316 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



and barred diagonally white and brown, outer feathers tipped 

 with white. Wing coverts brown; primaries dark brown, shaft 

 of first white; secondaries edged with white; tertiaries brown, 

 and much elongated; axillaries white, diagonally barred with 

 brown. Below chin and neck, breast and flanks, fawn colour or 

 light reddish brown, spotted on the neck and breast, and barred 

 on the flanks with darker brown; middle of abdomen and vent, 

 white; under tail coverts white, spotted and barred with brown. 

 The bill is 2J inches in length, of a greenish brown with the tip 

 darker. Wing, from flexure to point of first primary, which is 

 the longest, 6 inches. Tibia bare at the lower part; tarsi 

 scutellate, and feet greenish brown; first and second toes short 

 and slender; two outer toes connected at the base by a broad 

 web or membrane." 



Since the above was written, I have ascertained that a specimen, 

 in winter plumage, was killed some years ago in Lanarkshire, by 

 the late William Gordon of Airdrie, and is now in the possession 

 of Mr Francis M'Culloch, taxidermist, Glasgow. This specimen 

 was exhibited at a meeting of the Natural History Society of 

 Glasgow, held on 28th December, 1869. 



THE CURLEW SANDPIPER. 

 T RING A SUSARQUATA. 



IT is difficult to state with certainty the comparative numbers of 

 this bird, when contrasted with the large flocks of dunlins, or 

 other species, frequenting the sounds and sea beaches of our 

 western shores. It appears to be a much less common sandpiper 

 than the dunlin, and in my repeated searches after it, when 

 birds of all kinds were abundant, I have been oftener disappointed 

 than gratified. 



In September, 1867, when driving across the sand ford at low 

 tide between North Uist and Benbecula, I saw a number of Curlew 

 Sandpipers mixed with dunlins and ringed dotterels feeding on the 

 muddy sands near the latter island. There were hundreds of birds 

 of these three species collected together, and they were so tame 

 and confiding that as the wheels sped noiselessly along the smooth 

 ford, I was several times afraid they would crush some of the little 

 creatures boring in the ooze. Oftener than once, on coming up to 



