WOOD SANDPIPER. 535 



under consideration has the greater geographical range of the 

 two. The Wood Sandpiper has even become of much more 

 frequent occurrence of late years in this country than it was 

 formerly. It is considered a summer visiter to the south of 

 Ireland, having been seen by Mr. R. Ball for several years 

 about the month of June, frequenting a stream in Glenbower 

 wood, near Youghal. E. H. Rodd, Esq. of Penzance, sent 

 me word that seven specimens Averc obtained in one day in 

 the month of August last, 1840, near the Land's End ; one 

 of these birds, very beautifully preserved, was soon afterwards 

 presented to me by him, and proved to be a young bird of 

 the year ; the others were also reported to be young birds 

 of the year. This species has been killed in the spring in 

 Essex. A pair of these birds, as I learn from Mr. Henry 

 Doubleday, were observed at a pond on Weald common, near 

 Epping, in May last, 1840; the female was shot and brought 

 to him : on examination the eggs were found to be much 

 enlarged. Specimens have been killed in Cambridgeshire, 

 Suffolk, and Norfolk ; and Mr. Selby has recorded three in- 

 stances that have occurred in Durham and Northumberland. 



Some particulars of the habits of this bird, as observed by 

 the late Mr. Hoy, and .communicated to Mr. Hewitson, are 

 thus detailed in his work on the eggs of our British Birds. 

 " This species is migratory, making its appearance in April, 

 and retiring in September. That it breeds rather early I 

 infer, from having met with the young, feathered, and ca- 

 pable of flying a short distance, on the 1 1 th of June. I 

 regret that I did not discover the bird till late in the season." 



A great portion of Dutch Brabant, more particularly the 

 southern and eastern parts, are covered by large tracts of 

 heath ; the soil of a light sandy nature. A great number of 

 peat bogs and shalloAv pools of Avater are dispersed over this 

 district. Most of the small streams are skirted by sAvampy 

 ground, where the bo"' mvrtle grows in the greatest luxu- 



