BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 135 



113. GREEN SANDPIPER. Totanus ochropus, Lin- 

 naeus. French, "Chevalier cul blanc." The Green 

 Sandpiper is an irregular, very scarce (not so 

 numerous indeed as the Kedshank) visitant on the 

 spring and autumn migration. I have seen what 

 was probably a family party about Vazon Bay, in 

 Guernsey, quite at the end of July, but I do not 

 believe this bird ever breeds in the Islands : those 

 I saw were probably the parents and young brood 

 of an early-breeding pair, on their return from some 

 not very distant breeding-ground. Such parties 

 seem only to pay the Islands a very short visit on 

 their return from their breeding-ground ; at least I 

 have never seen a Green Sandpiper in the Islands 

 as late as October or November ; it may, however, 

 occasionally occur in the winter, as I have a 

 specimen from Torbay killed in December. 



Professor Ansted does not include the Green 

 Sandpiper in his list, though he does the Wood Sand- 

 piper, giving, however, no locality for it. I have 

 never seen this latter bird in the Islands, however ; 

 nor have I been able to find that one has ever passed 

 through the hands of any of the local bird-stuffers, 

 and I cannot help thinking a mistake has been 

 made ; as both birds may, however, occur, and they 

 are something alike, I may, for the benefit of my 

 Guernsey readers, mention that they may im- 

 mediately be distinguished ; the axillary plume or 

 long feathers under the wing, in the Green Sand- 



