206 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



Wilson, on the other hand, who gives a brief, though vivid account, 

 of the habits of the species, states that after many long and close 

 searches, he was never able to discover the nest. He also remarks 

 that it breeds regularly in Pennyslvania a tract of country in 

 which it was afterwards found nesting, on the gravelly banks of 

 rivers, by Sir John Kichardson. 



The only specimen of this Sandpiper that has yet occurred, so 

 far as I am aware, in Britain, was shot some years ago, by the late 

 William Gordon of Airdrie, somewhere on the banks of the Clyde, 

 on the higher grounds of Lanarkshire. This bird remained in Mr 

 Gordon's hands until his death, in August, 1869, when his collec- 

 tion was brought to Glasgow, and submitted to me about a month 

 afterwards. The owner of the collection had often referred to the 

 specimen as one which he could not make out, but had never 

 shown it to any one qualified to give an opinion; and as he left 

 no notes attached to any of the specimens, the exact date of its 

 occurrence, with other particulars which might have been of in- 

 terest, cannot now be ascertained. 



The two British species which this bird most resembles are the 

 green sandpiper and the wood sandpiper. It differs from both in 

 having the two central tail feathers of the same hue as the dorsal 

 plumage. Compared with T. ochropus, it may be said to be smaller, 

 besides having the upper tail coverts greenish brown instead of 

 white ; and contrasted with T. glareola, it wants the white shaft of 

 the first quill which distinguishes that species. 



THE COMMON SANDPIPER. 



TOTANUS HYPOLEUCOS. 



THIS elegant little summer visitant is everywhere common, pene- 

 trating to the Outer Hebrides, where a few pairs are seen frequenting 

 the streams of Harris, and also the moorland lochs of Lewis, and 

 other districts lying to the south. On the inner islands it is like- 

 wise a well-known object, as it skims the surface of the quiet lochs 

 with arched and almost motionless wings, or stands on some 

 isolated stone, vibrating its body as it salutes the rambling 

 intruder on its haunts. I have seen it in the islands of Rum, 

 Mull, Canna, Tyree, Eigg, Colonsay, lona, Islay, and Jura, restlessly 

 flitting along their shores, and uttering, when several are on wing 



