18 On Malayan Ornithology. 



In my notes I find : — 



" Singapore, 18th November, 1879. This afternoon, while 

 Snipe-shooting in the Mount-Echo valley, close behind our 

 barracks, I came on a large flock of Spotted Sandpipers {T. 

 glareola) feeding in the swampy fields, which are awful walk- 

 ing, letting one through at every step over one's knees into 

 soft filth. The Sandpipers were rather wild, rising with 

 shrill cries as soon as I got within forty or fifty yards, but 

 settling again after flying round and round for a few minutes. 

 Feeding with them were a great many Yellow Wagtails {Bu- 

 dytes taivanus) ; and I got several specimens of both them and 

 the Sandpipers at one shot." 



Tringoides hypoleucos (Linn.). 



The common Sandpiper is plentiful in Singapore and the 

 neighbouring isles ; during November 1879 I found great 

 numbers of them on the shores of Pulo Nongsa and Pulo 

 Battam, and on many occasions saw them settle on the 

 fishing-stakes, which stand five or six feet above the surface 

 of the water. In China I once saw a Sandpiper dive and 

 swim under water with wonderful ease. I find the following 

 notes, made at the time, in my journal : — 



" 6th October, 1878, Kowloon, near Hong Kong. Towards 

 evening we left the hills and returned to our boat, near 

 which, on the sands, we shot a few Waders. One of these, a 

 Common Sandpiper [T. hypoleucos) , fell wounded into a brook ; 

 and my dog ran to retrieve it ; but just as he was going to 

 pick it up, it dived like a Duck and swam under water a 

 distance of over twenty yards. The stream was of no 

 width, and the water as clear as crystal ; and standing within 

 a couple of paces, I most distinctly saw the bird propelling 

 itself with its wings as it swam beneath the surface of the 

 water.'' 



[To be continued.] 



