35 6 The Water-fowl Family 



This species is nowhere found in large num- 

 bers, but is a regular migrant along the Atlantic 

 Coast, arriving early, often accompanying the first 

 flights of lesser yellowlegs. Long Island is a 

 favorite resort for the stilt sandpiper, and it here 

 goes by the name of bastard on account of the 

 former belief that it was a hybrid. These birds 

 are taken most abundantly in the last few days of 

 July and early August. I have seen them at this 

 time in small flocks, but usually alone or in twos 

 or threes. They have much the same flight and 

 appearance at a short distance as the summer yel- 

 lowlegs, though a perceptibly smaller bird. The 

 note is not often uttered, but they are readily per- 

 suaded to drop into decoys at the invitation of the 

 yellowlegs' whistle. I have never killed more than 

 five or six of these birds in a morning's shooting, 

 but have been informed by the gunners that occa- 

 sionally there is a regular flight lasting a day or 

 so, when considerable numbers are seen and killed. 

 Rarely flocks of some size are noticed. These are 

 all adult birds, the young following three weeks 

 or more later, and are found under the same cir- 

 cumstances and in about the same numbers late 

 in August. North of Long Island the stilt sand- 

 piper is rare. On Cape Cod it is seldom killed. 

 Several instances of its occurrence near Halifax 

 have come to my attention, and I believe the bird 

 regularly appears in this vicinity and on the 



