26 BULLETIN 146, UNITED STATES NATIOlSrAL MUSEUM 



Food. — The greater part of the food consists of insects and their 

 larvae, but worms arc also taken in some numbers and small mol- 

 lusca, as well as spiders. Among insects the following classes may be 

 mentioned: Beetles (Coleoptera), including many water beetles, 

 naliplus, Hydi'oporus, Dytiscus, Berosus^ Dryops., Heliclius^ Phylo- 

 hius (all recorded by Hesse), and GyHnus, Hydroporus^ Donacia, 

 and Colymbetes (R. Gray). Of Diptera, Hesse records larva of 

 Stratiomys (also recorded by Bar), and among Rhyncota, Plea 

 minutissima (once by Hesse). Rey also met with Arachnida (spi- 

 ders), and Jackel records small fish. 



Behavior. — Many observers have called attention to the habit of 

 perching on trees. Seebohm (1884) mentions having shot specimens 

 from the summit of high bare trees at least 65 feet from the ground, 

 and similar observations have been made wherever it has been met 

 with in forested regions. Beside tlie love song already described, 

 this bird has an alarm note, which Davies renders as tchick-tchick, 

 or giif-giffi and which is generally uttered from the top of a bush 

 or post. A. Chapman phrases this note as chirkop, chirkop^ chib, 

 chib. 



Fall. — From July to October it appears often singly, but also at 

 times in flocks in Great Britain. As a rule these flocks are of no 

 great size, but on July 26, 1867, Mr. Power met with large numbers 

 at Rainham, Kent, and when one had been shot others rose on all 

 sides, forming one large flock, which flew round and round, keeping 

 up a continual whistle. He estimated the number at 80-100. 



Winter. — During the winter months it haunts mud banks at the 

 mouths of rivers or marshes and streams inland in small flocks, or 

 sometimes in pairs, feeding on worms and small insects in southern 

 Africa. Its habit of perching on trees and bushes has also been 

 noted when wintering in northern Africa (Tunisia). On the whole, 

 it may be described as a fresh-water haunting species, usually avoid- 

 ing the neighborhood of the sea. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Breeding range. — Not on the Faeroes, as stated by Ridgway, but 

 formerly in very small numbers in Great Britain, Holland, Jutland, 

 Scandinavia, north Germany locally. Finland, the Baltic Republics, 

 and Russia generally ; also in Asia, east across Siberia to Kamtschatka 

 and the Commander Isles, north to about 75° on the Yenisei and 71° 

 on the Lena. Reports of breeding in south Europe (Spain, north 

 Italy, Pyrenees, etc.) require confirmation. 



Winter range. — Africa, south to Cape Province; Asia, southern 

 Arabia, Iraq (chiefly on passage), India and Ceylon, Burma, the 

 Malay Peninsula, and southeast China; the Malay Archipelago 



