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82 TIlE CONDOR VoL XlX sisted of four eggs. The three eggs referred to above were fresh, and the set probably incomplete. In those pairs which I have observed the male bird was found covering the eggs more often than the female, so I believe that it is safe to say that the male does at least half of the incubating. The birds are very nervous and extremely wary when once they have been flushed from the nest. They usually "sit tight" the first time, however, and do not flush unless nearly stepped upon. On June 25 a male bird was flushed from a nest at a distance of less than six feet.' I had been told the general location of the nest, hence was carefully exam- ining the tundra as I walked slowly along, yet [ was unable to see the bird, flat- tened out as he was, and doubtless would have passed directly over him had he not darted from under my feet. Desiring a photograph of the brooding bird I set up the earnera a few inches off the ground, and four feet from the nest, cov- ering it completely with brown tundra moss. [ then hid in a slight depression Fig. 29. NEST OF BAIRD SANDPIPER ON DRY TL'NImA NEAR GRIFFIN POINT, ARCTIC ALASKA, Jury 11, 1914. about thirty yards away, and awaited the return of the bird. Instead of returning directly to the nest the bird first flew about in wide circles. Then, having satisfied himself that no active danger threatened, he lit about twenty yards away and began to run in circles about the nest, gradually approaching nearer and nearer..lie stopped every few yards, and remaining mo- tionless, blended into the landscape so effectively that I was quite nnable to dis- tinguish him unless I had had my eyes directly upon him when he stopped. Dur- ing these stationary periods a low whining bark was heard, of which he appeared to be the author, for the sound always came from where the bird stood, and moved about as he moved. No other bird put in an appearance. The male finally went onto the nest, but bolted wildly at the click of the shutter. He would not return at all after being flushed a second time. On July 11 another nest was located, on a barren ridge close to a large snow