466 SCOLOPACHLE. 



Some particulars of the habits of this bird, as observed 

 by the late Mr. Hoy, and communicated to Mr. Hewitson, are 

 thus detailed in his work on the Eggs of British Birds : 

 " This species is migratory, making its appearance in April 

 and retiring in September. That it breeds rather early I 

 infer from having met with the young, feathered, and capable 

 of flying a short distance, on the llth of June. I regret 

 that I did not discover the bird till late in the season. 



" A great portion of Dutch Brabant, more particularly the 

 southern and eastern parts, are covered by large tracts of 

 heath ; the soil of a light sandy nature. A great number 

 of peat bogs and shallow pools of water are dispersed over 

 this district. Most of the small streams are skirted by 

 swampy ground, where the bog myrtle grows in the greatest 

 luxuriance, with stunted bushes of alder and willow. These 

 situations are the favourite haunt of this Sandpiper during 

 the breeding-season. While the hen bird is sitting, the 

 male flies round in wide circles, and at a considerable 

 elevation. The female sits close ; and the nest is extremely 

 difficult to find. 



" It is far from being numerous in the localities where I 

 met with it ; yet many pairs are dispersed over these dis- 

 tricts, where they have long been known to breed, from in- 

 formation which I obtained from several intelligent sports- 

 men, to whom the bird was well known. Although I met 

 with the young in a downy state, and partially feathered, I 

 only obtained one nest with eggs. The nest is generally 

 placed at a short distance from the water, among stunted 

 heath, or scrubby plants of the bog myrtle, or among 

 coarse grass and rushes. It is placed in a hollow, and is 

 formed of dry grass and other plants. The eggs are four 

 in number." 



An egg of the Wood Sandpiper, given to the Author by 

 the late Richard Dann, who obtained it in Norway, measured 

 1*6 by 1 in. ; pointed in shape, of a pale greenish-white, 

 spotted and speckled, particularly over the broad end, with 

 dark reddish- brown. 



The Wood Sandpiper has frequently been observed to 





