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Notes. — This bird never associates 

 in large flocks, rarely more than four 

 or five, and is usually solitary or in 

 pairs. It is quite common along the 

 edges of streams or in marshy spots 

 where it seeks its food of worms, 

 larvae and insects. 



The call note is a shrill whistle 

 something like " cheet." This bird 

 has the peculiar habit of using the 

 deserted nests of other birds, such as 

 Thrushes and Blackbirds, often at a 

 considerable height from the ground, 

 though usually not far from some 

 water. 



COMMON SANDPIPER. 



ACTITIS HYPOLEUCOS. (l.) 

 (Totanus hypoleucos L.) 



[Tringoides hypoleucos (Swinhoe).] 

 Description. — Length 7i inches. 

 Bill greyish brown, darker at the tip, 

 tinged green at the base. Legs and 

 toes green. Iris dusky brown. 

 Plumage above is greenish brown, 

 barred and striated with black and 

 grey, each feather having the shaft 

 black. Tail barred with black. Under 

 parts, including axillaries.are white and 

 there are large patches of white on the 

 IDrimaries and secondaries but none on 

 the rump or upper tail coverts. 



Distribution. — Europe, Africa, Aus- 

 tralia, India, East Indies, Japan, and 

 China. It is a resident in the Yangtse 

 Valley, breeding in China, Siberia, and 

 Japan. 



Nest and Eggs. — The nest is usually 

 a very slight affair made of moss, 

 leaves, or grass and placed near the 

 banks of a body of water. It may be 

 placed in a hollow, in a bunch of 



