542 Annals of the Carnegie Museum. 



month. November 9, 1894, is my latest fall record. The spring 

 records are few indeed. I took a specimen May 16, 1892, and on 

 May 19, 1896, I saw a flock of perhaps forty birds, and with the sun 

 glistening now on their red backs, and then on their black breasts, as 

 they circled back and forth after the manner of Golden Plover, it was 

 a sight not soon to be forgotten. On April 21, 1900, I saw one of 

 these birds which had been killed in the fields ; aside from this I have 

 never known them to be met with away from the lake. Their flesh I 

 consider very far from being a delicacy, tasting very fishy in fact." 

 Mr. Sennett's collection affords two additional spring records : May 

 2 3> 1875 (two specimens), and May 15, 1889. There is also one 

 specimen, taken September 21, 1875, in his series, while Mr. Simpson 

 reports single specimens secured on September 25 and 26, 1902, these 

 being the earliest authentic fall records. 



69. Ereunetes pusillus. Semipalmated Sandpiper. 



A very common transient in the fall, but spring records seem to be 

 few. A single bird was seen May 23, 1900, and in Mr. Sennett's 

 collection there is a bird taken at the remarkably late date of June 4, 

 1875. In 1900 Mr. Bacon met with it in the fall movement as early 

 as July 27, and on August 22, when our work began, it was already 

 common, continuing in varying numbers until September 27, after 

 which date no more were observed. It was found both singly and in 

 flocks, very often in the company of other shore-birds, frequenting 

 the outside beach. On August 29, 1893, it was common at the mouth 

 of Mill Creek, and an unusually large flock was seen on the sand- 

 beach at the Soldiers' Home grounds. This species and the Least 

 Sandpiper, which it so much resembles in size and coloration, are not 

 distinguished from each other by the gunners, both passing under the 

 name of ' ' Peep, ' ' and being slaughtered for sport whenever the oppor- 

 tunity offers. The Carnegie Museum has an interesting albino speci- 

 men of this sandpiper, taken by Mr. Bacon August 25, 1894; it is 

 white, lightly washed with rusty on the crown, back, wings and tail. 

 [Ereunetes occidentalis. Western Sandpiper. 



Many small sandpipers, killed by gunners and by our own party, were examined 

 in the hope of finding specimens of this species among them, but none were found- 

 Still, it may yet be detected as an accidental fall migrant.] 



70. Calidris arenaria. Sanderling. 



The Sanderling is without question the most abundant of the migrat- 

 ing shore-birds in the fall, although it has not been observed in the 



