TOTANUS 397 



Habits. The Wood Sandpiper appears in Europe, at any_rate, 

 to be in the habit of perching on trees more often than other Sand- 

 pipers, hence its name. Nothing very special is known about its 

 habits in South Africa ; it is found in small flocks or sometimes in 

 pairs about marshes and streams, and mud banks at the mouths of 

 the rivers where it feeds on worms and small insects. Andersson 

 states that the flesh is palatable, though in Europe it is said to have 

 a disagreeable, musky odour. Andersson also believed that it bred 

 in Damaraland though he did not actually find the nest, but no 

 other evidence has been since forthcoming on this point. 



The Wood Sandpiper sometimes moults into winter plumage 

 after its arrival in South Africa ; there is an example ia worn 

 summer plumage at the British Museum obtained by Ayres at 

 Potchefstroom on August 28, and Alexander noticed the same thing 

 with birds arriving in September on the Zambesi ; they also, like 

 many other South African Waders, assume full breeding-plumage in 

 March, before leaving again for the north. 



-V 

 742. Totanus ochropus. Green Sandpiper. 



Tringa ochropus, Linn. Syst. Nat. 12th ed. i, p. 250 (1766). 



Totanus ochropus, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 325 (1867) ; Dresser, B. Eur. 

 viii, p. 135, pi. 564 (1876) ; Sliarpc, ed. Layard's B. 8. Afr. p. 689 

 (1884); Seebolim, Geogr. Distr. Charadr. p. 368, with fig. (1888); 

 Reiclienow, Vog. Afr. i, p. 222 (1900). 



Helodromas ochropus, Sliarpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 437 (1896). 



Description. Adult Male in non-breeding plumage. General 

 colour above uniform olive-brown, with a slight tinge of bronzy ; a 

 few obscure white spots on the margin of the scapulars and wing- 

 coverts ; wing-quills dusky-brown with very slight traces of white 

 spots along the edges of the secondaries ; upper tail-coverts white ; 

 tail-feathers white, centre pair with three dark bars, which gradually 

 disappear towards the outer feathers, which are pure white ; a 

 supra-loral streak and indistinct eyebrow white ; sides of the face 

 and neck and fore neck white, streaked with brown ; rest of the 

 lower surface white, except for a brown patch on either side of the 

 breast ; under wing-coverfcs and axillaries blackish, narrowly barred 

 with white. 



Iris dusky ; bill dusky above, reddish below ; legs and feet 

 greyish-blue. 



