BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
262. Tryngites subruficollis. 8 in.
Bill short and slender. General color above, blackish-brown margined with tawny; underparts buffy, with a few black specks on the sides of the breast. Primaries blackish-brown on the outer webs, the inner webs, as well as those of the secondaries, being whitish, peculiarly speckled with black; these markings are characteristic and are found on no other of our shore birds. It seems to be most nearly related to the last species, and like that, is often found on hillsides at a distance from water.
Notes.—A low, weak “tweet.”
Nest.—A scantily lined depression on the ground; the four eggs are grayish-buff, boldly blotched with rich chestnut-brown and black (1.45 × 1.05); June.
Range.—Breeds in Arctic America; winters in South America, migrating chiefly through the interior of the United States, but to a less degree on the coast.
SPOTTED SANDPIPER
263. Actitis macularia. 7.5 in.
Below white, with round blackish spots, heaviest on the breast and sides; above olive-brown or gray, with faint black bars; a narrow black line from the bill through the eye to the ears. Young entirely white below, with the breast faintly tinged with gray. These birds are abundant and breed locally throughout the United States and the greater part of Canada. One or more pairs will usually be found nesting in the fields about all small ponds, or among the weeds that grow about edges of pools and lakes. They have a peculiar habit of “teetering,” whether standing still or while feeding on the banks of streams or ponds; other birds do this but not nearly as persistently as Spotted Sandpipers.