B A R T R A M I A N SANDPIPER.
fat; in the Carolinas on crickets and other insects, as well as the seels
of the crab-grass, Digitaria sangumama; and in the barrens of Kentucky
they often pick the strawberries« Those which feed much on
cantharides, require to be very carefully cleaned, otherwise persons
eating them are liable to suffer severely. Several gentlemen of New
Orleans have assured me, that they have seen persons at dinner obliged
to leave the rooin at once, under such circumstances, which cannot
well be described here. When flavoured with the ripe strawber^
ries, on which they have1 fed, their flesh is truly delicious.
This species performs its migrations by night as well as by day.
Its flight is rather swift and well sustained. While travelling* it generally
flies so high as to be beyond reach , of the gun: but if the weather
bsjcloudy, oj; if it blow hard, it flies lower, and may easily he shot.
It generally proceeds in straggling bands, and moves along with continuous
easy beats of the wings, but sails, as it were, when about to
alight, as well as during the love season.
As long ago as 1805 and 1806, I observed this species breeding in
the meadows and green-fields of my plantation of Millgrove, near the
bank* of Perkioming Greek- Since then, I have known of its'rearing
broods in different parts of Pennsylvania, in the State of New York,
and in various districts to the eastward as far as the confines of Maine ;
but I did not find it in Newfoundland or Labrador; and I have reason
to believe, that it does not breed to the south of Maryland.
My friend, the Rev. Dr BACHMAN, ha& informed me that the Bartramian
Sandpipermakes its appearance, in South Carolina aboutthe 15th
of July, the hottest period of the year, in considerable numbers, betakes
itself at Once to the high grassy lands, and there remains about a
month. He considers it to be then on its return from the north, and
states that it is Very fat and affords delicious food. His manner of shooting
them is, to ride in a chair or gig over the fields which they frequent,
or along the roads in their neighbourhood, by which means they can
be approached near enough to enable the sportsman to shoot with almost
a certainty of success, as the bird rises out of the grass. If one
attempts to get near them on foot, they rise at too great a distance,
then sweep in circles over the spot, and alight a considerable way off.
They are seldom met with there in flocks of more than four or five individuals.
I have found the eggs of this bird laid on the bare earth, in a hollow
B A R T R A M I A N SANDPIPER. 2 7
scooped outtfo the. depth of about an inch and a half,, near the roots of
a tuft of rank grass, in the. middle of a meadow, and seen some nests
0f the same speitos, formed of loosely arranged grasses, and placed almost
beneath low bushes growing on poorelevated ridges, furnished with
a scanty vegetation. I have also heard my esteemed young friend, JOHN
TEUDEAU, state that he had discovered one.on a high part of the bank of
the Delaware River. When disturbed while on. its nest, but unobserved,
it runs thirty or forty yards, and then flies off as if severely wounded.
Should it have young, its attempts to docoy you away are quite enough
t„ indue® f m to desist from harassing it. The eggs measure an inch and
five and a half, eighths, by an inch and a quarter in their, greatest
breadth. In form they resemble those' of Tetmrn maculwrim, being
broadly rounded atone otid, aridratherpoiiitcdat the other: their, surface,
smooth ; their ground colour dull greyish-yellow, with numerous spots of
light purple and reddish-brown. They arc placed in the nest in the same
manner as thO® of the Spotted' .Sandpiper, that is, with the smaller
ends together, which is also the: «ase with those of the Tell-tale Godwit,
Wilson1! plover,, and the Kildeer Plover, The young, which run about
immediately after exclusion, grow rapidly, and in about a month are
able to use their wings, after which, they and their parents gradually,
and according to the temperature of the> season, move southward.
In Massachusetts, and to the eastward of that state, this species is
best known by the name of " Upland Plover," and in somèr other districts
it is named thé Field Plover. The drawing from which the plate
was engraved was taken from individuals shot near Bayou Sara, in the
Stat® 6f Mississippi.
' TOTASI s L-SSHTUAMIRA, Ch. Jlcn-ip.. Bynops-s of Birds of ike United States, p. 262.
TRINBA BAKTUAMIA, Wife AmerJ Ornith. vol. vii. p. 63,.PI. 59. fig- 2.
BAUTRAMI AN TAXI.E&, A'vttull, MiUillill, VOL. !!• )>• 169.
'l'or ANC» BASTKAMtfliirhards. and Smvm. Fann» Bor. Amer. vol. ii- p. 391.
Adult Male. Plate CCCIII. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, slender, straight, slightly defected
at the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge
convex, the sides grooved beyond the middle, afterwards convex, the
edges inflected, the tips a little deflected, and tapering to an obtuse