OP KOETHUirBERLAj^i) Al^D BimaAM. Ill 



evening ; the birds all the while flying backwards and forwards 

 over the tops of the trees, not far from the spot where we fotmd 

 a nest. Unfortunately, on neither occasion had we a sufficiently 

 clear view of the birds to see if the croaking sound was accom- 

 panied by any quivering motion of the wings. Therefore I can 

 only conjecture how it is produced; but from the character of 

 the sound itself, it is certainly akin to that made by the Snipe. 



The "Wood Sandpiper {Totanus gla/reola) produces a sound, dur- 

 ing the breeding season, perfectly comparable to the murmimng 

 or neighing of the Snipe. I have twice had the opportunity of 

 hearing the "Wood Sandpiper; once, when I took its nest at 

 Prestwick Car, in June, 1853, and again at Grosforth Lake, on 

 the 10th of May, 1857. On the first occasion, I observed the 

 bird for a long time flying high in the air before the nest was 

 found; and afterwards while watching its return, previous to 

 shooting it. It kept, at a considerable elevation, wheeling about 

 and descending at intervals, in wide circles, with outstretched, 

 quivering wings, like the Snipe, and producing at the same time 

 a similar tremulous note, but the motion of the wings was more 

 rapid, and the sound was shriller and more musical, amount- 

 ing almost to a sort of whistle. This was repeated over and 

 over again, and sometimes when the bird was at a great eleva- 

 tion. When I heard it at Grosforth it was precisely under the 

 same circumstances; but I failed to detect the nest, though I 

 have little doubt it was somewhere in the neighbourhood. 



There is nothing peculiar to distinguish the outer tail-feathers 

 of this species from those of the Common Sandpiper, the Dun- 

 lin, and Redshank, none of which are known to produce this 

 peculiar sound. In all these the feathers are sabre-shaped, with 

 the shaft rigid, quite as much so as in the Snipe. 



A sound of the same nature is produced by the Peewit, when 

 disturbed by anyone approaching its nest, or more particularly 

 its young. It then dashes itself downwards in short, circling 

 swoops, occasionally advancing quite close to the intruder. This 

 action is accompanied by short forcible strokes of the wings, 

 similar to the vibratory motion of the wings of the Snipe when 

 emitting its well-known neighing ' or murmuring sound. And 



