358 BRITISH BIRDS. 



the birds have wandered aimlessly about until they 

 reached our coasts. Such a solution is frequently 

 suggested by Gaetke in his " Birds of Heligoland." 



The breeding range of the Marsh-Sandpiper in Europe 

 appears to be confined to Austria-Hungary and Southern 

 Russia, but there is some evidence that it has bred in 

 the Camargue, and Dr. Cullen said he took one nest in 

 the Dobrudscha. It also extends right across Asia, 

 probably to the Sea of Okhotsk and north to Lat. 55 

 or 56 in Siberia. In winter the bird ranges to the Cape 

 in Africa, and to the Malay Archipelago, New Guinea and 

 Australia. 



In Egypt, the only country in which I have met with 

 it, the Marsh-Sandpiper is not uncommon during the 

 autumn, winter, and early spring. It frequents marshy 

 ground and the shores of the lakes, such as Menzaleh, 

 usually singly, though sometimes in small flocks. It 

 is shy and difficult of approach. 



In appearance the Marsh-Sandpiper somewhat resembles 

 a miniature Greenshank, but the call-note, general habits, 

 and flight are more like those of the Wood-Sandpiper 

 (T. glareola). So far as my limited experience goes, this 

 Sandpiper seldom consorts with other waders. It is 

 easily distinguished even at a distance from the Wood- 

 and Green Sandpipers by its pale coloration and long 

 legs. 



Winter-plumage, adult male, November 6th, 1906, 

 Province of Giza, forehead, lores and whole of under parts 

 pure white ; nape, grey ; crown, mantle, scapulars and 

 inner secondaries, greyish-brown ; lesser wing-coverts dull 

 brown ; greater wing-coverts greyish-brown, like the mantle, 

 each feather narrowly edged with white ; lower back and 

 rump white ; upper tail-coverts white, barred with black ; 

 tail : outer pair of rectrices white, marbled with grey on 

 the outer web, remainder similar, but with irregular 

 black bars on the inner webs, central pair smoky-grey 

 with V-shaped bars of black ; remiges dull black, the first 

 primary having a white shaft, the others being brown. 



