Shore Birds of Cape Cod. 
JohnC.Cahoon. 
Sanderling, Calidris arenaria , (Linn.) “Gray 
back,” “Whiting,” “Sandpiper,” or more often 
“Bull-peep” on Cape Cod. An abundant spring, 
i summer and autumn migrant. The first ar- 
rivals of this handsome “beach bird” in the 
spring are seen on Cape Cod about the last 
week In April or first in May, the full force 
passing during the second and third weeks in 
May. Stragglers are seen as late as June 24th. 
In the summer the first ones migrating south, 
which are adults, reach the Cape as early as 
July 6th, becoming common by the 17th and 
abundant by the 25th. The young commence 
to arrive the first week in August, and by the 
middle or last of the month no adults are seen. 
They are abundant at intervals during Septem- 
ber and October, a few remaining late into No- 
vember and individuals have been seen in De- 
cember. In the spring they are seen in pairs or 
small flocks of from six to twelve and evince 
a marked shyness which is not noticed in the 
autumn. They go to the sand flats and low 
beaches to feed along the edges of channels and 
receding tide water. They are very restless and 
exhibit great activity while running about in 
search of their food, which is sand fleas and 
other small marine animals. As soon as the 
tide flows they retire to the high beaches to wait 
until the next ebb tide. They are often seen in 
large flocks running about on the sand near the 
surf picking up small bits of food washed up 
by the waves — and from this habit they are 
best known in some localities on the Atlan- 
tic coast as “Surf snipe.” As soon as a breaker : 
comes rolling in on to the beach they beat a 
hasty retreat, keeping ahead and out of reach 
of the rushing water, then turn and follow the 
retreating waters, often wading belly deep to 
get a dainty morsel before it is carried beyond 
their reach. About five years ago I found this 
bird verj' plentiful in September at fish works 
on Monomoy Island, about some guano that 
was spread out near the beach. They were 
feeding on small flies and insects that were 
very numerous about and on the guano. I ; 
have never seen it on the marshes and it is a 
bird of the sand, as its name implies. They i 
are very salable in our markets and since some 
of our larger birds have become scarce, a great 
many are shot each season by the market gun- 
gers and sportsmen from the cities. An old 
gunner writes me that about ten years ago he 
shot six of these birds on Pace Point, Province- 
town, and that he had never seen any before or 
since. 
A Sanderling with Hind Toes. — On September n, 1903,1 obtained 
from a gunner at Ipswich, Mass., a Sanderling ( Calidris arenaria ) which 
had rudimentary hind toes. The bird was one of eleven shot in my pres- 
ence out of a passing flock. None of the other birds secured had this 
peculiarity. The hind toes are only about .05 of an inch in length and 
have no claws but they were very noticeable in the fresh bird and are 
equally so in the skin, which is now in the collection of Dr. Charles W. 
Townsend of Boston. I suppose this to be a case of reversion, as the 
ancestors of the Sanderling were doubtless four-toed sandpipers. — 
Francis H. Allen, ' Boston. Mass. a 
t Auk, XXI, Jan. , 1904., p-,7?. 
Old Records for Maas, & Rhode Id. 
Muskeget Island, Massachusetts, March 11, 1894. Six Sanderling 
(Calidris leucophoea ) have lived in the vicinity the past -winter. 
Auk 28, JML-l©ll,p. (HQ, 
O.&o. XIII. Sept. 1888 p .129 -)30 
