22 TEBEK SANDPIPER. 



In the "Ibis" for 1873, page 68, there is a very interesting 

 account of this bird as met with near Archangel by Messrs. Alston 

 and Harvie Brown, in a paper which bears the modest title of 

 "Notes from Archangel," but which is well worth the attention of 

 ornithologists. They remark, "The Terek Sandpiper is very abundant 

 on the delta of the river Dwina; and we met with it both on - the 

 sandy islands of the outer group and on the closely wooded ones 

 near Archangel. We took eggs from the time of our arrival on the 

 15th. of June to the end of the month, and the young we obtained 

 in all stages. By the 21st. of July the young birds of the year 

 were going in flocks. We were much struck by the arboreal habits 

 of this species, which perches freely upon bushes or low trees, and 

 runs along the branches with great ease, uttering a rapidly repeated 

 cry of alarm, which may be expressed by the words " tluk, tluk, 

 tluk." When first started to running from place to place or dashing 

 in and out amongst the alder thickets, the more musical double note 

 is uttered, whence its Russian name of "^Kuleek' — a name used in- 

 discriminately for all Sandpipers, but most directly for the subject of 

 this notice." 



The nest is simply a slight saucer-shaped hollow in the ground, 

 lined with chips of wood and bits of thick reed, and is placed in 

 open marshy parts of the alder thickets, by the sides of "kowrias" 

 or creeks in the sand among bent grass. 



The eggs in many instances resemble those of the Common 

 Sandpiper, ' Actitis hypoleuca,^ but are a little larger. They bear 

 no resemblance whatever to the eggs of the Limosce; indeed, all this 

 bird's habits, motions, cry, and quick, darting, erratic flight show 

 its affinities with the Sandpipers and not with the Godwits. The 

 length of bill in diflerent individuals varies greatly, as is the case 

 in Tringa cinclus, Numenius arquata, and other waders. The 

 young soon take on the dark markings on the back, which are so 

 conspicuous in the adult birds; and these can be traced in the 

 nestling of a few days age. The young birds have the legs and 

 feet of a pale orange colour; in the adult they are of a dull olive 

 green. The full grown birds of the year retain the yellowish margins 

 of the feathers of the upper parts." 



They live upon worms, insects, and small shell-fish. 



Male and female in winter.— Forehead, cheeks, throat, crop, and all 

 the under parts of a pure white, varied in front of the neck by 

 small ash-coloured streaks; top of the head, all the other upper 

 parts, and the two middle quills of the tail ash-colour, very clear, 

 the shafts of the feathers only being darker. Shoulder edges of the 



