The Oologist. 



Vol. XXI. No. 10. 



Albion, N. Y., Oct., 1904. 



Whole No. 207 



The Oologist. 



A Monthly Publication Devoted to 

 OOLOGY, ORNITHOLOGY AND TAXI- 

 DERMY. 

 FRANK H. LATTIN, Publisher, 

 ALBION, N. Y. 

 ERNEST H. SHORT, Editor and Manager. 



Correspondence and items of interest to the 

 student of Birds, their Nests and Eggs, solicited 

 from all. 



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ERNEST H. SHORT. Editor and Manager, 

 Chili, Monroe Co.. N. Y. 



Discovery of the Eggs of Solitary Sand- 

 piper. 



Walter Raine, Toronto, Canada, 



At last the long-sought for egg of 

 the Solitary Sandpiper has been found, 

 and it affords one considerable pleasure 



to be the first ornithologist to record 

 its nesting habits, which are unique 

 among North American birds, for I 

 have positive proof that the species lays 

 its eggs in the nests of other birds, 

 this being one of the most important 

 discoveries in recent years in regard to 

 the nidirication of any American bird. 



In "Nests and Eggs of British Birds 

 non-Indigenous" the author, Mr. 

 Chas. Dixon' says of this species, "In- 

 credible as it may seem the nest and 

 eggs still remain unknown to science, 

 for it is impossible to accept the 

 description of the latter given by the 

 late Dr. Brewer without anthentication. 

 Here can be little doubt that this spe- 

 cies lays its eggs in the deserted nests 

 of other birds in low treee like its old 

 world representative, the Green Sand- 

 piper, is known to do. Search should 

 be made in such places in the summer 

 haunts of this species." 



I am aware that other ornithologists 

 have previously recorded what were 

 supposed to be the eggs of Solitary 

 Sandpiper but these records are far from 

 being satisfactory and mostly conject- 

 ure. For instance the above record of 

 which Mr. Chas. Dixon says "it is im- 

 possible to accept the description of 

 this egg given by the late Dr. Brewer 

 without authentication." The egg 

 recorded by Dr. Brewer found in Ver- 

 mont in 1878 according to Dr. Brewers' 

 own description was without doubt 

 only an egg of the Piping Plover, the 

 nest being found on the ground, a site 

 not selected by the Solitary Sandpiper. 



Another supposed nest of this species 

 was recorded by Dr. Clarke of Kings- 

 ton, Ontario, in the Auk for October, 



