The Pectoral Sandpiper 
distinctive for size. Requires careful distinction from succeeding species, which is 
one-third smaller. 
Nesting. —Does not breed in California. Nest: A depression in the ground or 
tundra. Eggs: 4; pale olive-buff to deep olive-buff, heavily marked, spotted, and 
blotched with brownish black and sepia, the darker markings often heavily shadowed 
by sepia or light brownish olive. Av. size 38.1 x 27.2 (1.50 x 1.07); index 71.3. Season: 
June; one brood. 
General Range. —Northeastern Siberia, the whole of North America and the 
West Indies and the greater part of South America. Breeds in the Arctic regions. Of 
frequent occurrence in Europe. 
Occurrence in California. —Not common spring and fall migrant coastwise. 
Taken in Monterey County 
Authorities.—Cooper (Actodromas maculata), Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., vol. iv., 
1868, p. 8 (San Francisco Bay); Bowles and Howell , Condor, vol. xiv., 1912, p. 8 (Santa 
Barbara; migr. dates). 
THE AUTHORI¬ 
TIES used to tell us that 
the Pectoral Sandpiper 
was “rare” or “casual” 
anywhere along the 
Pacific Coast. Well, per¬ 
haps it was, or perhaps it 
was merely overlooked. 
Recent records, at least, 
have tended to destroy 
the earlier traditions of a 
bird so rare that the lay¬ 
man might never hope to 
see it. The third record 
for the State of California 
was made by Bradford 
Torrey 1 who saw birds at 
Santa Barbara from Sep¬ 
tember 17 to 23, 1909. 
Mr. J. Hooper Bowles’ 
dates for 1910 at the same 
station were April 14th 
and September 8th; and 
for 1911 (with Mr. A. B. 
Howell), Aug. 18 to Sept. 
20. The species was not detected in 1912, but I found it again on Aug. 
20, 1913, in the Santa Barbara Estero; and again on the nth of October 
at Elkhorn, in Monterey County, on the grounds of the Empire Gun Club. 
A LITTLE DOUBTFUL 
Photo by the Author 
'"Condor,” Vol. XII., Jan. 1910, pp. 44, 45. 
1232 
