82 MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB 



As I was watching this flock a male Duck Hawk suddenly appeared and, 

 striking down a Grass-bird within thirty yards of me, passed on in its impetuous 

 flight but swung around, picked the dead bird up in its talons and was off. 



The Pectoral Sandpiper is rarely seen away from salt water in the County. 

 On October 13, 191 6, Dr. J. C. Phillips saw seventy-five or a hundred on the 

 Topsfield meadows of the Ipswich River. About the same time several flocks 

 were seen near Wenham Lake. 



108 [240] Pisobia fuscicoUis (Vieill.). 

 White-rumped Sandpiper; Bonaparte's Sandpiper; "Bull-peep.'' 



Rare spring and common autumn transient visitor. May 23 to June 9 ; July 

 10 to November 10. 



109 [241] Pisobia bairdi (Coues). 



Baird's Sandpiper ; " Bull-peep." 



Rare transient visitor. July 28 to October i. 



In the last fifteen years I have seen several Baird's Sandpipers at Ipswich, 

 both on the beach and at Clark's Pond. When alone it does not seem much larger 

 than a Semipalmated Sandpiper, but when with this latter species it looks at times 

 noticeably larger. I have noted it as about the size of a Sanderling, but standing 

 rather higher. The bright, almost golden pattern on the back is noticeable, and 

 the buffy wash on the sides of the neck. The tarsi are greenish and there is a 

 rather broad but indistinct white line seen on the wings in flight. 



no [242] Pisobia minutilla (Vieill.). 

 Least Sandpiper; "Peep"; "Mud-peep.'^ 



Abundant transient visitor. May 5 to June 7 (summer) ; July 3 to Septem- 

 ber 13 (October 13). 



The increase in numbers of this species is at times very striking. On May 

 23, 1915, Dr. J. C. Phillips saw on the beach at Great Neck, Ipswich, a number 

 of flocks of 500 or more each, totalling many thousands in all. 



A surprisingly large number of early migrants from the north appeared at 

 Ipswich on July 3, 191 1. A flock of at least fifty whirled about and alighted near 

 me on the marsh. All went off but a few and I counted ten of these that 

 remained. 



