THE GOLUEGTORS' pNTHliY. 



Devoted to Ornithology, Oology and Natural History. 



Description of the Nest and Egprs of the 

 Birds of Barnstable To., Mass. 



263. SpottedfcSandpiper. 



{Aciitis macularia.) 2jj. 



This familar birdjis found breeding quite 

 abundantly in this part of the state. It has 

 .a queer bobing motion of the body, which 

 gives it the names of ••Teeter-tail," "Tip- 

 up" and many others. 



The note, as near as I can express it in 

 print, is a pecuiar sound, resembling peet- 

 weet, peet-weet, which it utiers as it runs 

 along some sandy beach, looking for small 

 fish which has been washed ashore or swim- 

 ming very near the shore. 



The nesi is ;>iaced on the ground, in some 

 high grass or sea- weed, and is simplv a 

 slight hollow in the,Jgroui<d lined with grass 

 or sea-weed. The eggs are four in number, 

 creamy buff, with dark brown markings. The 

 average measurment is about 1.32x90. One 

 peculiar thing about the eggs of the Spotted 

 Sandpiper (as indeed there is about all the 

 waders), is that the egg.- all lay with the 

 small ends together. 



273. liilldoet J Plover. 



[Aegialitis vocifera.) j/0. 



This bird wasjjformerly very abundant all 

 over this state, but is now rare'^The name 

 is taken, no doubt, from it's cry of killdeer, 

 killdeer, which can bejjheard on still days 

 and moonlight.nights. 



The nest is similar to macularia, but the 

 eggs are a dark clay color, marked with 

 brown and umber. The measurements of a 

 set in a private collection without data, are 

 as foliows: No. 1, 149x1.59; No. :. 

 1.50x1.60; No. 3. 1.48x1.60; No. 4. 1.50.x- 

 1.60. 



277. Piping: plover 



-20. 



I have never met with this specie breed- 

 ing in this part of the state, but am told by- 

 Mr. H. G. White that it breeds near I'ro- 

 vincetown, near the extremity of Cape Cod. 

 He savs that the nest is nothing but the bare 

 ground, with not even a hollow scoped in 

 it. 



The crv is very difficult to describe on pa- 

 per. It resembles the whistle of the com- 

 mon Ring- necked Plover. 



The eggs are four in numbe 

 speckled, with black and purplis 

 Average mearsurement, 1.20x1. 



C. C. Pi R 

 [TO I'.F CON 1'INM 



Mk. C. H. PRINCE,Dear Str: — I enjoy 

 very much the Collectors' Month 



Bird life is very active here this winter. 

 One of the most noticeable things is the in- 

 nummerable flocks of Robins. Have had 

 the pleasure of collecting a beautiful - 

 I men of a young Golden Eagle. 

 I send you the following article. 



Edible Ipsects. 



But few persons probably have evei 



this subject much thought. Indeed, in our 

 own fair country we hardly know anything 

 , about Edible Insects, there probably being 

 only one or two cases where these insects 

 are used for food. The Digger Indians in 

 California and Arizona, in the summer and 

 fall collect great quantities - - 



and store them away as Ec od for 

 winter. They harvest their crop by forming 



