BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 339 



Shropshire, and Stafford ; Scotland, and its surround- 

 ing islands, and Ireland. A nest of this species was 

 found a few years ago on the Norfolk Broads. 



Materials. Short pieces of dead rushes, some- 

 times dead leaves, with an inner lining of fine dry grass. 



Eggs. Four, pale straw to creamy-yellow in 

 ground-colour, with dark brown spots and blotches 

 on the surface, and underlying markings of light 

 brown and grey. On one occasion I found a nest 

 in North Uist with eggs in it which were marked 

 by dark broad bands of brown round the larger end. 

 Size about 1.5 by 1.08 in. (See Plate VIII.) 



Time. May and June. 



Remarks. Migratory, arriving in April, and 

 departing in September, although individuals may 

 be seen later. Notes : wheet, wheet, wheet. Local 

 and other names : Summer Snipe, Sand Lark, Willy 

 Wicket, Sand Lavrock, Spotted Sandpiper. Sitting 

 qualities variable, some individuals sitting closely 

 and others lightly, irrespective of the condition of 

 the eggs. 



SANDPIPER, WOOD. 



(Totanus glareola.) 

 Order LIMICOL.E ; Family SCOLOPACID.E (SNIPES). 



The appearance of this bird, even as a visitor, 

 is neither frequent nor regular. It has been found 

 breeding with us in Northumberland and several 

 parts of Scotland, but not during very recent times, 

 so far as I can gather. The eggs number four, of 

 " a pale greenish white ground-colour, speckled and 

 spotted, particularly over the broad end, with 

 dark reddish-brown," according to Yarrell. (See 

 Plate VIII.) 



