the shores of Cohasset, and other parts of Massachusetts Bay,
and are Brought in numbers to thè marlet' of Boston, being
very fat and well flavoured. They arrive in flocks aboiit tfiè
close of August, andeontinue here, as well as in NiewkFersey,
till the month of September? and perhapsdnto‘.October. In
some instances, solitary.individuals haye been killed in iM®
marshes of Charles river in Cambridge, about the 22nd of
J u ly ; these were in company with the flocks of small. Sandpipers,
T . Wilsomi óf Nuttall, T. pusilla of .Wilson ; but
whether pairs may breed in the neighbouring marshes or not,
we have not had the means of ascertaining. While, here they
feed on small coleoptera, larvse, and the common green Ulna
latissima, ias well as some species ;of Fucus, or sea-weed, on
which they become very fat. They utter a "low plaintive
whistle when started, very similar to that- of -some other species.
Like the Snipe they seemt fond of damp meadows and
marshes, and solitary individuals are often surprised, by the
sportsman in the manner of that bird.”
Mr. Audubon in his third volume says, ‘4 -This Sandpiper
is not uncommon along the-.shores of our Eastern States in
autumn and winter. I t has also lately been found in England,
and I have seen" a specimen of it in the possession of
William Yarrell of London,-which was shot at no great distance
from the metropolis. I first mét with this;.species in
the immediate vicinity of DennisviUer ing the State of Maine,
feeding on the rocky bars of .thê river at low water. I have
observed that the flight of .the Pectoral Sandpiper resembles
that of the Knot, and is firm, rapid, and well sustained. I t
skims rather low over the surface of the water or' the land;
and at times shoots high up into the air, propelling itself with
double rapidity and in perfect silence. I t runs with 'great
agility, and probes the sand or wet earth, immersing its bill
up to the base. I never saw this species in any part of the
interior. Its places of resort during the breeding season,
and the i^l^nges^of plumage which it undergoes ate unknown.”
The* stomneh^Ij^ ^ examined;by Mr. Audubon «contained
^ e remain^of small crustaceaJ^d^aridifragments, of quartz.
I am in '-also .-indebted, to Mr.’Audubon for
the speciipeU of Tringa pectoralis, froMKwhich the figure was
%awn and thejfollowing-descript.iOuHaken.
The beak is dark brown atrihe pointyorange'|^|own at the
base fjpMfe^dark bfbwn ;-feathers; Of the5t|p,!of the head dusky
brown, with- darker’ central streaks,’ and fippe’d.iwi^ rufous;
the back of Ihfe, nre&k, the wingr-eoveti^lthe backhand the
teftialsuferk brown, with lighter 'gpteurbd-margins ; primaries
dusky Mack, tftefshaft of 4tffie first uhit'e1”'} secondaries dusky
black each with a narrow- ed g ^p f w h ti? rump, nnd upper
tail-cbvi^fs, ■ and t’hei tWov-middla^aiLfeathers, whiCnfare the
longest,’Mack f thU-^Ssfeof the^taihf©ath%Sf:ash brown tipped
with ^yll)/wi®li' white-^ihln white; the cbeefpl sides and
front of the nq^:, and -thes^upper part giy^e* dareaSt,- greyish
white»tinged 1 ^ t h j brown arid streaked with duskyhlack In
the lin ^ f i the shaft o^f^chtdeather ; flower part of the, breast,
belly, and under- f tail-coverts white ;41fegs and1 toes yellowish
brownie claws black. ’
The whole-lengths eight inches, and three quarters; the
wing^from-the carpal joint to tie- end of the first quilkfeatber,
whichfds the longest, five, inches and, threerhighths.
While the account of this Sandpiper was going through
the press, Mr. Mitchell byery kindly sent me his specimen
from' Cornwall for my temporary-;use <;k and this bird, killed
as stated on the 27th of May,Jhas all the^feathers of the
back, the scapulars, - tertials, andr; tw-0‘ - middle tail-feathers
broadly edged with ferruginous, which in my own bird, killed
at a different season of the year, are pale brownish white.