176 BIRDS OF MIDDLESEX. 



completely covered with holes made by this bird. On 

 examining specimens killed in the months of April, 

 May, July, August, September, October, and No- 

 vember, I found the food to consist of insects ; 

 chiefly small beetles, spiders, very small red worms, 

 and woodlice, the first-named in the greatest pro- 

 portion. Occasionally the stomach contained a 

 small mass of vegetable fibre which I could not 

 recognize ; but I never found any common earth- 

 worms, and remarked that the Green Sandpiper 

 does not appear to require so much grit to aid its 

 digestion as many others of the genus. It is ex- 

 ceedingly wary, and rises on the least alarm, never 

 suffering a near approach, like some Sandpipers, 

 after it has once caught sight of you. When on the 

 wing, the white upper tail- coverts afford a conspi- 

 cuous mark of distinction, and offer a pretty contrast 

 with the dark back and wings of the bird. The 

 note is very musical. Some Sandpipers utter a cry 

 on rising ; but this species generally rises silently, 

 and flies some little distance before piping, and on 

 this account, unless the sportsman is on the look- 

 out, it often escapes a shot. As winter approaches, 

 the Green Sandpipers gradually disappear, and after 

 the last week of October it is rarely that one is seen 

 until the following April. As I have before stated, 

 however, I have obtained a bird of this species 

 during the first week of November, and I have 

 heard, on reliable authority, of the occurrence of a 



