ACTITI'RUS HARTKAMIUS. 389 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Readily known hy the larger size, slightly curved bill, the handed inner webs of primaries, imd yellowish colors aliove. 



Distributed, in summer, from Pennsylvania, northward. Winters south of the United States. 







DIMENSIONS. 



Avrnnri- measurements of specimens fmm Eastern North America. Length, 11-80; stretch, 21 -50; wing, 6-02; tail, 3-25; 

 bill, 1- 10; tarsus, 1'80. Unrest specimen, I2-2S; greatest extent of wing, 33-00; longest wing, 6'75; tail, 3'35; hill,' 1-vJO; 

 tarsus, 3-00. Shortest specimen, 11 50; smallest extent of wing, JJl'00; shortest wing, 8-50; tail, 3-20; bill, 1'05; tarsus, l-5. 



DESCRTPHON OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Eyys, placed on the ground in a depression of the soil on a little grass. They are from two to four in number, rather 

 pyriform in shn|>e; pale buff in color, spotted and dotted irregularly and sparcely with yellowish-brown of varying shades. 

 Dimensions from T05x 1'75 to l'35x T90. 



HABITS. 



Late in summer or early in autumn, two or three species of small locusts become very 

 abundant on the elevated tracts of country along the coast of Massachusetts; in fact, they 

 occur in such swarms, that the hills become quite brown, for nearly every green tiling is de- 

 voured by these pests. There is no great evil, however, which is not productive of some 

 good, and the sportsman has reason to bless the locusts, for Bartram's Sandpipers, or Up- 

 land Plovers, as they are more commonly known, are very fond of these insects and con- 

 sequently visit the hills in numbers, to feed upon them. Early in the morning, the clear, 

 mellow whistle of the Sandpipers can be heard, as they fly across the intervening country, 

 to reach their feeding grounds. When coming to the hills, they generally fly up the wind 

 and alight under the brow of the elevations, where they will settle, giving a chuckling note 

 as they do so, after which they are silent, for the cry, so often given when on the wing, is 

 seldom repeated when the birds are on the ground. Bartarm's Sandpipers are now very 

 shy in Massachusetts and it is almost impossible to approach near enough to obtain a shot, by 

 walking in an upright position, but by creeping on all fours, one can go quite near them, as 

 they do not appear to recognize a man when he is in this attitude. Their favorite resorts 

 on the hill tops, appear to be the little ravines where the grass is greenest, and where, con- 

 sequently, the locusts are, if anything, more numerous. When startled, the birds almost 

 always rise into the wind, uttering their note as they go. About noon, they will occasion- 

 ally leave the more elevated spots and visit the marshes, but do not remain on them long. 

 The endeavors of the sportsman to decoy these wary birds within gun shot, by imitating 

 their cries, seldom proves successful and the only sound that will attract their attention, is 

 the peculiar noise which the birds give when alighting. 



I found Bartram's Sandpipers breeding in Pennsylvania in June, and when the nest 

 was approached, the female quietly left it, but afterwafd, both birds would circle about, 

 uttering loud cries. The young are fledged by the middle of August and accompany their 

 parents. At this time, the birds are fond of resorting to particular fields and if driven from 

 one, will fly to another. The sportmen take advantage of this fact, and by lying behind 

 some convenient stone wall or clump of bushes, intercept them as they fly from one feed- 

 ing ground to another. Bartram's Sandpipers migrate from the iniil.lle of August to the 

 middle of September in autumn, and return north in May, breeding throughout the more 

 unsettled districts of the Eastern and Middle States. 



