other authorities, that the Spotted Sandpiper is a visitor to
thé Continent of Europe, hut the Editor is unable to find
any convincing evidence of the correct identification ©fi the
specimens said tó have been obtained. MM. Vian and
Marmottan (Bull. Soc. ZooL’Fr. 1879, p. 248), among-the
list of rarities obtained exclusively in France, cite an adult
male T. macularius killed on the 22nd April, 1875, at
“ Spire, Bavière rhénane ” (l).;! ;and Mr. Càtke informs the
Editor that he believes in the authenticity of one shot on
Heligoland in May, 1840, and sent to Hamburg before he
collected.
The Spotted Sandpiper has a very extensile range in
North America, breeding from Labrador to-Texas, and from
the shores of the Atlantic ib the mouth of-the Yukon. It;is
found up to an elevatioh of 8,000 to 9,000 fêet, and evenlto
thé shores of the lakes near the end of *the forest-growth.
In October it leaves the Northern States and passés’southwards
for the winter, visiting the Bermudas, the West Indies,
and Central and South America as far as Brazil. The return
migration takes place in April, but, as observed.by Audubon,
there- is considerable difference between the time of breeding
in southern localities" such as Texas, and northern ones like
Labrador. During the,breeding-Season i t inhabits the banks
of rivers and lakes, where «its actions, habits, and fçjbôûare
observed to accord so closely with those of our Common Sandpiper
in thid country as !'to make quotation from American
^authorities • unnecessary.' One ^extract ’from? ^Auchib'ok-s
Ornithological Biography may be given, because it refers-to
a power possessed by birds wh-i<#has been- "dbpbtéd^iï at
of being able io^moye^ iheir^ eggA when danger threatens.
“ My.e^eemed friend, Thomas- Maçculloeh, of Pictou, .Nova
Scotia, having transmitted ’to''mer é ’ curiousKabcbii'nt' of tteh
attachment, ofj ene of these birds to1 her eg^^,J it
with pleasure :—‘ Being- on ,apise,^nj^ion to the* ijardyoqd
Heights, whieh rise-to" the West, of-- Pictou ,.tmy attentidn'was
attracted by the Warble of a.fittlé'bird,(WHiçÊ' Appeared to me
entirely new, and which proceeded’"from a small fhicÊejk a
short way off. Whilst 'crossing an intervening, meadow,Sjh
accidentally raised a Spotted Sandpiper from its! nest, and
having marked thé spot, I hastened forwards; but the shyness
of the object of my pursuit rendered all my efforts
unavailing, and; returning to the nest I had just left. I
expected to find it still unoccupied ; hut the Sandpiper had
again resumed her place, and left it with great reluctance on
my- near approach. The nest contained four eggs, which I
determined to remove on my return at, night, and for'the
purpose of preventing the bird sitting again upon them I
placed a number of stones in a ! slanting position over thé
nést, and so close that it was impossible >for the bird to get
intq, it. . On my return in tbe evening, however, I observed
the little creature rise from hésijte the stones,! apparently in
greater trepidation than ever, and more anxious to draw mé
away by ,-the exhibition;,©f $11, those little arts, which; they
practise for this purpose. On examining'the spot I was
very much surprised to. find' that the poor thing had not
only ‘^followed out a new nest, hut had actually succeeded.iix
abstracting two eggs from the other nest. How the bird had
contrived to remove: the eggs T cannot conceive, as the stones
remained unaltered, ■ This attachment to its nest and eggs
appeared to me mere singular as the bird had but just commenced
incubation, the^egge exhibiting very litj|e appearance
of -the.young.’
Two eggs of the Spotted Sandpiper, given to the Author
by Mr. AuduböÉ; resembled those of our Common Sandpiper,
measuring about 1*4 by 1 in, ; of a pale reddish-whit^,
spotted and speckled with ash-grey, and two shades of
reddisb-brówh ; but, as a rule, tbe spots are darker than in
eggrhf our bird.
This bird is smaller than our" Common Sandpiper/irat so
like it in the general colour and markings of the plumage
oh the upper surface of the body, that the distinctions only
ne§efhe'- noticed. The beak is shorter and paler in colour,
both at-the point and at the base; the dark streak on the
feathers of^Jfe back seems more confined to the transverse
direction, and is not so often conspicuous down the line of
the shaft of the feather; the secondaries are tipped with;