BIRDS HUNTED FOR FOOD OR SPORT. 333 



Barren Grounds and the treeless lands about the Arctic Sea. 

 In migration the birds often fly in flock formations, similar 

 to those of Geese and Ducks. Apparently they cross the 

 country west of Hudson Bay, flying from the shores of the 

 Arctic Sea direct to New England. Some are said to pass 

 through southern Labrador, but they are almost unknown on 

 the barren east coast. Probably the birds from the most 

 easterly breeding grounds are those which reach New England 

 and from here pass on down the Atlantic coast, where they 

 join and follow the main flight, which does not come here 

 but reaches the coast farther south. The adult birds come 

 to Massachusetts from the north in July and the young first 

 appear toward the last of August. There is a large migration 

 south through the Mississippi valley region and another on 

 the Pacific coast. The "Jack" is seen now on the coast in in- 

 creasing numbers in spring. The cessation of spring shooting 

 in many States and provinces probably accounts in a measure 

 for this. 



In Massachusetts, according to Mackay, these birds feed 

 largely on fiddler crabs, grasshoppers, large gray sand spiders 

 (Lycosa), June beetles (Lachnosterna) , other beetles {Scara- 

 bmidas) and huckleberries, which they pick from the bushes. 

 When flying to or from their feeding grounds they usually pass 

 about thirty yards high, except on windy days, when they fly 

 close to the ground or water. They feed mainly either in the 

 fields or pastures, where they find insects and berries, or among 

 the beach grass, where they find the fiddler crabs and spiders. 

 They also frequent marshes and mud flats and feed to some 

 extent on worms. ^ When feeding they usually scatter about 

 over the ground, moving slowly and sedately, except when in 

 pursuit of some particularly lively prey. Berries they pick 

 from the bushes with their bills, and presumably they probe 

 the holes or hiding places of the fiddlers with their long man- 

 dibles. 



1 Mackay, George H.: Auk, 1892, pp. 347, 348. 



