Ornithological Notes, by George Bolam. 167 



seeming to frequent the same marsh. "WTien the nest or young are 

 approached, the old birds become very tame and run about with- 

 in a few yards of the intruder, uttering their strange purring cry. 

 Baetram's Sandpiper {Actiturus Bartramius. — A most beauti- 

 ful specimen of this rare British bird was shot by Mr Jas. Grey, 

 on the sea-banks at Longhoughton Low Stead, in the county of 

 Northumberland, on the 21st November, 1879, and is now in my 

 collection. It had been in the neighbourhood for about a week 

 before it was killed, and was in the habit of frequenting the 

 long grass or "bents," with which the links at Low Stead are 

 covered. Mr Henry Grey, who had a very good opportunity of 

 observing it while alive, and who spent a considerable time in 

 watching its habits, informs me that it was not at all shy, and 

 when amongst the tall grass lay like a Snipe or Woodcock, 

 allowing him to approach within a few yards of it before rising, 

 and when flushed, after flying for a short distance (seldom more 

 than a hundred yards at a time), it would again drop into the 

 long grass, or alighting on the bare sand would run off to some 

 convenient place of shelter. When surprised in the open, with- 

 out any covert at hand amongst which to hide, it ran very 

 swiftly, frequently stopping behind a stone, or, after it had got 

 some distance away from him, standing on a slight hillock or 

 other eminence and watching his movements, its tail all the 

 while moving up and down with a peculiar swaying sort of 

 motion, not observable in any of the other Sandpipers. Its note, 

 uttered for the most part when flying, was a shrill piping 

 whistle. Very unfortunately it had not recovered from the 

 autumnal moult, many of the feathers being only partly grown, 

 while others are entirely wanting. On dissection it proved to be 

 a female, and the day after it had been shot, when it came into 

 my possession, weighed b^ oz., but as it was badly wounded and 

 had bled a good deal, it must when newly dead, have been con- 

 siderably heavier. Its measurements and description taken 

 before the skin was removed were shortly as follows : — From tip 

 to tip of fuUy extended wings, 22|- inches ; from tip of biU to 

 tip of tail, 12|- inches ; middle toe and tarsi together 3^ inches, 

 of which the tarsi measured 2 inches ; legs and feet reddish 

 orange in colour, and bare of feathers for about an inch above 

 the knee joint ; claws black and strong, and considerably curved. 

 The tail wedge-shaped, the central feathers being 3|^ inches in 



