May, 1917 



THE HOME LIFE OF THE BAIRD SANDPIPER 



83 



bank. In this case the bird fluttered off, simulating a broken wing and uttering 

 cries of distress. We were some twenty-five yards distant when he flushed, and 

 had considerable difficulty in finding the nest. It contained the usual four eggs, 

 so badly incubated that there seemed little hope of saving them, and in every re- 

 spect was typical of the species. The photo (fig. 29) was taken about nine 

 o'clock in the evening. Unfortunately the slanting rays of the sun glinted from 

 the upper surface of the eggs, obscuring the markings, which were unusually bold 

 in this set, Both female and male came about and inspected the camera, while we 

 hid behind a snowbank trying to keep warm by fighting mosquitos. It was over 

 half an hour before the male returned to the nest, and then he insisted upon fac- 

 ing the camera, which is a trait typical of all sandpipers that I have tried to pho- 

 tograph on their nests (fig. 30). 



We did not secure any Baird Sandpipers in natal down, as apparently we 

































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Fig. 30. Same nest as is shown in fig. 29; near Griffin Point, Arctic Alaska, July 

 11, 1914. Male Baird Sandpiper brooding. 



left too soon, going aboard the ship leaving winter quarters on July 16. We did 

 not again meet with the species until reaching Herschel Island on July 28. Dr. 

 Anderson, however, took downy young at Collinson Point on July 11. 



In the report of the Mcllhenny Expedition to Point Barrow, Stone states : 

 "Ten young in the down were taken July 16, 18 and 27; they are darker than 

 young Dunlins, with the brown tints darker and not so rufous, while the light 

 mottlings are whiter and less tinged with buff. Two others taken August 1 are 

 intermediate between the down and first winter plumage" (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Phila., 1900, p. 26). 



A young Baird Sandpiper taken at Herschel Island, Yukon, July 30, has the 

 natal down still plainly visible on the back and top of the head (fig. 31) ; the 

 whitish tips of the feathers on the back are much in evidence. These white edg- 



