NESTING DATES OF SOME OF THE WADERS. 63 



and the first egg had probably been deposited on the 3rd of the 

 month. On the other hand, on 17th July, 1898, at an excursion 

 of the Andersonian Naturalists' Society, I saw young in down, 

 only a day or two hatched, nearly 2,000 feet up on Benyellary, 

 Kirkcudbrightshire. This locality is about two miles beyond the 

 limits of " Clyde." 



Lapwing (Vanellus vulgaris). — Nesting begins, in normal 

 seasons, about 25th March. 



Oyster-Catcher (Hcematopus ostralegus). — The first days of 

 May are usually here before the Oyster-Catcher begins laying, 

 and I have seen eggs on the Fame Isles as late as 15th July. 

 In Bute the majority of nests contain three eggs, but two and 

 four are common. Four in a clutch is quite frequent — not an 

 occasional occurrence, as we are often told. 



Woodcock (Scolopax rusticula). — Though locally numerous in 

 the " Clyde " area, my knowledge of the nesting habits of this 

 species is too limited to be able to say when nesting commences. 

 I have only seen two nests, and each of these contained two 

 eggs, on 2nd April. 



Common Snipe (GalUnago coelestis). — On the Mearns Moors the 

 first eggs are laid about 10th April.* 



Dunlin (Tringa alpina). — Laying begins on the Mearns Moors 

 about 7th May. On 30th April, 1893, I saw a nest in which 

 one egg had been laid, but unfortunately it had been crushed 

 by a cow treading on the nest. This was on Eaglesham Moors, 

 at an elevation of about 750 feet. This species nests on the 

 natural pastures close to the shore in Bute, but I have been 

 unable to ascertain the exact nesting period there, although one 

 would naturally expect it to be considerably earlier than on the 

 moors of East Renfrewshire. 



Common Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucus). — This species begins 

 to nest about 11th May. On 6th May, 1893, I discovered a nest, 

 with three eggs, at an elevation of about 1,150 feet, on the 

 Kilpatrick Hills. In Mitchell's Birds of Lancashire an early 

 nest, with four eggs, is mentioned as having been taken by 

 Mr. T. Alt-ham on 25th April, 1875, presumably in Lancashire. 



* On 28th April, 1907, at an elevation of 650 feet on Eaglesham Moors. 

 I saw four young Snipe about three days hatched— almost a March nest. 



