THE OOLOGIST 



83 



Nathan M. Moran, 



San Luis Obispo, Cal. 



surface fully five feet away. It then 

 stood up on a floating, lily-pad and 

 characteristically perpendicularly wag- 

 ged its tail and viewed the surround- 

 ings. Upon dislodgement by another 

 missile, it again sti'uck out for deeper 

 water, dove and disappeared among the 

 lillies. 



Once a Sandpiper, which fell in the 

 water with a broken wing from a shot, 

 swam to shore and escaped. Again I 

 witnessed an interesting sight as we 

 were floating on the river. An aggres- 

 sive Red-wing, who had a nest in the 

 reeds at the edge of the stre-.im, pounc- 

 ed down on the back of a Sandpiper as 

 it was skimming over the river. The 

 foi'ce knocked the Peet-weet in to the 

 water, a foot or two above which it had 

 been flying. We expected to see a fine 

 exhibition of swimming and diving. 

 .Judge of our surprise when the bird in- 



stantly arose from the swift current and 

 flew away uttering its cheerful notes. 

 The act of rising from the water was 

 marvelous, and was performed much 

 more quickly than could possibly be 

 done by a Duck, and with no splashing. 

 In fact it was done as gracefully as the 

 act could be performed by a Gull or 

 Tern and even quicker. 



We may well doubt if this species 

 ever intentionally seeks the water; but 

 when wounded, or when there is a 

 choice of methods of escape, the Tij)-up 

 not .infrequently seeks this avenue, 

 it is said that the Phalaropes swim 

 gracefully and often intentionally take 

 to the water, where -they move about, 

 looking like minature swans as they 

 float on the surface. If Phalaropes can 

 swim, there is not much doubt but that 

 all of the smaller waders can swim. 



I have found Sandpiper's eggs within 

 a yard of the edge of a lake, on a small 

 gravelly island not over six inches 

 above the water in its highest part. 

 Another queer situation was on a pile 

 of drift wood and debris, while another 

 nest was on a log and quite a foot from 

 the ground. 



A great many nests of this species 

 have come to my notice, but the most 

 peculiar instance was the finding of 

 two equally incubated sets in nests not 

 over four feet apart. ■ Eleven nests of 

 this species were found in one field next 

 to a mill pond by two boys during May 

 June and July. 



Peet weet feeds on worms, aquatic 

 insects and small moUusks, and is un- 

 doubtedly beneficial. It is too small be 

 looked upon as game. But though be- 

 neath the notice of upright gunners it 

 still ofl'ers attractions to observers who 

 are interested in a study of our birds, 

 and I know of very few of our feather- 

 ed associates who offer a better oppor- 

 tunity for investigation than our little 

 acquaintance. Tip-up. 



MOKRIS GiBBS, 



Kalamazoo, Mich. 



