208 PR^COCIAL aRALLATOEES — LIMICOL^. 



heavy rains and the overflowing of the pools compel the birds to seek the borders 

 of the sea, where at other times it is not usual to find them. This species is given by 

 Dr. Gundlach as occurring in Cuba, luit only as a visitant. 



In Massachusetts this species appears, on its way north, about the last of May, 

 and makes but a very short stay, returning in August, later than the Actodromas 

 miniiti/la, a-11 having left by the middle of September. They are in greatly reduced 

 numbers as conijjared with former years, when all the beaches and mud-flats appeared 

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

 to the A. mlnutilla and A. Bonapartii. 



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

 uncommon near Matamoras, though not so common as the minutMla. Audubon, how- 

 ever, mentions it as found in Texas in great numbers in April, and as moving north- 

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



Audubon states that he found it disjjersed in pairs throughout Labrador, and 

 having nests there in June, though he was not able to find any, the birds squatting 

 on the moss as if they had a nest, and thus effectually misleading his party. He 

 also states that he often saw this species in considerable luimbers along the shores of 

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

 insects, worms, and small coleojitera, became very fat, and afforded excellent eating ; 

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

 flight is swift and well sustained ; and when alarmed, or just before alighting, their 

 evolutions are very graceful. 



Mr. Boardmau informs us that this species is very abundant in the vicinity of 

 Calais, but does not breed there. It usually arrives early in August, or, in some 

 years, about the last of July. In its season it occurs in nearly every part of ISTorth 

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

 the sea-coast, as well as on the shores of the interior lakes and streams. When feed- 

 ing, these liirds scatter aliout in small parties ; and when surprised, collect together, 

 with a rapid and peculiar movement, in such close bodies that sometimes twenty 

 or thirty may be killed at a single shot. When pursued, they move off in a mass, 

 uttering a peculiar chu-ping note 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 early in 

 the summer in parts of the country where they are not known to lireed. Mr. Allen 

 foLind a number at Ipswich in June, 1868. They were all in immature plumage, 

 being evidently mere stragglers, and not breeding. Mr. Henshaw mentions seeing 

 a small flock on the sea-shore near Santa Barbara 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 summer in Florida, in small groups of n(.)t more than fifteen or twenty. 

 They all retain their winter colors, or at best exhibit but slight touches of brown or 

 rufous. It is not easy to account for this 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 because 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 development of the vernal 

 plumage. Tliere were no indications tliat any of these resident individuals ever 

 breed in Florida. 



