330 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



river. We saw numbers daily, the old birds now usually accompanied 

 by young, along Slave River between Fort Smith and Fort Resolu- 

 tion June 29 to July 4. The species was noted by my brother several 

 times at Fort Resolution during July, and I saw a few individuals on 

 islets in Great Slave Lake near Loon Island July 10. While ascend- 

 ing Slave and Athabaska rivers by steamer we seldom saw the 

 bird, but while traveling by boats up the Athabaska between Fort 

 McMurray and Athabaska Landing, August 10 to 29, we observed 

 the species nearly every day. 



In 1903 we found spotted sandpipers abundant on the Athabaska, 

 noting them nearly every day between Athabaska Landing and Fort 

 Chipewyan May 16 to June 2. They were abundant also along our 

 route to Fort Resolution. The first nest, containing four eggs, was 

 found at Smith Landing June 10. The species was occasionally seen 

 at Fort Resolution during the latter part of June. My brother and 

 Cary found it common at Hay River June 28 to July 1, at Fort 

 Providence July 3 to 8, and near the mouth of Nahanni River July 

 11 to 19, noting young birds about a week old on the former date. 

 They observed the species also near Fort Wrigley July 20. On their 

 return trip they saw several flocks near Nahanni River July 23 and 

 frequently observed it on the Slave and Athabaska. It was abun- 

 dant at Red River August 6, Fort McMurray August 8 to 11, and 

 Brule Rapid August 18, and was last observed at Athabaska Land- 

 ing September 3. During my trip northward from Fort Rae, after 

 the division of the party, I observed the species on Lake Marian July 

 30, Grandin River August 2, 3, and 4, Sarahk Lake August 6 and 7, 

 and a few miles south of MacTavish Bay, Great Bear Lake, August 

 25. While ascending the Mackenzie I saw a single bird about Gravel 

 River October 5, and another, or perhaps the same individual, a few 

 miles farther on, October 6. 



In the spring of 1904 the spotted sandpiper was first observed at 

 Willow River, near Fort Providence, May 17, by J. W. Mills. At 

 Fort Simpson I first saw the species May 19, noting it about a small 

 pond in the woods. It was next seen May 21 and 23, and was ob- 

 served nearly every day during the remainder of the month. While 

 descending the Mackenzie during June I noted numbers nearly every 

 day. The first nest, not quite finished, was seen near Fort Norman 

 June 10. The species was common at Fort McPherson during the 

 first half of July, and eggs were collected July 7. While I was as- 

 cending the Mackenzie during the latter part of July the species was 

 common along its entire course, and it was observed nearly every day 

 along the Athabaska between Fort McMurray and La Biche River 

 August 10 to 31. 



