GREEN SANDPIPER. COMMON SANDPIPER. 157 



least attention. Although less remarkable than the redshank, 

 we observe the same quivering of the body that so much dis- 

 tinguishes that bird. At times it wades out so far after the 

 tide that the water often covers the knee-joint, and, when 

 alarmed in such places, the legs are dangled more than usually 

 behind, similar to a habit of the common bunting and heron. 

 Habitat Southern Europe. 



SPECIES 147 THE GREEN SANDPIPER. 



Totanus ochropus. Linn. 

 Chevalier cul blanc. Temm. 



THE rarest in occurrence of the more common Totani, the 

 green sandpiper is seldom met with in our island, and is prin- 

 cipally observed during winter in the markets of the city, 

 there attracting the attention of our hawkers of wild fowl, 

 possessed of a certain amount of discrimination to enable 

 them to fix upon an absurd price for a species they believe so 

 very rare, from its seldom coming under their observation. 



Frequenting inland localities, three specimens in our col- 

 lection, obtained from dealers, were forwarded from inland 

 situations. 



Possessing more distinctly marked plumage than the green- 

 shank, we see the same spotless white of the under parts of 

 this bird, whilst the upper plumage is dotted with whitish 

 spots upon the rich and deeply bronzed feathers of the back. 

 Of great rarity in its occurrence during summer, two spe- 

 cimens obtained in that season came under our own observa- 

 tion, both of which were shot in the county of Kildare, each 

 habited in the full adult breeding plumage. Another spe- 

 cimen was obtained on the Merrion strand, associating with 

 the dunlins and knots, a locality for which they affect bu 

 little partiality. 



Habitat Southern Europe. 



SPECIES 148 THE COMMON SANDPIPER. 



Totanus hypolcucus. Linn. 



Chevalier guignette. Temm. 



Sand-lark. 



THIS beautiful little species is one of our most interesting 

 birds, and appears of more rarity than it really is, on account 

 of the unfrequented localities it selects. Its delicate form 

 and elegant proportions seem to render it unable to bear the 

 rigour of our winters, so that, like the majority of our migra- 



