I 



302 



PU.KCOl'lAL (JKAl.LATdlJKS LIMICOL.K. 



liliuk dorsal stripe from tlic liill t" ilir tail ; a ii.imtw bliu'k liiu! throii},'li tlio pyc. Ik-ni'iitli, dull 

 white. 



Total li'ii;,'tli, iiboiit 7.75 im■ll(■^< ; I'Xii'iil, lU.dd-l-J.OO ; wiii^;, I.O.Vt.IJO ; riiliiu'ii, .!)()-l.(K> ; t,„- 

 siis, .!)()-l.(>5 ; midille lot', .7t)-.Ml. Muiulililc iiiul eil;.;i' of tlii^ iimxillii imle wiix-yullow (in lilii ; 

 rent of l)ill l)lm'ii ; iiin dii'^k ludwii ; larsi and toes pain ^'layisii olive. 



Tlic rt'ct-weot, or Spotted S;iiiil|>i|M'r. is one of our most common as well jih most 

 witlcly ilistributt'd .s|K'cit's. It is found tliroiij,'liout iiciirly all North Amcricii, in 

 the interior and on tho shores of both the l*afili(^ and the Atlantic Oceans, hrecdim,' 

 wherever found, from Texas to Alaska, and from Florida to Fort Ainlcrson. Tliat 

 it is irrej,ndar in its occurrence would appear from the fact that IJitdiardson nowliciv 

 met with it in the Fur lic^don, neither in the interior nor on the sea-coast. It is 

 found in IJernuida and in nearly all the West India Islands, breeding in sonic nl 

 them, and is met with in winter in Mexico, Central America, different parts of Souili 

 America, iind is also of accidental occurrence in Furope. 



Major Wedderburn writes that he first nn't with it in the Mermudas, in immatiiiv 

 pluniaf,a', .July UO, 1H47, and that he afterward found it common on all the shores of 

 these islands, where some remain all winter, having' been met with rather fre(|uei)tly 

 in Aprd, l!SH), few of them havinj;- their mature plumaf,'e; but they are not known to 

 breed there. In (hiatemala, aceordiujj; to Salvin. it is to be met with in the winter 

 months about most of the riv<'rs of that re^don. It is found principally in the imni:i- 

 ture pluma}.re. Its range is wide, including both the table-lands and the coast coun- 

 try. Jlr. C. W. Wyiitt ("Ibis," 1.S71) mentions meeting with this si)eeies on the 

 borders of a stream near Ocafia, in Coiiuubia, S. A. It is given by Dr. (Jundlach as a 

 bird of Cuba, and is mentioned by (losse as a common species in .Jamaica, where it 

 haunts the margins and shallows of rocky streams. It arrives there about the end ot 

 August, and remains until after the nuddle of April. J'rofessor Newton mentions it 

 as tolerably comuKm in St. Croix, where it i)nd)ably remains all the winter. Accord- 

 ing to the observations of Mr. ICdward Newton, it is absent from that island from 

 April 27 to July 27. Mr. E. C. Taylor speaks of it as abundant in Trinidad, in suit- 

 able localities, where Leotaud also met with it, but confounded it with the Common 

 Sandj)iper (7'. hi/jjoleucus) of luirope. lie states that it is lioth a migrant and a r<'si- 

 dent in that island, feeding ahnig the sea-shore and near inland po(ds, keeping gen- 

 erally by itself, but assend)ling at night to roost in the branches of the mangroves 

 over the water. It is lively and graceful in manners, and when stopping vibrates 

 its head and tail almost continually. Its flight is described as rajtid, and it uttcis 

 a cry as it moves which gives to it the local name of "Ticwit." In August the num- 

 ber of these birds is greatly increased by the arrival of new-comers, which again 

 dejiart in October. 



On Long Island (iiraud observed it to be the first of its family to arrive in the 

 spring, appearing there the middle of April, and remaining until quite late in autumn, 

 staying until nearly all the other Trlnr/fr had de])arted. It is a very common spe- 

 cies, and from its habit of constantly raising and lowering its tail has in that region 

 the local name of "Teeter." It is not known to associate in large flocks, but is (putc 

 solitary in its habits, preferring moist grounds in the vicinity of streams and ponds. 

 and often resorting to the jiloughed fields to gl(;an the worms which lie exposed in 

 the furrows. This bird begins to build it.s nest early in May, using for that purjjose 

 straw and dry grasses, placing it on the ground, where it is often found, along the 

 banks of small streams and on the margins of ponds, and not infrequently in exposed 

 parts of pastures, among the stubble. The young run about as soon cas hatched. 

 and at first utter low whispering notes, which soon increase in strength, and become 



