ACT1TURUS BARTRAM1US. 
389 
OBSERVATIONS. 
Readily known by the larger size, slightly curved bill, the banded inner webs of primaries, and yellowish colors above. 
Distributed, in summer, from Pennsylvania, northward. Winters south of the United States. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 1180; stretch, 21-50; wing, 6'62; tail, 3'25; 
bill, 1* 12; tarsus, l - 82. Longest specimen, 12'25; greatest extent of wing, 22'00; longest wing, 6*75; tail, 3 - 35; bill, 1-20; 
tarsus, 2'00. Shortest specimen, 1150; smallest extentofwing, 2P00; shortest wing, 6-50; tail, 3’20; bill, l - 05; tarsus, Pfi5. 
DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 
Eggs, placed on the ground in a depression of the soil on a little grass. They are from two to four in number, rather 
pyriform in shape; pale buff in color, spotted and dotted irregularly and sparcely with yellowish-brown of varying shades. 
Dimensions from l’25x 1 ‘75 to 1‘35x P90. 
HABITS. 
Late in summer or early in autumn, two or three species of small locusts become very 
abundant on the elevated tracts of country along the coast of Massachusetts; in fact, they 
occur in such swarms, that the hills become quite brown, for nearly every green thing is de¬ 
voured by these pests. There is no great evil, however, which is not productive of some 
good, and the sportsman has reason to bless the locusts, for Bartram’s Sandpipers, or Up¬ 
land Plovers, as they are more commonly known, are very fond of these insects and con¬ 
sequently visit the hills in numbers, to feed upon them. Early in the morning, the clear, 
mellow whistle of the Sandpipers can be heard, as they fly across the intervening country, 
to reach their feeding grounds. When coming to the hills, they generally fly up the wind 
and alight under the brow of the elevations, where they will settle, giving a chuckling note 
as they do so, after which they are silent, for the cry, so often given when on the wing, is 
seldom repeated when the birds are on the ground. Bartarm’s Sandpipers are now very 
shy in Massachusetts and it is almost impossible to approach near enough to obtain a shot, by 
walking in an upright position, but by creeping on all fours, one can go quite near them, as 
they do not appear to recognize a man when he is in this attitude. Their favorite resorts 
on the hill tops, appear to be the little ravines where the grass is greenest, and where, con¬ 
sequently, the locusts are, if anything, more numerous. When startled, the birds almost 
always rise into the wind, uttering their note as they go. About noon, they will occasion¬ 
ally leave the more elevated spots and visit the marshes, but do not remain on them long. 
The endeavors of the sportsman to decoy these wary birds within gun shot, by imitating 
their cries, seldom proves successful and the’only sound that will attract their attention, is 
the peculiar noise which the birds give when alighting. 
I found Bartram’s Sandpipers breeding in Pennsylvania in June, and when the nest 
was approached, the female quietly left it, but afterward, both birds would circle about, 
uttering loud cries. The young are fledged by the middle of August and accompany their 
parents. At this time, the birds are fond of resorting to particular fields and if driven from 
one, will fly to another. The sportmen take advantage of this fact, and by lying behind 
some convenient stone wall or clump of bushes, intercept them as they fly from one feed¬ 
ing ground to another. Bartram’s Sandpipers migrate from the middle of August to the 
middle of September in autumn, and return north in May, breeding throughout the more 
unsettled districts of the Eastern and Middle States, 
