540 SCOLOPACID.E. 



Dcvonsliire, Dorsetshire, Hampshire, Kent, Essex, and the 

 north-eastern counties to Durham, and Northumberland. Dr. 

 Fleming, mentions it as a constant summer visiter to the most 

 northern parts of the mainland of Scotland ; but according to 

 Mr. Low, Dunn, and others, it is not found in Orkney or 

 Shetland. Mr. Selby says, "it is very abundant upon the 

 shores of the Scottish fresh water lakes, and upon Loch Awe 

 in July, when the young broods begin to fly, I have at one 

 view seen three or four families on the Aving, crossing over or 

 skimming along the edges of the lake.*" Mr. Selby also ob- 

 served this species very abundant upon the margins of all the 

 numerous lochs and rivers in Sutherlandshire. 



The habits of this Sandpiper are interesting, its actions are 

 lively, and it is mostly seen while running nimbly along the 

 gravelly margins of rivers, brooks, lakes, or ponds. When 

 on the ground it is in constant motion, flirting the tail up and 

 down, and almost as frequently stretching out, and again with- 

 drawing the head and neck. When disturbed and flushed, 

 this bird utters a piping note on taking wing, which has been 

 compared by Colonel Sykes to the sounds, wheel, wheet, 

 wheel ; and Mr. Selby says, that from the resemblance to 

 its well-known note one of the provincial names of this spe- 

 cies is Willy Wicket. 



The food of this Sandpiper is worms and insects. It is 

 seldom seen on the sea-shore. It makes a slight nest of moss 

 and dry leaves in a hole on a bank near fresh water, generally 

 under shelter of a bunch of rushes or a tuft of grass, and 

 sometimes in a corn-field, if it happens to extend near enough 

 towards the water. The eggs are four, reddish white in co- 

 lour, spotted and speckled with umber brown ; one inch four 

 lines in length, by one inch in breadth. If disturbed during 

 the period of incubation, Mr. Selby observes, the female quits 

 the nest as quietly as possible, and usually flies to a distance, 

 making at this time no outcry; as soon, however, as the 



