﻿9^6 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  with 
  white 
  bases, 
  forming 
  a 
  lengthwise 
  wing 
  stripe 
  which 
  shows 
  in 
  flight; 
  

   legs 
  and 
  base 
  of 
  bill 
  flesh 
  color, 
  the 
  latter 
  blackish 
  toward 
  the 
  tip. 
  Young: 
  

   Similar, 
  but 
  without 
  spots, 
  feathers 
  above 
  edged 
  with 
  buffy 
  white. 
  

  

  Length 
  7-8 
  inches; 
  extent 
  13-14; 
  wing 
  3.8-4.5; 
  tarsus 
  .9-1.05; 
  middle 
  

   toe 
  and 
  claw 
  .9-1.05; 
  bill 
  .9-1.05; 
  weight 
  2 
  ounces. 
  The 
  female 
  is 
  larger 
  

   than 
  the 
  male. 
  

  

  Distribution 
  and 
  migration. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  nearctic 
  representative 
  of 
  the 
  

   palearctic 
  species 
  hypoleucos. 
  It 
  is 
  found 
  from 
  Hudson 
  bay 
  and 
  Alaska 
  

   to 
  South 
  America, 
  wintering 
  from 
  South 
  Carolina 
  to 
  Brazil. 
  In 
  New 
  York 
  

   it 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  universally 
  distributed 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  famih-, 
  being 
  common 
  in 
  

   every 
  county 
  in 
  the 
  State, 
  from 
  the 
  iSth 
  or 
  the 
  30th 
  of 
  April 
  to 
  the 
  ist 
  or 
  

   loth 
  of 
  September, 
  rarely 
  lingering 
  in 
  the 
  southern 
  portions 
  till 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  

   October. 
  The 
  birds 
  of 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  evidently 
  come 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  

   the 
  Mississippi 
  valley, 
  as 
  they 
  arrive 
  from 
  7 
  to 
  10 
  days 
  earlier 
  in 
  western 
  

   New 
  York 
  than 
  along 
  the 
  coast. 
  They 
  nest 
  commonly 
  along 
  every 
  stream, 
  

   pond 
  and 
  lake 
  in 
  the 
  State, 
  except 
  those 
  lakes 
  which 
  are 
  entirely 
  wooded 
  

   to 
  the 
  water's 
  edge. 
  Our 
  party 
  in 
  1905 
  found 
  them 
  breeding 
  on 
  Elk 
  lake, 
  

   Boreas 
  pond 
  and 
  the 
  Flowed 
  Land 
  near 
  Mt 
  Marcy 
  in 
  the 
  Adirondacks; 
  

   and 
  every 
  country 
  boy 
  is 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  tip-ups 
  which 
  nest 
  near 
  the 
  

   creek 
  in 
  his 
  pasture, 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  meadow. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  laid 
  from 
  

   the 
  15th 
  of 
  May 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  June. 
  

  

  Haunts 
  and 
  habits. 
  During 
  the 
  nesting 
  season 
  the 
  little 
  Spotted 
  sand- 
  

   piper. 
  Tip-up, 
  or 
  Teeter-tail, 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  pastures, 
  cultivated 
  fields 
  and 
  

   meadows, 
  sometimes 
  at 
  considerable 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  water, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  

   along 
  the 
  brooks 
  and 
  lake 
  shores. 
  During 
  the 
  mating 
  season, 
  the 
  males 
  

   strut 
  about 
  before 
  the 
  female 
  swelling 
  up 
  the 
  breast, 
  in 
  a 
  manner 
  somewhat 
  

   suggestive 
  of 
  the 
  Pectoral 
  sandpiper, 
  until 
  they 
  finally 
  burst 
  forth 
  into 
  the 
  

   shrill 
  pipe 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  more 
  familiar 
  accompaniment 
  of 
  their 
  larklike 
  flights, 
  

   when 
  they 
  rise 
  several 
  feet 
  in 
  the 
  air 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  song 
  drop 
  into 
  

   the 
  meadow 
  again. 
  It 
  is 
  impossible 
  for 
  the 
  Tip-up 
  to 
  stand 
  or 
  walk 
  quietly, 
  

   it 
  keeps 
  teetering 
  or 
  tilting 
  its 
  tail 
  continually 
  as 
  it 
  walks 
  nimbly 
  along 
  the 
  

   beach 
  or 
  stands 
  on 
  some 
  stone, 
  log, 
  or 
  fence 
  post. 
  When 
  driven 
  from 
  one 
  spot 
  

   along 
  the 
  lake 
  shore, 
  or 
  river 
  bank, 
  it 
  flies 
  out 
  several 
  rods 
  over 
  the 
  water 
  quite 
  

   close 
  to 
  the 
  siirface, 
  then 
  turns 
  up 
  or 
  down 
  the 
  stream 
  and 
  proceeds 
  some 
  dis- 
  

   tance 
  before 
  alighting. 
  If 
  disturbed 
  again, 
  the 
  same 
  operation 
  is 
  repeated 
  

  

  