Their Eggs and Nests. 177 



extensively diffused, tliouG;h not a numerous species 

 anywhere. It is commonly seen rannin<^ briskly 

 along by the water edge of streams or lakes, or per- 

 haps flitting along as disturbed by your sudden 

 invasion of its haunt. Unlike the Dipper, which may 

 constantly be seen sitting quite still near the edge of 

 the stream, the Summer Snipe is always in motion. 

 It makes a very rude nest of dry grass in some hole 

 in a bank not far from water, where the shelter and 

 concealment of sufficient herbage is available, and 

 lays in it four eggs, which vary often in colour and 

 spots, but are usually of a yellowish-white, with 

 blotches and spots of deep brown or ordinary brown. 

 The eggs are sometimes laid on the bare ground 

 among shingle or collections of small pebbles. — Fig. 5, 

 plate ^VIIL 



SPOTTED SANDPIPER— (r^/^??;/^ viaadarius). 



A visitor, but one of the rarest and most casual of 

 all our feathered visitors. 



GREEN SANDPIPER— (r^/^7/7/j- ochrop^is). 



It is supposed that a few of these birds may remain 

 with us to breed ; but far the greater part of those 

 which are customarily seen about the sides of our 

 smaller streams and ditches and canals, are known to 

 return far to the north to produce their eggs and 

 young. I believe no authenticated instances of its 

 nesting with us are known, but a few very young 

 birds have been met with under circumstances which 

 seemed to leave uo doubt that they must have been 



M 



