The Oologists' Record, December i, 192 1. 97 



The nests of the Ruff were fairly easy to Unci as the birds 

 generally sit tight, and performed the broken-wing dodge almost 

 as well as did the Dunlins. When flushed from a distance they rose 

 quietly and silently, and flopped down a short distance ahead, soon 

 returning on our walking away. Most of their nests were admirably 

 concealed in tufts of the long grass, and the four richly coloured 

 eggs were in many cases standing almost upright on their pointed 

 ends, so deep and cup-shaped were the depressions. The variation 

 in the eggs is very marked, some being pale green, handsomely 

 blotched with umber and vandyke ; some dark greenish-brown ; 

 and others savouring more of the Redshank type, but always more 

 handsomely blotched. 



The habits of both Redshank and Lapwing did not differ in any 

 marked respect from those of the birds at home. 



Another wader which is well established, though confined to a 

 certain area, is the Avocet, Recurvirostra avocetta, L. These beauti- 

 ful birds, with their curiously upturned bills, make a pretty picture 

 as they wade about in the shallow water, the sun glinting on their 

 black and snowy white plumage. They are wild and sh}' during 

 the breeding season, and when approached fly high overhead, utter- 

 ing a wild, screaming note. Their nests are very open, and the 

 dull-coloured eggs easily found. 



The Common Snipe, Gallinago ccelestis, Frenz., was everywhere 

 abundant, but we were not fortunate enough to find a nest of the 

 Great Snipe, Gallinago major (Gm.), although it breeds in Jutland. 



The pretty little Wood Sandpiper, Totanus glareola (L.), breeds 

 sparsely on most of the deltas, and we saw several pairs, but could 

 never locate a nest. The Golden Plover, Charadrius pluvialis, L., 

 nests on the heaths, and we saw several breeding pairs, but had no 

 time to spend on them. 



Along the Jutland coast the Oystercatcher, Haematopus ostralegus, 

 L., and Ringed Plover are abundant, and also the Kentish Plover, 

 Mgialitis alexandrina (L.), in various localities ; whilst on the portion 

 of the coast which faces Sweden, which we did not visit, the Little 

 Ringed Plover, ^gialitis dnhia (Scop.), and the Turnstone, Arenaria 

 inter pres (L.), also breed, the latter, however, very sparingly. 



Owing to the immense tracts of reeds, Jutland is rich in breeding 

 ducks. The Shoveller, Spatula clypeata (L.), Pintail, Dafila acuta 

 (L.), and Mallard, Anas boschas, L., are numerous in many places, 

 and we took several nests of these species, and also of the Common 



