have obtained in a 

 single day at Key West the killdeer, mountain, piping, Wilson's and 

 ringneck ; the last three of these I have often taken with a single shot. 



Wilson's and the killdeer breed in the south, the latter also further 

 north ; the piping, from the middle districts to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 and the ringneck, from this point northward. 



The solitary sandpiper passes south of the United States, and breeds 

 from northern New England northward, and the spotted remains chiefly 

 within the United States, but some pass as far south as Brazil. 



The purple sandpiper forms a wide exception to the rule, but most 

 shore birds pass far south in winter. This is a winter species along our 

 New England coast, many remaining as far north as Grand Manan at this 

 season. This bird is amply fitted by its warm and thick coat of feathers 

 to spend the cold season so far north. 



