330 BIRDS OP TUNISIA 



TOTANUS GLAREOLA (LiniiEous). 

 WOOD-SANDPIPER. 



Tringa ocrophus (i. glareola, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 250, (17GG). 

 Totanus glareola, Tcmm. Man. cl'Orn. p. 421 (1815); Kocnig, J. f. 0. 



IHKH, p. 2H2 ; /-/. ././■. 0. 1893, p. 93. 

 Rhynchophilus glareola, Loclic, E.vpl. Sci. AUj. Ois. ii, p. 325 (1867). 

 Rhyacophilus glareola, Sharpc, Cat. Birds Brit. Mns. xxiv, p. 491 ; 



Erlnngcr, J.f. 0. 1900, p. 67. 



DescrijAiov. — Adult male, spring, from Djilma, Central Tunisia. 



Upper plumage dark olive-brown, the crown and neck striped with white, 

 the back, scapulars, and upper wing-coverts having the feathers fringed and 

 barred with white, presenting a very spotted appearance ; quills dark brown, 

 the outermost primary with a white shaft ; lower rump and upper tail-coverts 

 white ; tail white, liarred with dark olive-l)rown ; chin, throat, and fore neck 

 dull white, striped with greyish-brown ; breast and sides of the body whitish, 

 barred with dull brown ; abdomen wliite ; under tail-coverts white, barred 

 with dull brown ; axillaries white, with a few obscure brownish bars. 



Iris brown ; bill and feet greenish-black. 



Total length 8 inches, wing 4-85, culmen 1-20, tarsus 1-40. 



Adult female resembles the male. 



The Wood-Sandpiper, like the preceding species, is not uncommon 

 in the Regency during the winter and on passage, though more 

 abundant in spring than at other seasons, and it may frequently be 

 met with both north and south of the Atlas. Examples of it may 

 also sometimes be seen in the Tunis market. 



The species is not uncommon in Algeria, Marocco and Tripoli, 

 and, apparently occurs, in winter, all along the West African coast 

 down to the Cape. It seems to be found throughout the entire 

 Palaearctic Eegion, breeding chiefly in the more northern parts, 

 but, in Europe, even as far south as the valley of the Danube, and 

 North Italy, and, according to Mr. Howard Saunders, apparently in 

 Central Spain. 



The Wood-Sandpiper frequents inland waters and marshy localities 

 in preference to the sea-coast, and is usually to be met with in small 

 parties, or in pairs. In Central Tunisia I came across two or three 

 ideal spots for this and allied species of Sandpipers, where small 

 pools of water in the midst of grass-land, fringed with low-growing 

 reeds and high bushes, were to be found at intervals in the other- 

 wise somewhat dreary and monotonous country. In these localities, 



