144 THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 



(Mag. Nat. Hist. 1837. p. 321). Mr. H. Nicholls, 

 writing in September 1857, records a third specimen 

 as '• Taken in this district a short time since" (Zool. 

 1857. p. 5791). 



PECTORAL SANDPIPER.— 7^n»y/« niamMa, Vieill. 



A RARE visitant. Two examples of this Nearctic 

 Sandpiper were shot at Bramiton Burrows on 

 September 12th, 1871, and proved on dissection to 

 be male and female. When first discovered by 

 Mr. Rickards, who afterwards procured both birds, 

 they were running on the margin of a large fresh 

 water pool in a marshy field, and allowed of a near 

 approach. " When they rose," writes Mr. Rickards, 

 " they uttered a peculiar note, rather weak and 

 feeble for the size of the bird, and reminding me 

 more of the note of the Curlew Sandpiper than 



that of any other species that I have seen 



They never flew to any great distance, and after 

 the female was shot, the male described a circle 

 round her and pitched a short distance off, rising 

 and repeating the evolution as I approached within 

 range. ... I took the Pectoral Sandpipers next 

 day to the Rev. W. S. Hore of Barnstaple, who 

 takes much interest in inspecting all local captures" 

 (Zool. 1871. p, 2808). 



BONAPARTE'S SANDPIPER.— 7'r/??y/fl' fuscicolUs, Yieill. 

 A RARE visitant. No less than four examples of 

 this small American Sandpiper were killed in 1870, 

 all occurring in the North of the County, to which 



