SCOLOPACIDiE — THE SNIPE FAMILY — TRYNGTTES. 
307 
Mr. Dresser met with this bird near Matamoras late in August. Visiting the 
lagoon early one morning, he noticed a dock of Sandpipers near him, on a little 
grassy place a short distance from the water, and on shooting some of them, found 
them to be of this species ; the next day, on visiting the same place, he was able to 
procure others. In travelling thence to San Antonio, in September, he found these 
birds rather common throughout the whole journey ; and he often shot them, finding 
them excellent eating. They were not shy, and went in flocks of from five to twelve 
in number. They did not resort to the pools, but lived on the small insects found 
amongst the coarse herbage which often grows some distance from the water. Near 
Victoria they were very abundant, but after leaving that town he noticed only a few. 
At San Antonio he saw none, but was informed by Dr. Heermann that they are often 
found there in the spring and autumn. Dr. Merrill also found this species on the 
Rio Grande, and mentions its frequenting the same localities and observing the same 
seasons as the Upland Plover, which it closely resembles in habits, though it is much 
less shy and suspicious. 
This species has not been detected in California, but Dr. Cooper is confident that 
it occurs there, at least as far south as San Francisco. It is found sparingly north 
of the Columbia. According to Dr. Heermann, on the interior prairies this species 
feeds on insects, and utters merely a low tweet, two or three times repeated. It runs 
swiftly and, if alarmed, flies rapidly, making circuitous sweeps before alighting again. 
This author claims to have found its nest in Texas, made of grasses, placed in a 
hollow in the ground, and containing four eggs. Buf as this bird breeds in high 
northern regions, up to the very borders of the Arctic Ocean, he may have been 
mistaken in his identification. 
It occurs in Cuba, according to Gundlach, as a winter visitant, and probably in 
other West India islands. It visits Trinidad, where, as Leotaud states, it is known 
as the Little Yellowleg, and where it makes its appearance in August, departing in 
October. It comes regularly, but never in great numbers, and it is almost always in 
company with the Totanus flavipes. 
During the winter months it appears to be resident in South America as far south 
as the Plata, where it was procured by Dr. Darwin. Mr. Salvin received an example 
from Bogota, and Natterer obtained examples in various parts of Brazil between No- 
vember and March. It is also reported from Peru by Messrs. Salvin and Godman. 
It is not of infrequent, although of irregular and accidental, occurrence in Europe. 
Professor Blasius includes it in his List of the Birds of Heligoland; and Mr. Yarrell 
records quite a number of instances in which it has been taken in England and Ire- 
land, where it was noticed among flocks of Dunlins and Bing Plovers. Vieillot 
includes it among the birds of France, on account of one having been taken in Pic- 
ardy. It was first made known as a species by Vieillot, from a specimen taken in 
Louisiana, where it had not been noticed by Audubon. It was unknown both to Wil- 
son and to Bonaparte ; and the first specimen seen by Audubon Avas one in possession 
of the Arctic explorer, Captain James Clark Boss, who had received it from a sailor, 
by whom it had been procured in the course of one of the numerous inland excursions 
in the desolate regions from which the party had recently returned. From this Mr. 
Audubon rightly conjectured that this bird bred within the Arctic Circle. Mr. Bernard 
Boss mentions having found it on the Mackenzie Biver, Avhere it was quite rare. A 
single specimen Avas noticed by Mr. Frank L. Tileston in Prince Edward’s Island, 
where it was regarded as very uncommon. 
Mr. Nelson, in his “Notes on the Birds of Northeastern Illinois,” mentions it as a 
very rare migrant in that region, only one specimen, so far as known, having been 
