BIRDS 
brought to him; several others considerably 
mutilated were also found. During his ex- 
perience of nearly thirty-six years, among the 
hundreds of locally killed dunlins that he has 
handled, there have been seven or eight of 
the much larger type of bird, with the bill 
more curved, and extremely white on breast 
and belly; these have generally been ob- 
tained alone, or at most two or three together. 
The last he received were two out of three 
killed at Fenlake in the winter of 1896. 
172. Little Stint. Tringa minuta, Leisler. 
Five instances at least can be given of 
this rare passing migrant being obtained. A 
specimen formerly in the possession of Mr. 
J. King, which his son killed at Langford 
on 29 September 1860 ; another which I have 
seen, in the possession of Mr. A. Covington, 
killed 2 November 1889, in the New Cut ; 
an immature bird shot on 21 October 1898 
on the irrigation farm at Newnham by Mr. 
T. Harding, and two others obtained from the 
same locality on 22 September 1902. 
173. Curlew-Sandpiper. 
(Guldenstadt) 
Another rare migratory visitant. The only 
records at present are an immature bird shot 
on 12 October 1872 by one of the old walls 
at Newnham, and six others obtained from that 
locality on 11 and 18 September 1902. 
Tringa subarquata 
174. Knot. 
A very uncommon straggler inland. One 
was killed from a brook at Ravensden, and 
two others were obtained at Elstow on 2 and 
3 October 1884 which had been picked up, 
one dead and the other with a broken wing. 
Tringa canutus, Linn. 
175. Sanderling. Calidris arenaria (Linn.) 
A rare visitor. Mr. A. Covington informs 
me that in January 1868 a large flock ap- 
peared in the neighbourhood of Fenlake and 
remained in that locality for two or three 
weeks ; several were brought to him at the 
time, and one or two others were obtained 
much later. He has also received several 
odd birds from different localities bordering 
the Ouse. The last specimen which he re- 
members was killed in January 1880 during a 
deep snow from a ditch along the Kimbolton 
road near to Cleat Hill. 
176. Ruff(¢ Reeve). AZachetes pugnax (Linn.) 
Although this bird was probably a common 
visitor to Bedfordshire formerly, it is now but 
a rare straggler in autumn. A reeve was 
brought to Mr. Covington in September 1877, 
which had been shot at Cardington, and Mr. 
J. King’s brother shot one about 1870 near 
Shefford Mill. An immature bird was killed 
about 1880 at Newnham. In the autumn of 
1894 six or seven ruffs remained at Newn- 
ham for about a week in association with 
other waders; one, a reeve, which was killed 
on 13 September, was kindly shown to me by 
Mr. Harrison, another an immature bird was 
obtained on 23 August 1897, and in its 
stomach were the remains of several small 
beetles. 
177. Common Sandpiper. 
(Linn.) 
A most regular and plentiful passing mi- 
grant ; in the spring it may be found with us 
from the third week in April onwards to the 
second week in May, reappearing at the latter 
end of July and throughout August, evidently 
in many instances remaining with us a week or 
more at atime. At these periods of the year 
one seldom fails to find at least a few solitary 
birds at several of its more favoured haunts ; 
as at Newnham farm, or about the gravelly 
shallow stretches of our waterways, such as at 
Castle Mill, Old Mill near Great Barford, 
Wyboston Corner, and many other places 
along the Ouse and Ivel. In the spring 
movements they are most frequently seen in 
pairs, but in the autumn small parties may 
be sometimes observed. Mr. A. Covington 
has known an odd bird occasionally to stay 
the summer through at Goldington, and in 
the neighbourhood of the Biddenham Rapids 
a pair once remained throughout their nesting 
period. 
Totanus hy poleucus 
178. Wood-Sandpiper. Tetanus glareola (J.F. 
Gmelin) 
A single instance of this far more uncom- 
mon but similar species occurring locally is 
given by Mr. A. Covington, to whom a 
male was brought in May, about 1875, 
that had been shot from a pond at Thur- 
leigh. Davis adds this bird to his list as 
of occasional occurrence, but it is doubtful 
whether the species had been correctly veri- 
fied by him, especially as it is omitted alto- 
gether in his second edition. 
179. Green Sandpiper. Totanus 
(Linn.) 
A migrant in the spring and autumn, 
and appears most regularly in its latter move- 
ments. It frequently occurs in some numbers 
together, and in many instances remains 
upwards of a week or more at a time. 
Solitary birds are not infrequently met with 
throughout the winter months, but I can- 
not venture to say whether these are the 
ochropus 
131 
