222 Bird -Lore 



winter in our southern states, along the Gulf of Mexico, as also in Arizona and 

 southern California. In spring the returning tourists appear in northern Florida 

 the third week in March. It takes them over a month to journey to the vicinity 

 of New York, for there are no dining-cars on the routes they patronize, and they 

 work their passage in thorough and leisurely fashion. The last week in May 

 sees the more ambitious at the end of the journey, away up in northern Alaska. 

 According to some data, their breeding time would seem to be rather uniform 

 in many parts of their range, the earliest eggs being reported from Virginia to 

 the Mackenzie river country during the last third of May, and far up in Alaska, 

 at Fort Yukon, the middle of June. But Audubon records well-grown young in 

 Texas in early May, and in Newfoundland as late as mid-August. 



Our little friend is one of the birds that are readily recognized. As it runs 

 along the ground, or by the margin of a pool or stream, you know it is a Sand- 

 piper from its very gait, slender legs and small size. All our Sandpipers are clad 

 in grays and browns above and white below. This Spotted Sandpiper, in adult 

 plumage, has conspicuous streaks and spots sprinkled over the otherwise white 

 plumage of the under parts. The young bird of the first summer and fall, how- 

 ever, lacks these spots, and has instead some nondescript gray on the breast 

 and sides. But both on ground and in air does the Spotted Sandpiper advertise 

 its identity by its movements. Alighted, when it ought to take things easy, it 

 almost never seems at rest, for it has contracted a very unhygienic nervous 

 habit of tilting its body incessantly. Standing on the shore, it bows, bobs, jerks, 

 tilts, its body, yes, Heelers,'' we may as well call it, and be in fashion. When it 

 flies, too, it proclaims its identity. The wings are held below the level of the 

 back, tips well down to the water, and given a tremulous, hovering motion, 

 accompanied by loud cries of 'peet-weet, peet-weet,' or 'weet, weet, weet.' 

 These traits have given it the names by which it is better known, even than 

 by its book name, — 'Teeter,' 'Tip-up,' 'Peet-weet,' and so on. I almost dislike 

 to record these various local names of birds and thus help to perpetuate them 

 and the confusion they cause. It would be so much better if all these fami- 

 liar birds were known everywhere by but one universally accepted name, 

 rather than a different one for every section of the country. 



In common with other Sandpipers, this species is to be looked 

 Haunts for in the vicinity of water. At the same time, it is perhaps less 

 particular as to the amount of water than any other of the Sand- 

 piper tribe. The merest puddle or rill will suffice, nor is it confined to the imme- 

 diate margin even of such. Often we may run across it in a pasture or on a piece 

 of ploughed land. Just a little wetness of low ground often suffices to satisfy 

 it for the choice of a summer home. Yet it is far from averse to more water. 

 One is almost sure to find it running along the margin of pond, lake, or river, 

 and also the ocean beach, particularly if rocky, is attractive to it. In such 

 places, when the nesting season is over, and the young are able to take care of 

 themselves, we may meet them in parties or small flocks, keeping somewhat 



