WOOD SANDPIPEE. 159 



chorus of many voices, and serving to keep together the 

 assembled travellers, until fatigue compels them to alight for 

 rest in some convenient spot. The male bird has, during 

 the breeding season, another call-note, which sounds like 

 'teatril, teatril." 



The nest, which is extremely difficult to find, owing to 

 the nature of the ground where it is put, is generally placed 

 in a hollow, at but a little distance from the water, among 

 heath, or plants of the bog myrtle, rushes, or grass. It is 

 made of grass or other vegetable materials. 



The eggs are three or four, pointed in shape, and of a 

 pale greenish white, spotted and speckled, particularly at the 

 larger end, with dark reddish brown. The hen bird incubates 

 them, and her partner watches by, and rises up, and hovers 

 about any intruder, as previously noticed. 



Male; weight, two ounces and a quarter; length, not quite 

 nine inches; bill, slender and black, except the base of the 

 lower mandible, which is pale greenish brown: from the base 

 of the upper one a dusky patch proceeds to the eye over it 

 is a white streak. Iris, dusky brown; eyelids, white. Head 

 on the crown, neck on the back, and nape, greenish dusky 

 brown, each feather margined with dull buff white, some in 

 a triangular, and others in a more elongated shape, giving 

 the former parts a cinereous hue. In winter the brown on 

 the head more prevails in the way of spots, and the other 

 markings are narrower and more grey. Chin, white; throat 

 and breast above, dull greyish white, streaked with greyish 

 brown waved lines; below, white, and marked on the sides 

 with a few transverse dusky bars; in summer black and more 

 extensive. Back above, dusky, with hardly perceptible tints 

 of green and purple, marked with small white and greyish 

 white spots on each side of the webs near the tip; in summer 

 the dark colour is blacker, and nearly hides the lighter; 

 below the back is white. 



The wings have the first quill feather the longest, when 

 closed they reach to the end of the tail. The axillary plume 

 is white, with a few cross-bars of dusky; greater wing coverts, 

 greenish dusky black, margined on the edge of each feather, 

 and tipped with buff white; more inclining to white, some in 

 a triangular, others in a more lengthened manner; in summer 

 the former colour is darker black and more predominant; 

 lesser wing coverts, plain dusky black. Primaries, greenish 

 dusky black, the first one with a white shaft, and most of 



