The Western Sandpiper 
Taken in Washington Photo by the Author 
PEACE 
est. Anyhow, I think they all won, for as nearly as the eye could judge the 
birds hopped to wing without the assistance of the elevated foot, when 
startled from this position. 
On another occasion when they wished to glean from the surface of a 
light water-weed which was too trail to support their weight, and in water 
too deep for wading, 1 have seen the birds maintain themselves with 
fluttering wings while they snatched their prey rapidly. The legs mean¬ 
while were used for what they were worth, and as often as the water-weed 
did promise to support the weight thus, the wing-motion would cease 
momentarily. Seen breasting the wind in this fashion, the Peeps rather 
reminded one of Swallows, or even of Black Terns, although the fluttering 
was more uniform than the dab-and-dodge method of the Tern. 
These little Peeps, by the way, swim as gracefully as Phalaropes when 
they are put to it. But they swim, apparently, only when tempted 
beyond their depth in pursuit of some escaping edenda , or when surprised 
by the inequality of the bottom. 
It is a source of perennial interest to see how close one can get to a 
company of Sandpipers. I f one has patience to lie motionless beside some 
salty plash, the birds will sometimes venture within touching distance. 
Nothing, to my mind, could exceed the flattery implied by the near 
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