THE OOLOGIST. 
4-) 
AMEIiK'AX lURDS. 
THE SOLITARY SANDPIPEE. 
(Jllii/tirftithihis sah/ffi-ins, ) 
HIS liirtl iitul its coiifxt'iier the Spot- 
U'(i Saudpipei' "( 7'. inarf/larifis) ^ two, 
^ i'luuiinnily coiiltisiMl hy iiatui'nlisis 
niitl r*|K»rtsineii, from tlio similMrity i>riiu*ir 
]i;il»irs, r>izo, juid color. Slumld tlu's*' ro- 
stMnlthinces he detailed by t'hise nnd carorn! 
j'tiinparistm, it luiijht l)e said that tho ior- 
iiu'r luis |»n'i'iHi'.Iy th*.^ saino liabits. i.s somc- 
vvliat hir-ivr, and of a mure jreiieral color 
tin* Ijitlvr. Tliou^rh it is not as hri^^ht 
orphnnH;,a\ and less common than the 7'. 
umrtthfv'mii^ it is more ;;rn('erul in lorm and 
projjorlion tiiiui that bird, and. sliouid we 
Iti' requi^sted to select tlie end»lem of tin* t;Mu- 
ily, we no donlit, would maintain tlntt. 
onr cHtimation. the It, Hollfanns is the chos- 
en reprcscuUitivi'. 
When observed at a short 4listrtnce. tin- 
two — yes. sometime*? this with other sjie- 
I'ies — cannot lie separately known, cxcept- 
in-r by an experienced eye. Place them 
near, and side by side, and the dislin<'tiiin 
is apparent to the most imlitt'erent person. 
Reganled as a (common species, tliat can 
hardly be said of it. aUlion<xh it is not by 
any means rare, and may Ite seen, at least 
in their mifrrations,, upon almiist any bodv 
o' -ater. Their arrival from the south is 
.erally aboul the jjth of May, itften any 
uiie iuclusive of that month. a<*cordin«r to 
the severity or mihbiess oi* the precedent 
winter. The fli;rht is at a medinm di'jjree 
of rate, often accom|)anied by lrf(|nent jerks 
from the ori^fiaal ccau'st^. The j>iniiinsare 
nmvi'd sharply and with strong, impellinnr 
sintkes, ac<*omiiauieil often with an interval 
ol'ri*p(»r*o, durinjr wiiicli thi- bird sails i^rac*'- 
fnlly. but this is ntit prolomred tor more 
than the space of time 4i<*cupie<l iu heating 
them a half d(»y.eU timrs. 
Assochited u*ith otluM* sjH'cies. it is called 
•S;inil Siiipi., Tip-iip, PiTp, and other names 
ii'-twilhstaniliny: the latli*r appellation is er- 
roiii'iins. as it is applit^l to a snudler spf- 
cl;'s, — ihr Lrast SiiinlpiiH'r. TIk- food con- 
sists of small spiders, locusts, water larvse, 
and other insects common to the banks of 
streams and j)onds. 
The ciriTs and nest are both scarcely di.s- 
tin^ifuishable from tliose )»f tlie Spotted Sand- 
j)iper. They are of a li^dit hurt' color, 
very conical toward the snnUler end, and 
sj>lierical t(»ward the lar;xer, and covered 
with nndn'r and dark cinnan»on brown spots 
and blotches most collectively on the larger 
end. They are somewhat sliorter in length 
thtui those of the Spotted Sandpijier, and, 
as a general thing the spots and blotches as- 
sume a mon- romided form. They are 
u'(ii/s dei)osittMl with tin- small ends t*»ward 
the center, in a nest of leavi's, small twigs, 
drv grasses, cK*., merely scooju'd togflher 
under a "nndlen" stalk or thistle, usually 
but few feel from the banks (d'a body of wa- 
ter ; a rhouth nests have been found as umch 
as iuilf a mile from any water. The young 
remain with their parents througho\it their 
niigr-atious, departing for the south about 
till' middle of ()ctober. 
Sdiue sportsmen experience a superior 
relish to ^'Tip-up" flesh, the consequence 
of which they are much sought for during 
the autumn months. They are wary Inrds, 
however, ami require jnnch care and pa- 
tienci^ to kill where there is but little marsh 
or border-grass. C'liange ci' phmuige oc- 
curs in the fall, during which period tin^ 
birds undergo a very solitary dispositi<ni, 
and renniin secluded in some nuirshy local- 
ity. 
' The name --Tip-up." tlnnigh appropri- 
ate and yet a chmisy expression, originated 
fnnn the peculiarity these birds <'(nitnd, ()f 
ierking the body ahmtst continually while 
statnliiig. and especially alter }i run, atlrilv- 
uted, it is claimetl, to its iiiabilily to stand 
still. be<*ause tin' legs are placed so lar f(tr- 
wardjai the bird's body. This seems a rea- 
sonable agency, as the bird rarely ])erforms 
it. except when sl*»pping at the enti of a 
sharp run, when the sudden inertia com- 
pels iheui to p<'rform this in onlcr to nudn- 
t tin tln'ir balance. 
Sn>ii:riiiN' 
nuw next month. 
