GREEN SANDPIPER. 161 



the Hon. T. L. Powys (now Lord Lilford) shot one on Port 

 Meadow on the 2nd in 1853 {Zoologist, p. 3805), and the late 

 Rev. T. W. Falcon, writing- on the 3rd of that month, 1881, 

 mentioned one brought to him ' the other day ' [hi lit.). In 

 spring the Green Sandj)iper is of less frequent occurrence ; I 

 have seen it twice in March, on the 15th and 36tli in successive 

 years. 



During its stay with us it frequents the low under-banks of 

 streams and ponds, where it feeds on various insects and 

 worms : the stomach of one killed in November contained the 

 elytra and other remains of numerous small beetles. 



On the wing the present species may readily be distinguished 

 from the Common Sandpiper by its conspicuous white upper 

 tail-coverts, and nearly white tail, the latter being only barred 

 on the distal half. When on the bank its larger size, and 

 nearly white breast, will be noticed. The note of the Green 

 Sandpiper is fuller and louder than that of its congener, and 

 raiay be syllabled 'tul-a-wee-wee.'' 



The strong musky odour of this species has been remarked 

 upon by some authors, but others have not noticed it [cf. 

 Yarrell). An adult bird shot on the 21st August, 1884, had 

 hardly any trace of it, and the man who skinned it for me ate 

 the body and said it was excellent; while in another, in 

 immature plumag-e, procured a week later, the scent was 

 so strong as to necessitate washing the hands after handling- 

 the bird, and the skin still retains it. 



[The Wood Sandpiper [T. plareola), the nearest ally of the 

 Green Sandpiper in the British Isles, has been included in the 

 liidory of Banbury list, as ' an occasional visitor,^ but as no 

 mention is made of the latter species it is probable that the two 

 were confused. In the event of the Wood Sandpiper occurring 

 in Oxon it may easily be distinguished by the shaft, of the 

 outer wing- feather, which is white instead of black.] 



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