400 THE SANDPIPERS. 



a great disturbance in the vicinity of its nest and young, flies 

 to and fro with a shrill cry above the heads of those who 

 approach, and perches on some elevated object, such as a 

 stone or a bush. On these occasions it is little cautious, 

 and will come immediately near to one. 



The wood sandpiper makes its nest on a tussock, and 

 usually in some forest morass. It is simply constructed, 

 consisting of little besides a few blades of grass. The female 

 lays four pear-shaped eggs, yellowish- green in colour, and 

 marked with reddish-brown spots and blotches, more especially 

 towards the thicker end. 



The Common Sandpiper (Drill- Snappa, Sw. ; T. Hypo- 

 leucos, Temm.) was very abundant with us ; as also over 

 the whole of Scandinavia from Scania to the extremity of 

 northern Lapland. It frequents the shores of rivers and 

 lakes. It is common in Denmark. Migrates. 



Though this sandpiper is not much larger than the 

 sparrow, its eggs are of a very disproportionate size as 

 compared with those of that bird. This circumstance with 

 the Lapps, who call it Skillili, has given rise to the following 

 couplet : 



Skillili, skillili ! yvoddan, yvoddan 

 Heusaka mone mateu, 

 Patta tjyidnita piedja. 



Which may be rendered as follows : 



Skillili, skillili ! I carry, I carry 

 An egg large as that of a Eipa, 

 So that my tail cocks in the air. 



The Greenshank (Glutt-Snappa, Sw. ; T. Glottis, Bechst.) 

 was somewhat scarce, both in the vicinity of Ronnum and in 



