306 
SPOTTED SANDPIPER, OR TATLER. 
for their brood. The cry, of course, is most frequent toward evening, when 
the little family, separated by the necessity of scattering themselves ovei 
the ground in quest of food, are again desirous of reassembling to roost, 
The young, as soon as hatched, run about the grass, and utter from the first 
a weak plaintive peep, at length more frequent and audible; and an imitation 
of the whistle of peet weet, is almost sure to meet with an answer from the 
sympathizing broods, which now throng our marshes. When the note 
appears to be answered, the parents hurry, and repeat their call with great 
quickness. Young and old, previous to their departure, frequent the sea- 
shores, like most of the species, but never associate with other kinds, nor 
become gregarious, living always in families till the time of their departure, 
which usually occurs about the middle of October.” 
My esteemed friend Thomas Macculloch of Pictou, Nova Scotia, having- 
transmitted to me a curious account of the attachment of one of these birds 
to her eggs, I here insert it with pleasure. “ Being on an excursion to the 
Hardwood Heights, which rise to the west of Pictou, my attention was 
attracted by the warble of a little bird, which appeared to me entirely new, 
and which proceeded from a small thicket a short way off. Whilst crossing 
an intervening meadow, I accidentally raised a Spotted Sandpiper from its 
nest, and having marked the spot I hastened forwards ; but the shyness of 
the object of my pursuit rendered all my efforts unavailing, and returning to 
the nest which I had just left, I expected to find it still unoccupied ; but the 
Sandpiper had again resumed her place, and left it with great reluctance, 
on my near approach. The first contained four eggs, which I determined to 
remove on my return at night, and for the purpose of preventing the bird 
sitting again upon them, I placed a number of stones in a slanting position 
over the nest, and so close that it was impossible for the bird to get into it. 
On my return in the evening, however, I observed the little creature rise 
from beside the stones apparently in greater tx-epidation than ever, and more 
anxious to draw me away by the exhibition of all those little arts which they 
practise for this purpose. On examining the spot I was very much surprised 
to find that the poor thing had not only hollowed out a new nest, but had 
actually succeeded in abstracting two eggs from the other nest. How the 
bird had contrived to remove the eggs I cannot conceive, as the stones re- 
mained unaltered. This attachment to its nest and eggs appeared to me 
more singular as the bird had just commenced incubation, the eggs exhibiting 
very little appearance of the young.” 
In addition to the observations of Thomas Nuttall, I must inform you 
that this species is often observed to alight on the branches of trees hanging- 
over water-courses, on which they walk deliberately, and with their usual 
delicate elegance of gait, and balancing of both body and tail. They are 
