﻿3i8 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  This 
  little 
  Sandpiper 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  commonest 
  shore 
  birds 
  and 
  still 
  

   appears 
  in 
  large 
  numbers 
  during 
  both 
  spring 
  and 
  fall 
  migrations 
  on 
  the 
  

   beaches 
  and 
  mud 
  fiats 
  of 
  our 
  seacoast 
  and 
  inland 
  waters. 
  The 
  spring 
  

   migrations 
  begin 
  from 
  the 
  28th 
  of 
  April 
  to 
  the 
  8th 
  of 
  May 
  and 
  end 
  from 
  

   the 
  ist 
  to 
  the 
  13th 
  of 
  Jtme. 
  The 
  return 
  flight 
  begins 
  from 
  the 
  4th 
  to 
  the 
  

   20th 
  of 
  July 
  and 
  continues 
  rmtil 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  September, 
  and 
  occasionally 
  

   to 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  October. 
  On 
  the 
  central 
  lakes 
  I 
  have 
  sometimes 
  observed 
  

   it 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  October 
  and 
  the 
  5th 
  of 
  November. 
  This 
  species 
  

   winters 
  from 
  the 
  gulf 
  coast 
  to 
  South 
  Ainerica 
  and 
  breeds 
  in 
  arctic 
  

   America. 
  

  

  The 
  Semipalmated 
  sandpiper 
  often 
  associates 
  with 
  the 
  Stint, 
  or 
  Least 
  

   sandpiper, 
  and 
  both 
  are 
  known 
  as 
  peeps, 
  or 
  oxeyes, 
  the 
  present 
  species 
  often 
  

   being 
  called 
  the 
  Sand 
  oxeye, 
  and 
  the 
  former 
  the 
  Meadow 
  oxeye, 
  the 
  names 
  

   indicating 
  a 
  slight 
  difference 
  in 
  the 
  preferred 
  haunts 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  species. 
  

   They 
  are 
  as 
  gregarious 
  as 
  dunlins 
  and 
  great 
  clouds 
  of 
  peeps 
  are 
  often 
  seen 
  

   executing 
  their 
  aerial 
  maneuvers 
  over 
  the 
  shores 
  and 
  marshes. 
  Like 
  the 
  

   lead-backs 
  also 
  they 
  keep 
  up 
  a 
  continuous 
  peeping 
  chatter 
  of 
  good 
  fellow- 
  

   ship 
  as 
  they 
  run 
  nimbly 
  about 
  the 
  beach, 
  searching 
  for 
  the 
  small 
  crustaceans, 
  

   worms 
  and 
  insects 
  upon 
  which 
  they 
  feed. 
  

  

  Ereunetes 
  mauri 
  Cabanis 
  

   Western 
  Sandpiper 
  

  

  Ereunetes 
  mauri 
  Cabanis. 
  Journal 
  of 
  Orn. 
  1856. 
  p. 
  419 
  

   Ereunetes 
  occiden 
  talis 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  247 
  

  

  occidentd'lis, 
  Lat., 
  western 
  

  

  Description. 
  Bill 
  longer 
  than 
  inE. 
  pusillus. 
  In 
  suinmer 
  the 
  

   upper 
  parts 
  are 
  inuch 
  brighter 
  rusty 
  or 
  cinnamon 
  and 
  the 
  breast 
  more 
  heavily 
  

   marked 
  with 
  dusky 
  than 
  in 
  the 
  preceding 
  species. 
  In 
  winter 
  

   the 
  dimensions 
  must 
  be 
  relied 
  upon. 
  

  

  Wing 
  3.6-3.9 
  inches; 
  tarsus 
  .85-.95; 
  middle 
  toe 
  .55- 
  

   .65; 
  bill 
  .85-1.15. 
  The 
  larger 
  dimensions 
  are 
  of 
  females 
  as 
  

   in 
  the 
  preceding 
  species. 
  While 
  the 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  bill 
  in 
  

   females 
  of 
  pusillus 
  equals 
  or 
  exceeds 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  smallest 
  

   E.Occidentaiis 
  malcs 
  of 
  m 
  a 
  u 
  r 
  i 
  , 
  the 
  dimensions 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  sex 
  do 
  not 
  

  

  Bills 
  of 
  Semipalmated 
  ovcrlap, 
  thc 
  bill 
  of 
  p 
  u 
  s 
  i 
  1 
  1 
  u 
  s 
  c? 
  being 
  .66-. 
  7 
  5 
  and 
  the 
  9 
  

   tv^Ifn^.s^''' 
  .8-.92, 
  while 
  the 
  bill 
  of 
  m 
  a 
  u 
  r 
  i 
  d" 
  -^S'-^S 
  and 
  the 
  9 
  1-1.2. 
  

  

  