SANDPIPERS 183 



neighbourhood. One procured at Heriot, Midlothian, 

 Aug. 14, 1856, was exhibited at a meeting of the 

 Royal Physical Society, Edinburgh. Mr. W. C. 

 Angus received one which was killed on the river 

 Yohan at Auchmacoy, Jan. 17, 1863 (an unusual 

 time of year at which to meet with it), and shot 

 one himself at Donmouth, Aberdeen, on Sept. 1, 

 1866. Another Aberdeenshire specimen was ob- 

 tained by Mr. G. Lees on July 8, 1867. 



Since the first edition of this Handbook was 

 published, the occurrence of the Wood Sandpiper 

 in Ireland, where it was then unknown, has been 

 placed beyond doubt. One was shot at Calary 

 Bog, Co. Wicklow, on Aug. 23, 1885 (More, ZooL, 

 1885, p. 438), and two others have since been 

 obtained at the same place. In Sept. 1898 a fourth 

 was shot at Lough Cullin, Co. Mayo {Ibis, 1899, 

 p. 128), and on Aug. 25, 1899, a fifth near Tramore 

 Bay, Co. Waterford {Irish Nat, 1899, p. 231). 



From its general resemblance to the Green 

 Sandpiper this bird is probably often mistaken for 

 it, and is perhaps not so rare as is generally sup- 

 posed. I have seen and shot several on the river 

 Brent and at Kingsbury Reservoir, Middlesex ; in 

 the salt marshes between Siddlesham and Selsea, 

 Sussex ; in the marshes adjoining the river Bure, 

 Norfolk ; and in the marshes around Thorpe and 

 Aldeburgh. It differs from the Green Sandpiper in 

 having a shorter bill and longer legs ; the axillary 

 plumes white with faint dusky bars, instead of 

 greyish black with narrow angular white bars ; all 



