BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA 
91 
Roddy, of Millersville, Pa., writing- (letter) of this species in Perry 
county, says: “ In the latter part of June, 1884, I shot an adult male 
Solitary Sandpiper. There were a pair of them in a swamp, and from 
their actions they were nesting. I devoted a good bit of time in search¬ 
ing for their nest but could not find it. I have no doubt, however, as to 
their breeding.” Dr. Treichler, of Lancaster county, mentions it as an 
irregular breeder; he has found young about half grown in the Cone- 
wago meadows early in July. Dr. Walter Van Fleet, of Renovo, states 
that the Solitary Sandpiper breeds in Clinton, Union and Northumber¬ 
land counties. Prof. A. Kock, of Williamsport, tells me that he is quite 
positive that this bird sometimes breeds in the mountainous regions of 
Lycoming county. Although the bird is common, very little is known 
concerning its nest or eggs. Prof. Robert Ridgway * says, “ Egg (iden¬ 
tification doubtful, but probably correct) 1.32 by .90, dull light-buffy, 
thickly spotted and clouded with rich madder-brown and purplish-gray.” 
Mr. Oliver Davie (Nests and Eggs of N. A. Birds, third edition), says: 
“ In the last edition of this work I mentioned an egg supposed to belong 
• to this species, which I took in an open field bordering the Scioto river, 
near Columbus, Ohio, in the latter part of May, 1887. * * * * The 
egg was of a pointed oval shape, and not nearly so pyriform as are the 
eggs of most of this family, size 1.25 by .88, smaller than the eggs of the 
Spotted Sandpiper. The ground was clay-color with a reddish tinge, 
thickly marked with reddish and blackish-brown. The nest was on the 
ground in as exposed a locality as is ever frequented by this bird. It 
contained two eggs, both far advanced in incubation, only one of which 
was preserved.” 
According to Audubon, the Solitary Sandpiper is expert in catching 
insects on the wing, “ especially the smaller kinds of dragon-flies, which 
it chases from the sticks on which they alight, and generally seize before 
they have flown across the little ponds which are the favorite places of 
resort of this species. I have found their stomachs filled with aquatic 
insects, caterpillars of various kinds, and black spiders of considerable 
size.” 
The food materials of eleven birds examined by the writer are given 
below: 
No. 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
(! 
a 
10 
u 
Date. 
Locality. 
Food-Materials. 
May 5. 1880.. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Small shells. 
May 6, 1880. 
Chester county. Pa. 
Vegetable matter. 
May 0. 1880. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Small “worms.” 
May 7. 1882. 
Chester county. Pa. 
‘ ‘Worms ” and beetles. 
May 7. 1882. 
Chester county. Pa. 
‘ ‘Worms ” and beetles. 
Sept. 21. 1883. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Beetles 
Oct. 5. 1883. 
Chester county. Pa. 
‘ ‘Worms.’’ 
Oct 20 1888 
Schuylkill county. Pa. 
Insects. 
May 111 1884. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Beetles and earth-worm 
May 11. 1884. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Dipterous Insects. 
May 11, 1884. 
Chester county, Pa. 
Small ‘ ‘ worms." 
* Manual of North American Birds, page lt>t>. 
