having a slate-color. They average about 1.30 x .90. Mr. Jenness Richardson, in a letter to Mr. Capen, 
describes the finding of a set of these eggs as follows: “At Lake Bombazine, Castleton, Vt., near what 
is known as ‘Birch Point,’ there is a small stream emptying into the lake, at the mouth of which is a 
large swampy tract, covering several acres, and having a dense growth of alders. The swamp at this time 
of the year is partially flooded. Here the Woodcock, Snipe, and Solitary Sandpiper are very abundant. 
A search was at once commenced to find the nest of the last bird. One morning, about twenty feet from 
me, as I was about to enter the swamp, I flushed one of these birds, which displayed considerable anxiety. 
I immediately began hunting for its nest, which I soon discovered, concealed, and partly sheltered, by a 
thicket of small hemlocks. The nest was a mere depression on the ground, without any vestige of a 
lining whatever, and contained only one egg. The bird was shot, and, upon dissection, two egg's were 
found, which would probably have been laid in a few days. This egg was found May 28, 1878.” 
Maynard, in “North American Birds,’’ says: “There are few birds, the eggs of which have remained 
so long unknown, as the present species. At first ornithologists were inclined to believe the birds would 
be found breeding in the deserted nests of Crows or Hawks, after the manner of the closely allied 
European species, and such may be the case at times. I am inclined to think, however, that these 
Solitary Tattlers generally place their eggs on the ground. . . . They are from two to four in 
number, varying from creamy to pale buff in color, spotted and blotched with umber-brown of varying 
shades, with the usual pale shell markings. Dimensions from .95 x 1.35 to 1.00 x 1.40. . . . The 
eggs from which I have taken my description came from Utah, and as I have every reason to believe, are 
authentic.” 
DIFFERENTIAL POINTS: 
See Table. 
REMARKS : 
Fig. 13, Plate LXYIII, represents an egg now in the National Museum, supposed to be that of 
the Solitary Sandpiper. It is the one refei'red to above, which was found by Oliver Davie, of Columbus. 
It measures 1.83 x .94. 
314 
