BIRDS OF PORTO RICO. 41 



suitable for it to feed upon, and only in the immediate neighborhood of the 

 coast on either brackish or salt water. 



Food. — Five stomachs of the turnstone taken In February and April were 

 examined and were found to contain animal matter only. One contained a few 

 small fish scales, but small crustaceans made up the bulk of the food. The 

 greater part of these were amphipods (Orchestia sp.), while a smaller number 

 of isopods (Excirolana mayana) were eaten. No other groups could be 

 identified. Nothing is eaten that is beneficial or injurious to man. 



ESKIMO CURLEW. Numenius borealis (J. R. Forster). 

 Corlis, Chorlo. 



The only record for the Eskimo curlew is that of Gundlach (1878a, p. 188), 

 who mentions a single specimen taken near San Juan by Don Tomas Blanco. 



HUDSONIAN CURLEW. Numenius hudsonicus Latham. 

 Curlis, Barga, Chorlo. 



Gundlach (ISTSa, p. 187) saw the Hudsonian curlew in the collection of 

 Blanco in San Juan, and (1878, p. 367) says that he once found this bird 

 along the river at Punta Arenas south of Mayagiiez. Stahl (1883, p. 150) re- 

 corded two specimens in his collection and these were seen in San Juan in 

 1900 by Richmond (MS.). 



SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Actitis macularia (Linnaeus). 

 Putilla, Playero., Pdtilla Manchada, Zarapico Mosqdeado. 



A common winter visitant from July to May, the spotted sandpiper is the 

 most abundant and widely distributed shorebird in the island. 



It frequents the mangrove swamps, borders of lagoons, margins of all the 

 streams, and occasionally the sandy beaches. During the winter season it 

 follows inland along the small streams and occurs throughout the island. The 

 first fall bird taken (at Manati July 9) was an adult, and none but adults 

 were seen until July 27, when immature birds were common along the Rio de 

 la Plata above Comerio. The last bird in the spring was seen near Patillas 

 May 13. Thus the bird is present in the island 11 months of the year, though 

 it does not nest there. 



Food. — Nine stomachs of the spotted sandpiper representing the months from 

 December to April, and July and August were examined. Animal matter com- 

 prised 99.78 per cent of the food, leaving only 0.22 per cent for vegetable 

 matter, which consisted of rubbish found in two stomachs. The greater share 

 of the food is made up of crustaceans, with smaller amounts of mole crickets, 

 bugs, and beetles. Though mole crickets (Scapteriscus didactylus) were found 

 in but two stomachs, they form 10.78 per cent of the total food. All were 

 nymphs, as this bird is not able to break up the adults with its slender bill; 

 four were in one stomach and two in another. Nearly all the birds collected 

 were taken near mangrove swamps and along beaches, and it is very probable 

 that along inland streams, flowing through cultivated fields, spotted sandpipers 

 would pick up many more changas than is here indicated. 



One bird had eaten a tiger beetle, 13 adult water scavenger beetles (Berosus 

 sp. ) , and 4 hydrophilid larva?, amounting to 3.89 per cent of the total. Aquatic 

 bugs made 4.11 per cent of the whole; seven broad-shouldered water striders 

 (Mesovelia sp., and Microvelia sp.), two water boatmen (Corixa sp.), and three 

 back swimmers (Plea sp. and Notonecta sp.) were found in one stomach. Crus- 

 taceans aggregated 80.12 per cent and were made up of small amphipods and 

 fiddler crabs (Vva pugnax rapax). Another small crab (Sesarma (Holometo- 

 pus) roberti) and an isopod (Excirolana mayana) also were identified. Ants 



