Scraps relating to Natural History, by C. M. Adamson. 363 



one in winter plumage whicli I now have, on the 10th Peb., 1854. 

 I saw it on two occasions previously, when looking for wild ducks 

 from Ewart Park, at the Glen side, when it rose out of shot ; but 

 having observed the particular places it rose from, on that morn- 

 ing I went quietly alone, and only looked over the place where I 

 expected to find it and thus secured it. It fell on the opposite 

 side of the river and when I waded across and pushed it up, it 

 piped its peculiar note when in my hand. 



Sandeeling. — August, 1878. — Sanderlings were very abundant 

 this year at Holy Island. On the 16th August, I saw a flock of 

 at least fifty, all apparently young birds, of which I shot two. 

 A few days after, the young birds were very numerous, but the 

 old birds had passed on. I shot several young birds, and could 

 have knied any number, but it was quite plain to see that these 

 flocks were entirely composed of birds of the year, by their purer 

 colour, either when rising or flying. August, 1879. — Sander- 

 lings appeared as usual, but fewer old birds, by the time they 

 passed on. The young came in greater quantities than the year 

 before, usually in flocks by themselves. Though you can hardly 

 call them wild, they are what I should call very shifty, and often 

 when they rise fly great distances, too far to follow, so that you 

 may see them and think they are easily got, and be disappointed. 

 On the 28th of the month my young friend, George Noble, now 

 Lieut. 1 3th Hussars, came over for a day or two. We went on 

 to the sands and shortly after saw a flock of birds, perhaps 20, 

 at some distance flying about, amongst which was a white one. 

 They settled and we agreed to walk up to them for both to shoot 

 at the white bird when they rose, approaching the flock in differ- 

 ent directions in case they might fly round on rising too far off. 

 We both shot at the white bird as they rose, one fell dead, an old 

 Sanderling, the white bird separated from the others being 

 wounded and flew to Noble's side and soon settled again, we went 

 to it and he shot it as it rose, which it did with difficulty. It is a 

 very singular bird, it was very fat and I had great difficulty in 

 keeping it clean particularly in skinning it and setting it up, how- 

 ever with care I got it done. The crown of the head is cream 

 colored shading to white, the back pale buff with rather a darker 

 V-shaped mark on the shoulders, the rest aU white, except the 

 outer sides of the primaries which are rich cream colour — the 

 beak and legs were olive. It is a large bird and is in perfect 

 plumage— probably a young bird of the year as aU the feathers 



It 



