20 TEBEK SANDPIPER. 



Sea and south. Russia, from wTieuce, however, I have the eggs. 

 According to Temminck it has been killed in Normandy, and he says 

 there is no difference between these specimens and those which, he 

 received from Japan. The same author has recorded its capture 

 near Paris, and states that it strays into Europe amongst flocks of the 

 Common Redshank. It has occurred three times in Italy. In India, 

 China, Sumatra, Borneo, and Japan it is a winter visitant. 



Deputy Surgeon-General Stewart writes to me, — "I have found 

 this bird common enough in suitable localities in almost all parts of 

 India. I saw it a couple of years ago mixed with the Sandpipers 

 T. glareola, T. minuta, and T. temminckii, on the sea coast south of 

 Bombay, and I remarked it to be a very tame, rather stupid bird, 

 and I shot several specimens as fast as I could load my gun. All 

 the other birds took flight at the first discharge." 



Jerdon ("Birds of India") says: — "This neat plumaged little Sand- 

 piper is not very abundant in the south of India, but is more 

 frequently met with towards the north; it frequents the shores of 

 seas, back waters, tanks, and rivers in small flocks. In summer 

 plumage the scapularies become black, edged with brown. It breeds 

 in north Asia, laying four pale olive-yellow eggs, with brown spots. 

 It is extensively distributed over Europe, and Asia to Australia." 



Salvadori (Fauna d'ltalia) says of this bird: — "Once only this species 

 has been observed in Italy. On the 9th. of May, 1869, Savi found 

 three individuals in the market of Pisa, taken in the neighbourhood, 

 one male and two females. Two of these were preserved in the 

 University of Pisa, the third is in the Museum of Turin. This 

 species belongs to Asia, and during its emigration it wanders even 

 to Australia, and to central and southern Europe.'" 



In Mr. Dresser's "Birds of Europe" are some very practical 

 remarks about this bird by Herr Meves, of Stockholm. 



The question of Sandpiper or Godwit, in that gentleman's opinion, 

 appears to be altogether in favour of the former. I copy his 

 remarks: — "This peculiar wader I would almost call the River Sand- 

 piper. I first observed it the 9th. of July on the river Onega, near 

 Birythewa, and thence down the river, though not numerously, to 

 the town of Onega. They were on the small sandy islands over- 

 grown with willow bushes, or on the banks of the river, where, 

 when I disturbed them, they tried with loud cries to defend their 

 young, which were probably concealed in the grass. Before I fired 

 a shot a male ran before me^ only a few paces off, among the 

 willow bushes, and in its manner and movements bore the greatest 

 resemblance to the Common Sandpiper ( Actitis liypoleucaj. The 



