The Zoologist— Ootobek, 1871. 2809 



was mobbed and pursued by the swallows which frequented the pond. 

 They never flew to any great distance, and after the female was shot the 

 male described a circle round her and pitched a short distance off, rising and 

 repeating the evolution as I approached within range. The only other bird 

 at the pond at the time was a little stint, which closely consorted with them, 

 but was wilder and more difficult of approach : I pursued it for some time 

 afterwards without success, and was at last compelled, from the lateness of 

 the hour, to leave it, but returning the next day found it at the same place 

 and shot it. I took the pectoral sandpipers next day to the Kev. W. S. 

 Hore, of Barnstaple, who takes much interest in inspecting all local 

 captures. We found the weight of the male bird to be just two ounces and 

 three-quarters, and that of the female to be three ounces and three-quarters ; 

 the former measuring eight inches and a quarter, and the latter nine inches 

 and a quarter. Eemembering the opinion expressed by Mr. Rodd (Zool. 

 S. S. 2346), that in this species, as well as the buff-breasted sandpiper, the 

 male bird is larger than the female (thus exhibiting a character at variance 

 with the usual rule prevalent amongst the Triugse), I gave strict injunctions 

 to the birdstuffer (Mr. Rowe, of Barnstaple) to observe the sex of the two 

 specimens on dissection : he, however, informs me, and I have no reason to 

 doubt the accuracy of his report, that the larger bird (and it appears so 

 much the larger as to render it almost difficult to understand that the two 

 birds can belong to the same species) is a female, the smaller one 

 being a male.— Marcus S. C. EicJcards ; 37, Cormvallis Crescent, Clifton, 

 September 19, 1871. 



P.5.— Since writing my last letter I have received a letter from Mr. Rowe, 

 to the effect that, owing to an unfortunate mistake of his assistant who 

 stuffed the pectoral sandpipers, the labels indicating the sex were transposed, 

 and "that, in point of fact, the larger specimen is the male. I can readily 

 believe this to be the case from the superior brightness of the colouring, and 

 generally from the appearance of this specimen ; and it is very satisfactory 

 to me to be thus able to corroborate, rather than to have to attempt to 

 disprove, the theory enunciated by Mr. Rodd in this particular. —Marcits 

 8. C. Richards; September 91, 1871. 



Greenshank and Green Sandpiper near Barnstaple.— On the 30th of 

 August I obtained a specimen of the greenshank from a large flock 

 comprising twenty or twenty-five, or possibly a larger number, of these 

 birds, which had been frequenting the River Taw for some time; and 

 again, in the early part of the present month, I obtained another specimen, 

 an adult, from the same flock, which was principally composed of birds of 

 the year. I have never before observed this species (which, as in the rest 

 of England, is far from common in this locality) to be gregarious, having 

 previously seen but a pair, or at most three individuals, together. On the 

 14th instant I obtained a specimen of the green sandpiper from a pool 



