SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. 79 



at Prestwick Car in 1830, and now in the museum of the 

 Natural History Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; and a 

 third, shot at White-mare Pool, in the county of Durham, 

 and now in the possession of Mr EDWARD BACKHOUSE. 



It is a native of the interior of Continental Europe, and 

 has a wide geographical distribution, being found in India ; 

 and I have specimens also from the Cape of Good Hope. 

 Moist woods and swamps producing willows and other brush- 

 wood are its favourite habitats, where it lives solitary, or, in 

 the breeding season, in pairs. It retires within the Arctic Nest, &c. 

 circle to breed, and its nest is made by the side of some rill 

 or pool. The eggs, four in number, are said to be of a yel- 

 lowish or oil-green colour, spotted with brown. It feeds up- Food, 

 on worms and insects. 



PLATE 16. Fig. 3. Represents the Wood Sandpiper of the 

 natural size. 



Between the bill and eyes is a dark hair-brown streak. General 

 Crown of the head, back, and wings, are hair-brown, 

 with a tinge of grey, but no gloss of green. Margins 

 of the dorsal and scapular feathers, and also the wing- 

 coverts, are marked with small white and greyish-white 

 spots. The secondaries are margined and tipped with 

 white. The greater quills are hair-brown, the first one 

 having a white shaft. Nape of the neck, cheeks, sides 

 of the breast, and the flanks are greyish- white, with 

 hair-brown rays. Eyelids, throat, belly, and abdomen 

 white. The lower part of the back is blackish-grey, 

 having the feathers finely margined with white. Rump 

 and upper tail-coverts white ; the latter with a brown 

 streak down their shafts. Tail white, barred with hair- 

 brown ; the outer feathers having their inner webs pure 

 white. The wings, when closed, reach to the end of 

 the tail. The bill is black, with a green tinge towards 

 the base. Legs and toes greenish-grey. 



In the summer plumage, the spots of white upon the back 



