506 SANDPIPERS AND RELATED SPECIES 



no song at any time during the pairing season. 1 A pair of green- 

 sandpipers, which frequented a stream near Sheffield in the spring of 

 1903, were observed almost daily from May 3rd to June 4th by 

 Professor Patten. He says, " They were always to be found in the 

 same spot, and after feeding they frequently flitted on to a stone wall, 

 where for a little while they would remain motionless. At intervals 

 they suddenly shot up into the air for a short distance, darting down 

 again to the same stone with astonishing speed. On the wing they 

 displayed great activity and adroitness, the female twisting and turn- 

 ing to escape the addresses of the male." 



Of the nuptial flight of the wood-sandpiper, several descriptions 

 have been given. These vary somewhat, but not so entirely as do the 

 various renderings of the accompanying song. The descriptions of 

 the flight read as though the various observers had been impressed by 

 different parts of it. Thus Buturlin quoted by Dresser who met 

 with the birds in 1905 in the delta of Kolyma (69 4' N. lat), says that 

 the male usually circles high in the air, or sails in the wind ; it does 

 not alter its position much, but dips in the air, not with a swoop 

 like a snipe, but with a slight movement like that of a "fresh- 

 water duck when it throws water over its back." At the same 

 time it repeats some loud clear hollow notes, which he renders 

 "peri, peri, logi, logi, logi" These notes are softer and not so loud 

 as those of the jack-snipe ; sometimes it sounds like " lok, lok, lok, 

 togi, togi, togi" Buturlin adds that the note is so loud and hollow, 

 that he thought at first it was produced mechanically during flight, 

 but later in the breeding season, when the display was more general, 

 he heard it uttered by a bird whilst perching. Another and more 

 musical note uttered on the wing, but more rarely than the above, 

 he renders "pe'eku, peeku, teeleu, teeleu, teeleu" (the eu as in French). 

 Once when perched a pair uttered a note like " klidw, klidw, klidw" 3 

 Dresser says apparently from personal observation that while the 



1 Seebohm, British Birds, iii. p. 128. 2 Patten, Aquatic Birds, p. 337. 



3 Dresser, Eggs of the Birds of Europe, p. 722. 



