BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER. 67 



and his notes in reference to the Broad-billed Sandpiper 

 are to the following effect. 



" This Sandpiper is by no means uncommon during the 

 breeding season in Lulea, andTornea Lapmark, frequenting 

 grassy morasses and swamps in small colonies, generally in 

 the same places as those frequented by the Totanus glareola, 

 our Wood Sandpiper. It breeds also at Fogstuen on the 

 Dovre-Fi-el mountains, about three thousand feet above 

 the level of the sea, in Norway, where it arrives at the 

 latter end of May. On its first appearance it is wild and 

 shy, and similar in its habits to the other species of the 

 genus, feeding on the grassy borders of the small pools and 

 lakes in the morasses. On being disturbed it soars to a 

 great height in the air, rising and falling suddenly like the 

 Snipe, uttering the notes two woo, which are rapidly repeated. 

 As the weather becomes warm, its habits totally change, 

 skulking and creeping through the dead grass, and allowing 

 itself to be followed within a few yards, and when flushed, 

 dropping again a short distance off. It seems to lay its eggs 

 later than others of this tribe generally. I found the eggs 

 not sat upon on the 24th of June, and the last week in July 

 the young were unable to fly ; a period when all the other 

 Sandpipers are on the move south. The eggs were of a 

 deep chocolate colour, and its nest, like that of the Snipe, 

 was on a hummocky tuft of grass. Although I found the 

 young only half fledged the last week in July, and hunted 

 the morasses very carefully, I never flushed or saw a single 

 old bird, yet undoubtedly they must have been there, so 

 difficult is it at that period to get them on the wing, and 

 so entirely different from their habits in the spring. They 

 are said by M. Nilsson to be rare visitants to Scandinavia, 

 but they are undoubtedly numerously disposed, but from 

 their very small size and hidling habits, are difficult to be 

 discovered, added to the almost impassable nature of the 



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