-7 28 Clarke, Habits of the Solitary Sandpiper. loct 



BREEDING HABITS OF THE SOLITARY SANDPIPER 

 {TOTANUS SOLITARIUS). 



BY C. K. CLARKE, M. D. 



Early this spring I became aware of the fact that at least one 

 pair of Sandpipers, different from the Spotted Sandpipers, which 

 breed commonly on Simcoe Island, had taken up their residence 

 there. 



Although the habits of the Bartramian Sandpiper formed the 

 chief subject of investigation, time after time I was attracted by 

 a pair of small Sandpipers, invariably to be found perched on the 

 fence posts in a certain locality. Just what the birds were could 

 not at first be satisfactorily determined, and for a time I was 

 inclined to think that they might prove to be Buff-breasted Sand- 

 pipers. As it was evident that they were likely to breed, I returned 

 time and again to the island, generally carrying a gun, so that the 

 birds might be secured if the nest was found. At last, when 

 accompanied by the Rev. C. J. Young, the birds flushed in the 

 usual locality, and a depression in the ground, nicely rounded, 

 was found and marked. I returned in a week's time fully expect- 

 ing to take a set of eggs, but the birds had evidently deserted 

 the place, and were no where to be seen. It was a disappoint- 

 ment, as by this time it had become tolerably certain that the 

 visitors were Solitary Sandpipers. 



On June lo, Mr. Edwin Beaupre and I went for a last look at 

 the birds breeding on the island, but had given up all hope of 

 finding the strange Sandpiper. We flushed a Bartramian Sand- 

 piper, and were examining the nest containing three fresh eggs, 

 when the little stranger rose within four or five feet of us, and 

 there, in plain view not two yards from the Bartramian's nest, 

 were the eggs. The Sandpiper flew a short distance without 

 uttering a sound, and sat on a fence post watching us. Unfor- 

 tunately the gun had been left at home, but we had two pairs 

 of good marine glasses and were able to examine the bird at 

 close range as it perched on the fence. There was no longer 



