Stilt Sandpipers ( Micropalama himantopus) at Ithaca, N. Y. — Fol- 
lowing the cold rainy days of the first of August (1912) and coincident 
with the first flocks of migrating warblers, there occurred through central 
New York State a considerable migration of Shore Birds. Although a few 
had been noted about two weeks previously, this wasTEe first large migra- 
tion of the fall. In mixed flocks along the head of Cayuga Lake, the 
following species were abundant: Semipalmated, Least and Pectoral 
Sandpipers, Sanderling, Lesser Yellow-legs and Ivilldeer Plover. In 
addition, Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers, feeding singly, were scattered 
all along the shore and likewise one Ring-necked Plover. Three days 
later, I found the same species in greater numbers, and associated with 
them, a flock of six Knots and one of seven Stilt Sandpipers. The number 
of Knots did not change, but the flock of Stilt Sandpipers shortly increased 
to eleven, although all were seldom seen at once. Two White-rumped 
Sandpipers, two Black-bellied Plovers, a Turnstone, a Greater Yellow-legs, 
and a Dowitcher soon added themselves to the assemblage. The majority 
of these birds were adults and still in nuptial plumage. They remained 
the greater part of a week, when most of them moved on, leaving only a 
small number of those species which had earlier been the most numerous. 
The presence of such a variety of Shore Birds, including the Stilt Sand- 
pipers, induced me to make somewhat extended observations. Accord- 
ingly a blind was constructed along the lake shore and many hours were 
spent in watching their movements. Inasmuch as the Stilt Sandpipers 
are so generally overlooked on the migration or confused with the Yellow- 
legs, a few comparative observations on their habits may be of interest. 
Although they might have been actually more numerous, the largest 
number seen together at one time was eleven. Usually they were in groups 
of from two to six and mingled with the Yellow-legs. The adults of the 
two species were easily distinguished as many of the Stilt Sandpipers still 
retained more or less of the breeding plumage with buffy and rufous mark- 
ings about the head, and heavy bars on the sides and flanks. The immature 
and molting birds of the two species, however, were much more easily 
confused for the Yellow-legs lacked the checker-board markings of the 
adult and approached very closely, in the back pattern, the mottling of 
the Stilt Sandpipers. The bars on the sides of the young Stilt Sandpipers 
being very faint, the tw-o birds were therefore outwardly much alike. The 
color of the legs distinguished them, when these were visible, but when they 
waded in water an inch or more in depth, even this proved an uncertain 
criterion as the upper shanks of many of the Yellow-legs were dark. Again 
in flight, the birds were very similar, although the white rumps and tails 
of the Stilt Sandpipers seemed less conspicuous than those of the Yellow- 
legs. The difference in size when the two birds stood side by side was very 
appreciable but, at other times, was merely confusing. 
In their habits, however, the two species were quite different. The 
Yellow-legs were always rangy birds and covered a'great deal of ground 
while feeding. Even when resting they were conspicuous by the nervous 
jerking of the head and neck. In flight they usually formed fairly compact 
flocks but scattered upon alighting. The Stilt Sandpipers on the other 
hand, were quiet birds and went about their search for food very syste- 
matically, gleaning everything in their way. They frequently fed in a 
