

SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 453 



British-killed specimens. Mr. J. H. Gurney, juu., has taken 

 a great deal of trouble in the investigation of the authenticity, 

 in both senses, of the examples recorded (Kambles of a 

 Naturalist, pp. 255262), and he has unquestionably dis- 

 posed of the claims of the majority. The details, too often 

 unpleasant, are well worthy of perusal ; but for the purposes 

 of the present work it will suffice to say, without impugning 

 any particular record, that the following occurrences appeal- 

 sufficiently established to entitle the Spotted Sandpiper to 

 retain its place in the list of stragglers to the British Islands.* 



A couple, one of which is now in Mr. Gurney's possession, 

 were said to have been shot at the Crumble pond, near 

 Eastbourne, in the beginning of October, 1866, and their 

 antecedents bore investigation. In August, 1867, as recorded 

 by Mr. E. Gray (B. of W. of Scot. p. 299), two Spotted 

 Sandpipers, male and female, presumably shot in the vicinity, 

 were left in the flesh at the Museum of Aberdeen, as proved 

 by Mr. Angus, and the stomachs of the birds were sent to 

 Mr. Gray for dissection. The antecedents of other examples, 

 said to have been killed in these islands, is less satisfactory, f 



It has been stated by Nilsson, Temminck, Naumann, and 



* The following narrative by Mr. C. M. Adamson (' Some More Scraps about 

 Birds,' p. 263) may be read with advantage by collectors of British-killed 

 specimens : " A friend one day mentioned to me that a man had sent him 

 skins of the Spotted Sandpiper from his neighbourhood, and he asked me what 

 I thought of them. I at once said American. This man, my friend told me, 

 siid they came every summer. I told my friend I would give five pounds a 

 piece for them recently killed, if obtainable. Then he seemed inclined to go 

 over himself, but did not. However, some little time afterwards he asked me 

 to come and see a Spotted Sandpiper, with the body in it, which had been sent 

 him. The sender wrote stating he had shot the bird, which had fallen, and he 

 could not find it ; but on going several days after he bad found it, but it was 

 useless, as the weather was hot, it being in summer. The bird had full-sized 

 maggots in it, but instead of being tender and coming to pieces, it was as tough 

 as leather, and the feathers all firm in the hard skin, and it had not the smell 

 of a recently-killed putrid bird. I again said unquestionably American that 

 is, it was an old dried bird with the flesh in which had been wetted, and either 

 flies had blown in it. or, more likely, the maggots had been purposely put on the 

 softened flesh. The following year the man said the Act of Parliament prevented 

 him getting any more Spotted Sandpiper;!, but I should think he had enough of 

 them." 



t Cf. Dalgleish, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1880, pp. 147-149. 



