26 



THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY 



Eggs found toward the latter end 

 of June show an absence of pigment 

 or coloring matter, being white with 

 very fine dottings of brown and pur- 

 ple, hardly larger than the head of a 

 pin, one in particular is almost im- 

 maculate, being sparsely marked with 

 light purplish gray ; doubtless second 

 sets. 



Davie, in his " Nests and Eggs of 

 North American Birds," quotes this 

 as almost exclusively a fresh water 

 bird, which however does not hold 

 good in this vicinity, as all the marsh- 

 es where I have found this bird were 

 salt. 



The young of this specie when they 

 are hatched are clothed with soft, 

 silky black down, and are able to run 

 almost as soon as hatched. 



John Luhrman, Jr. 



Notes on Birds of Long Island. 



By W. W. Worthington. 



[All articles by Mr. Worthington are original and are 

 written expressly for The Collectors' Monthly.— Ed. 1 



[ The first number is the list number, the 

 second that of the A. O. U. Check List, and 

 the one following the name that of the Ridge- 

 way Catalogue.! 



(//&) 236. Tringa maritima. 



Purple Sandpiper. (530.) 



Head and upper parts dark brown, with a 

 purplish tinge ; beneath white, with spots of 

 dark ash color ; base of bill, and legs yellow ; 

 wings with a few white edgings ; length 9 in. 



A rare migrant ; I have never met 

 with it ; a hardy northern species, 

 wandering southward in winter, but a 

 few usually remaining in that desolate 



climate throughout the year. Breeds 

 from Hudson Bay northward. Nest, 

 a scantily lined depression in the 

 ground ; eggs usually four, creamy ash 

 in ground color, richly marked with 

 different shades of brown, and averag- 

 ing about l^x 1 inch. 



(f/7) 239. Tringa maculata. 



Pectoral Sandpiper. (534). 



Above, black ; all the feathers edged with 

 brownish, and ashy white ; rump black ; neck 

 and breast brownish ash, with fine dark brown 

 spots running into streaks ; eye line, ashy ; 

 throat and under parts, white ; bill and feet 

 greenish ; length 9 inches. 



A common migrant ; these birds 

 take more to grassy marshes than to 

 beaches, and they skulk in the grass 

 after the manner of Wilson's Snipe. 

 I have found them common at Napea- 

 gue Harbor and Gardiners Island. 

 Breeds commonly near the mouth of 

 the Yukon River, in Alaska, in the 

 first part of June. Nests on ground, 

 in grass. Eggs, four, grayish or olive 

 ground, richly marked with different 

 shades of brown and lilac, and averag- 

 ing about lxl inch. 



(f/S) 2&0. Tringa fuscicollis. 



White-rumped Sandpiper. (536) 



Above ashy brown, darkest on the rump, 

 each feather with a large central brownish 

 black spot, and with bright reddish edgings. 

 Upper tail coverts and under parts white; neck 

 breast and sides with dark brown spots ; 

 length 7 inches. 



A rather rare Spring and Autumn 



migrant : " Taken June 10, 1881."— 



Helme. I have a fine specimen taken 



on Shelter Island, September 9, 1892, 



this was a female and was taken on 



the border of a fresh water pond, 



while leisurely feeding, and exhibiting 



