208 



PRiECOCIAL GUALLATOUES— LIMICOL^E. 



heavy rains and the overHowing of tlio pools compel tlin binlH to seek the borders 

 of the sea, where at other times it is not nsual to find tiicm. This speeies is given by 

 Dr. (iiindhieh as oeeurring in Cuba, but only as a visitant. 



In Massaeluisetts tliis sjieeies ajipears, on its way nortli, about the last of May, 

 and makes but a very short stay, returnini,' in August, later than the ArfodninidH 

 iii'iiiiitillii, all having left l)y tiie middh' of Septendier. They are in greatly reducecl 

 numbers as eomjiared with former years, when all the l)eaehes and mud-Hats apjieared 

 alive with the numerous tloeks of " Peeps," as they are called — a name also given 

 ti) the A. mbmtUIn and ./. /inii(i/i<irf!!. 



Mr. Dresser met with none of this speeies near San Antonio, but found it not 

 uncommon near Matannmis, though not so conunon as the mluiittlld. A.ulubori, how- 

 ever, mentions it as found in Texas in great numbers in A])ril, and as moving north- 

 ward with celerity, both along the sea-shore and the larger streams. 



Audubon states that he found it dispersed in pairs tliroughout Labrador, and 

 having nests there in .fune, though he was not able to find any, the birds s(piatting 

 on the moss as if they had a nest, and thus efl'ectually misleading his ])arty. lie 

 also states that he often saw this spe(;ies in considerable nund)ers along the shores of 

 the Ohio and the Mississippi during autumn. At this season they fed on fresh-water 

 insects, worms, and small coleojjtera, became very fat, and afforded exe(dlent eating; 

 this, he adds, is rtindy the case when they are found along the sea-shore. Their 

 Hight is swift and wtdl sustained; and when alarmed, or just before alighting, their 

 evolutions are very graceful. 



Mr. lioardman informs ns that this spctcies is very abundant in the vicinity of 

 Calais, but d(X's not breed there. It nsually arrives early in August, or, in some 

 years, alxnit the last of duly. In its season it occurs in nearly every part of Mortli 

 America, congregating in large Hocks on the beaches, sand-bars, and low lands along 

 the sea-<'oast. as well as on the shores of the interitn- lakes nnd streams. When feed- 

 ing, these birds scatter about in small parties; and when surprised, collect together, 

 with a rapid and peculiar movement, in such (dose bodies that sonu'times twenty 

 or thirty may bt^ killed at a single shot. When pursutul, they move otf in a mass, 

 uttering a pecndiar chirping nijte as they go, by imitating which they may be readily 

 decoyed. On dissection, their stomachs are found filled with minute fragments of 

 animal and vegetable origin. 



Individuals and small parties of this species are occasionally met with earl}' in 

 the summer in parts of the country where they are not known to breed. JVfr. Allen 

 found a number at Ipswicdi in June, 18G8. They were all in innnatnre jdumage, 

 being evidently mere straggh-rs, and not breeding. Afr. Ilenshaw nu-ntions seeing 

 a small flock on the sea-shore near Santa Harbara in July. These were all found 

 to be barren birds. 



According to the observations of Mr. Moore, this species may be found during 

 the entire simimtn- in Florida, in small groups of not more than fifteen or twenty. 

 They all retain their winter colors, or at best exhil)it but slight touches of brown or 

 rufous. It is' not easy to account for tliis continuance of a winter garb throughout 

 the summer in such birds as would assume a different dress were they to resort to 

 their northern habitat to breed. It may be caused by old age, by barrenness, or 

 by disease. It can hardly be becaust) they are unmated, as birds in that condition 

 assume the spring plumage before they migrate. It would be interesting to ascer- 

 tain if it is inability to propagate which thus arrests the develo[)ment of the vernal 

 plumage. There were no indications that any of these resident individuals ever 

 breed in Florida. 



