168 SCOLOPACIDiE. 
or in pairs. They depart northwards during February and 
Marchj reappearing by August and September/' — Favier. 
The Green Saudpiper^a bird in which I have from my boyish 
days always taken a special interest, is in Andalucia, as in 
England, extremely irregular and uncertain in its movements, 
changing its ground continually. They fluctuate greatly in 
numbers ; days elapse without seeing a single bird, and sud- 
denly several appear ; but they are seldom observed in any 
greater number than two or three together ; generally they 
are solitary in their habits, and without exception frequent 
shores of freshwater lakes, ponds, and streams. The loud 
bote of this Sandpiper and the white tail-coverts, which show 
markedly when on the wing, can hardly fail to cause its recog- 
nition. The curious fact, only recently discovered, of its nidi- 
fication in trees in old nests of other birds, has probably led 
to its nesting in many countries being overlooked ; and who 
can tell that it may not yet be found breeding in Andalucia ? 
The Green Sandpiper is most common in the winter months 
near Gibraltar; and the only month in which I have not seen 
it has been July ; but then I had no opportunity of so doing. 
The species has greenish black legs ; the axillaries are black, 
with narrow white bars ; and it almost always has a strong 
musky odour. 
233. ToTANUs HYPOLEUCUs (Liun.). The Common Sand- 
piper. 
Spanish. Andarios, Correrios. 
" This is the most common of the Sandpipers around Tan- 
gier, passing north during April and May. They are seen 
returning in August, September, and October.^' — Favier. 
The common Sandpiper in Andalucia prefers the banks of 
running streams and salt or tidal marshes, being seldom 
noticed in freshwater marshes or about stagnant water. Near 
Gibraltar, particularly when on passage in spring, they greatly 
frequent the sea- coast wherever there is much seaweed thrown 
up by the tide ; and I have repeatedly observed them on rocks, 
like the Purple Sandpiper [Tringa maritima). 
The present species swarms about the Straits in March and 
