452 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Germany, which are intermediate in ground-colour, and barely distinguish- 
able from either of the two sets obtained in Somersetshire. I took the 
unfinished empty nest which had been fenced round. It was built low 
down in the hedgerow, nearly on a level with the ditch, in one of the outer 
branches of a thickly-grown bush of dog-wood (not dog-rose), and was loosely 
woven with webs of insects amongst the twigs, and composed of similar 
material to the others. These four nests and two sets of eggs are in my 
possession. My friend was never able to obtain a good view of the bird. 
It always slipped off the nest on his approach, and disappeared almost 
unperceived amongst the thick herbage of the hedgerow.—Rosert H. 
Reap (Cathcart, Glasgow). 
The Pectoral Sandpiper in Orkney.—On the 28th August I received 
a freshly-skinned example of the Pectoral Sandpiper, Tringa maculata, 
Vieillot, together with the body, for dissection, from Mr. F. Menteith Ogilvie, 
and as this species is of rare occurrence in the British Islands the following 
particulars of its capture, kindly furnished by Mr. Ogilvie, will be of 
interest :—‘ This bird was secured when Snipe-shooting round the edge of a 
loch in Westray, Orkney, Aug. 26th, 1887,strong W.N.W. breeze week before. 
It rose in company with two or three full Snipe, without calling, and 
I imagined it was a Jack Snipe which had arrived earlier than usual. 
TI shot at two of the full Snipe, missing the second one, and J then becaine 
aware that the bird flushed with the Snipe was calling a note which I did 
not recognise; it seemed to be a short double note, or perhaps a single one 
repeated twice in quick succession. I watched the bird, and after a long 
flight it pitched straight down, as Suipe will generally do, into the rushes 
at the east end of the loch. I walked round, but finding the grouud 
extremely boggy, took off my boots and stockings, and struggled along as 
well as I could, often sinking over my knees in the soft mud, towards the 
spot where I had marked it down. The‘ going’ grew worse at every step, and 
just as I was about to turn back, fairly beaten, the bird rose behind me, 
and but for its curious call would have escaped. As it was, I could only 
turn round with the greatest difficulty, owing to both my legs being firmly 
embedded in the mud, but a rather lucky shot brought it down, and 
without much further trouble it was brought to bag. The bird was thin 
and in poor condition; unfortunately I was unable to weigh it, as the 
only obtainable scales had no weight under } fb. I took the following 
measurements :—length from tip of bill to end of tail, 9—9¥% in., and from 
carpal joint to end of longest primary, 5} in.; irides very dark brown; legs 
and toes yellowish green, rather more yellow than green. I send youa 
sketch, showing colour a few hours after death, and the body of bird for 
dissection.” In plumage the bird appeared to be adult, having the arrow- 
pointed markings on the breast-feathers, the principal distinction between 
the adult and immature of this species (see ‘ Yarrell,’ 4th ed., vol. iii. p.372). 
