212 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



Luce Bay, uttering their shrill cry, their white upper tail-coverts 

 being very conspicuous. This is the first time I have come across 

 the species in Wigtownshire, though it has been seen in Wigtown 

 Bay. — J. G. Gordon, Corsemalzie. 



Broad-billed Sandpiper in Fifeshire. — I have again to 

 record a rare Sandpiper from the Morton Lochs, near Tentsmuir, 

 Fifeshire, where on ist August last year we obtained a specimen of 

 the Wood Sandpiper (Annals, 191 1, p. 248). 



Very early in August last year these lochs became dry, and no 

 more waders were to be seen about them ; but this year they appear 

 to be almost specially attractive, for the season has been wet, with, 

 however, only a moderate rainfall, and there is consequently a 

 considerable extent of shallow water or mud where usually the 

 water is fairly deep. In particular, I have noticed several Green- 

 shanks, and at least three Green Sandpipers. The latter always 

 seem to rise silently (my Wood Sandpiper of last year called loudly 

 as it rose), but they have a curious and distinctive note, which may 

 be heard when they are flying round overhead. 



So far, no strange Sandpipers have come within reach of me — 

 except at times when I have been waiting for Ducks or Teal to be 

 driven off one of the lochs. On such occasions I have several 

 times seen Green Sandpipers fairly close, as well as others which it 

 was impossible to identify; but my duties as host have always 

 debarred me from taking advantage of the opportunity of adding to 

 the collections in the Royal Scottish Museum, by prematurely firing 

 my gun at what my friends might consider somewhat ignoble 

 "game." 



On Monday, 12th August, however, after one of these little 

 drives, a few Sandpipers flew past my place of concealment, two of 

 which I shot — at very long range. The first proved to be merely 

 a Dunlin, but the second was a bird entirely new to me, and 

 without waiting to identify it myself, I sent it off by post at once to 

 Mr Eagle Clarke, who informs me that it is a Broad-billed Sand- 

 piper (Li mi cola platyrhyncha), the first record of the bird for 

 Scotland, and the sixteenth detected occurrence of this species in 

 the British Isles. 



About the bird itself or its behaviour I can say little. It flew 

 very rapidly past the little nook amongst high bracken in which I 

 was concealed, and the distance was such that there was no time 

 for making observations of any kind, if the bird was to be secured 

 at all. I can only say that there was another bird of the same 

 appearance along with it. 



