42 BULLETIN" 326, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



in one stomach and bits of an earwig in another form miscellaneous matter 

 amounting to 0.88 per cent. 



From the foregoing the spotted sandpiper is a beneficial species and should 

 not be molested. Only one item can be charged against it, a single tiger 

 beetle, and that is too small to be of value. Fortunately the bird is common 

 and, though only a migrant, is present for the greater part of the year. Thus 

 it can be of great value in aiding in the war on the mole cricket. 



UPLAND* PLOVER. Bartramia longicauda (Bechstein). 

 Ganga. 



The only known record for the upland plover is that of Stahl, who (Gund- 

 lach, 1881, p. 401) secured one some time between 1878 and 1881. 



WILLET. Catoptrophorus semipalmatus semipalmatus (Gmelin). 

 Choelo. 



The willet was found by Stahl around San Juan Bay and by Gundlach (1878a, 

 p. 188) at El Boqueron near Cabo Rojo. The latter writer says that these 

 birds occurred on marshy shores and that he believed they nested on the island. 

 Naturalists visiting the island more recently have failed to record them. 



SOLITARY SANDPIPER. Helodromas solitarius solitarius (WUsod). 



PUTILLA, SOLITARIO, ZARAPICO SOLITARIO. 



The solitary sandpiper is a tolerably common winter visitant, apparently 

 more abundant on the western half of the island. The first bird for the fall was 

 an immature specimen taken along the Rio de la Plata above Comerio July 29, 

 and by the last of August the species was common around Cabo Rojo. At 

 Humacao a few birds were noted along the Rio Humacao the first week in Sep- 

 tember, but I saw none in the eastern part of the island in the spring. These 

 sandpipers are found singly, scattered about pools of water left in the lowlands 

 by the heavy rains, in wet, newly plowed fields, on mud flats, in the lagoons of 

 the coastal region, or along streams. Tame and unsuspicious, they walk with a 

 quick, tilting motion of the body, and when flushed fly rapidly, with a quick 

 note — pees wees. 



Sundevall (1869, p. 602) received a winter specimen in the collection of 

 Hjahnarson; Gundlach (1878, p. 372) records them from the second half of 

 September to April; and Bowdish (1902-3, p. 360) says that they are often seen 

 in fall and winter. 



Food. — Two stomachs taken in July and August contained nothing but ani- 

 mal matter. More than half the contents consisted of dragon-fly nymphs and 

 a large part of the remainder of water-scavenger beetles (Berosus sp. and 

 others) and their larvse. One bird had eaten a water boatman (Oorixa sp.). 

 Though the predacious dragon flies taken by these two weigh strongly against 

 them, it may be found on examining more material that the birds consume in- 

 jurious insects enough to counterbalance this. The birds should not hastily be 

 condemned, as there is no reason to suppose that their food differs greatly from 

 that of the spotted sandpiper. It may also be found that, like that species, 

 they consume numbers of the nymphs of the mole cricket. 



LESSER YELLOW-LEGS. Totanus flavipes (Gmelin). 

 Chorlo, Caballero, Patiamaeillo. 



The lesser yellow-legs is recorded as a winter visitant from September to 

 April (Gundlach, 1878, p. 371), but seems tojbe more common during fall migra- 

 tion. Dr. Richmond (MS.) noted the species on Vieques, March 25, 1900, and 

 this is the only known recent spring record. Stahl (1887, p. 449) says that in 

 1886 the first were seen on August 9, somewhat earlier than in previous years. 



