204 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Broad-billed Sandpiper. Limicola platyrhyncha.—On the 
morning of June 9th we had started from Fokstuen station-house 
for an exploration of the hills on the other side the marsh, and 
had not left it half-an-hour when a little Sandpiper that I did 
not recognise, got up from under my feet, was shot, and, hurrah! 
—proved to be a Broad-bill! It was at once decided to leave the 
hills for the marsh, and thither we accordingly went. Before very 
long four eggs were found, and so one of the prizes we hoped 
to get was secured. This nest was not on a tump, but a damp, 
grassy place, in a dry spot almost level with the mud, and con- 
sisted of a round, deep hollow filled with dry leaves of the 
mountain willow, whose brown colour coincided almost exactly 
with that of the eggs. On the 11th, at another marsh half-way 
to Jerkin, on which there were no willows, we took four 
eggs from a nest composed of dry grass simply, and which 
was a slight depression on a small tump_ surrounded by 
water. The colour of these was very much lighter than the first, 
more like a Dunlin’s. Willow-leaves were not invariably used, 
even where they were plentiful, as was proved by a nest taken on 
the 14th from Fokstuen, composed solely of straws. Two others 
had both leaves and straws mixed, and the rest were like the first 
in this respect. It was curious that those nests lined with leaves 
contained the darkest eggs, and those with straws the lighter- 
coloured ones. The number was invariably four, and these were 
all fresh, or nearly so, in the seven nests we took, between the 9th 
and 15th. The open spaces of the marsh appeared to be pre- 
ferred, where it was free from bushes, and the ground very soppy 
and wet. The birds in all cases were very tame, would not get off 
the nest till nearly trodden on, alighting only a few yards away, 
and running about among the tumps with an occasional subdued 
half-chirp half-whistle. The male is never far away, always ready 
to join his mate if she leaves the nest. Irides and legs dark brown. 
During the last week of our stay a lot of our best working ground 
was spoiled by a party of German gentlemen, who, in passing 
Fokstuen, announced that they were on their way to the North 
Cape, but unfortunately took it into their heads to have a little 
sporting at Jerkin. Every stream was netted, every marsh within 
several miles shot over, and it was very annoying to find on some 
cherished tit-bit of bog a lot of empty cartridge-cases scattered 
about. 
