14 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



uttered, rippling pip-pip-pip-pip, and to my ear very closely re- 

 sembles the mellow bubbling whistle (Forbush) of the Upland 

 Plover. Hudsonian Curlew were extremely common on the coast 

 this year and I never saw so many before. 



July 29 found us on the inland waterways back of Brigantine, 

 our object being to visit the well known Skimmer colony there. 

 The colony was found deserted and not a Skimmer was seen all 

 day. However, we had a fine study of a large bunch of shore-birds 

 feeding on an exposed bar — Dowitchers, Knots, Semi-palmated 

 Sandpipers and Sanderlings and learned for the first time that 

 the smaller fry were sometimes little grafters. Two "Peeps" 

 seemed very much interested in the doings of a Dowitcher that 

 had thrust his long bill down to the hilt in the sand. Presently 

 he drew it out and immediately the little Sandpipers darted in 

 and snatched tid-bits either from the bill of the Dowitcher or 

 the edge of the boring. A fine bit of easy picking and an oper- 

 ation of which the Dowitcher seemed quite tolerant. 



The expedition that was most productive, of the actual number 

 of water birds noted, was the one taken to Little Beach Island 

 August 19. After having failed to find the Skimmers back of 

 Brigatine July 29, I consulted McMuUen as to their whereabouts 

 and was informed that they had all moved over on Little Island, 

 hence the reason for going. 



Yoder, Gaede and I left Atlantic City at 7 A. M. Our means of 

 transportation being one of Jake Brown's famous row boats. 

 We knew that it was going to be a long hard pull and I assure you 

 that we were not disappointed in this respect. We carried no 

 map of the puzzling channels, sand bars, shoals, blind bayous, 

 and thoroughfares. I think it safe to say that at no point 

 along the Jersey coast are there more confusing salt marsh areas 

 than back of Brigantine Island, and probably for that very reason 

 it is also one of the very best places for the water birds. Shortly 

 after leaving the dock we spied a shore-bird on Absecon bar. 

 We were undecided as to whether it was a Sanderling or a Knot 

 but thought that it must be a Knot. However, when we had ap- 

 proached quite close we found that it was a Sanderling. The 

 Sanderling is not always an easy bird to make out in the brilliant 

 sunshine of the beach and frequently looks abnormally large. 



