304 



I'R.liCOCIAL ORAM.ATOKKS— MMK'OL.E. 



!l ] 



The nestH of this bird vary in their poHitioii an«l constnictioii. So far a8 I luivo 

 iiotnl tliciii, they have lifcii in soiiic Hiiiiill (Icpri'SHion in the ^'loiiml. oMimi shcltrnil 

 Ity Ix'iii^; i)lat't'(l ni'ar a HniaH Imsli or in a tiilt olf^rasH. 'I'licy aif, tor tin- niont ]tait, 

 liiiilt in thi! dry open tit-Id, mvcr very far from water. Unually tln-y arc of very siniplo 

 Htrui'tnrc, bfiii^,' inatlc of dry IxMit, and answering,' tiu' purpose of proteetinf,' tlie v^'^h 

 from tlie damp j,'ronnd, but rarely so well interwoven as to bear removal. >rr. Audu- 

 bon states that the nests of this bird found by him on an island in the <iulf (d' St. 

 Lawrence were mueh more bulky, and more neatly constructed, than any seen by him 

 farther south, yet not to be compared with those he had setfli in Labrador, where they 

 were concealed under lodges of rocks, and wi're made of dry moss, raised to the 

 hei},'ht of several inches, and wtdl finished within with slender grasses and feathers 

 of the Kider Duck. The tinu' of nesting varies three months from Tc.xas to Labra- 

 dor. On Hutfalo Hayon in Texas Audidion foun<l full-grown broods on the otli of 

 May. In Newfoundland they were only just Hedged on the 1 1th of August. 



The yonng run about with renuirkublo ease and swiftness almost as soon as they 

 are out of their shell. When danger a])])r()aches they immediately, upon an alarm- 

 signal from theii' parents, riui and hide themselves, scpiatting close to the ground, and 

 there remaining perfectly immovable, resendding a snuiU dralwolored stone with a 

 single streak of black down the middle. If the young bird finds itself discovereil, 

 and an attempt is nuule to take it, it runs with great celerity, uttering the most 

 plaintive cries, and at the .sanui tinm the parents exhibit .synii)toms of distress and 

 counterfeit lamene.ss with great skill. 



Mr. IJartrani infornu'd ^^'ilson that he saw one of these birds defend her y(mng for 

 a considerable tinu' from the attacks of a ground-squirrel. The mother threw her- 

 self, with her two young behind her, iM'tween them and the land, and at every atteni] it 

 of the s([uirrel to seize them raised both her wings in an ahnost iierpeudicidar jjosi- 

 tion. assuming the nu)st formidable a]ii)earanc.e she could, and rushing forward on the 

 squirrel endeavored to drive it back. The young crowded together close behinil her, 

 sensible of their jjcrilous situation, moving backward or forward as she advan(!ed or 

 retreated. This lasted sonu' ten minutes, and would have terminated disastrously 

 for the young birds, had not Jlr. IJaitram interi»osed for their rescue. 



Mr. MacCuUoek, of I'ictou, informed Audubon that liaving once found the nest <d' 

 this Sandpii)er, and proposing to take; it <in his return, he marked the jdaee by putting 

 a number of stones in a slanting position over the nest, and so close that it was im- 

 possible for the bird to g(it into it. On his return in the evening, he observed the 

 bird rise from beside the stones in great tre])idati(m, and more than ever anxious to 

 draw him away. On examining the spot, he ascertained that the bird had not only 

 hollowed out a new nest, but had succeeded in abstracting two eggs from the other 

 nest. How slie had contrived to remove the eggs lie could not conceive, as the stones 

 remained undisturbed. 



Audubon states that he has observed this species alight on the branches of trees 

 hanging oyer watercourses, walking on them deliberately, with their usual elegance 

 of gait and balancing of body:ind tail. They are also wont to alight on the rails and 

 stakes of fences or walls, and on the tops of haystacks. 



The eggs are always four in number, and are of a rounded ])yriforni shape, varying 

 in length from 1.21 inches to 1.35, and in breadth from .95 to 1.00 inch. Their 

 ground-color varies from a light drab to a dark cream, sometimes tinged with rufous, 

 and occasionally with a muddy (day-color. The markings in some are fine dottings, 

 and in others large and confluent blotches about the larger end. The color of the 

 markings is a rich sepia-broAvu, with a slight purplish tinge. 



