232 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



In 1865 he again saw this species on the river, but did 

 not get a shot," Mr. Gregson has written me, under 

 date June 12, 1884, that he saw in all four specimens, 

 in the flesh, and in process of skinning by Lord. 

 [Cf. J. H. Gurney's " Eambles of a Naturalist," pp. 

 255-262, and Yarrell's "Brit. Birds," 4th ed., iii. 

 p. 453.— Ed.] 



GENUS HELODEOMAS. 



GKEEN SANDPIPER. 



Helodromas ochropus (Linnseus). 



The Green Sandpiper is one of the earliest to arrive 

 of the autumn migrants, and a few birds may be seen 

 each year in one place or another, frequenting in 

 August the fresh-water brooks and runnels, and regu- 

 larly occurring froHi that month until December. I do 

 not find any record of examples killed in the spring, but 

 the species has been shot many times in July, and the 

 late Dr. Skaife {Mag. Nat. Hist., 1837) was confident 

 that a male and female killed near the river Darwen on 

 July 29th and August 1st respectively in 1837, and one 

 . or both of which had been seen about for two or three 

 weeks, had been breeding : this, however, is extremely 

 doubtful, as no authentic nest has ever j-et been taken in 

 Britain. The Green Sandpiper is essentially a feeder 

 by fresh water, and even when near the sea is always 

 found on the banks of ponds, &c., at some distance 

 from the shore. 



