126 THE SPECIES. 



colour, much freckled with black, and much smaller than the male. The call is a crow- and a 

 noise "as of whetting a scythe." The flight is heavy and low, but rapid and occasionally 

 prolonged. Unlike the Grouse, Black Game are very partial to perching in trees. The nest 

 is a hollow, often in damp ground. It is lined with heather or fern, and contains from 6 to lo 

 eggs. 



The Capercaillie — Dimensions, Ta ; Eggs, Og — seems once to have died out in Scotland, 

 but to have been reintroduced in 1837. It is dark ashy grey in colour with black chin 

 feathers, forming a sort of lieard. The call is " peller, peller," " klickop," and also '* heed." 

 The flight is a particularly powerful one, with a terrible whirr to start with. The female is 

 smaller than the male, and is pale chestnut in colour, much mottled with black, and she has 

 white tips to her tail feathers. The nest is a hollow among the heather or whortleberry 

 bushes, lined with a few sprigs, and containing from 5 to 15 eggs. 



Tichodroma. Plate vi. CERTHIINM (Passeridae.) 



86. muraria, 6| in. Wall Creeper. Back slaty grey ; wings grey 



and crimson ; five of the primaries spotted with 

 white ; dark grey below ; tail black, tipped with 

 grey, and almost square in shape. 



The Wall Creeper — Dimensions, Em ; Eggs, Cj — has been recorded twice in this country, 

 once in 1792 and once in 1572. It is a well known native of Central and Southern Europe, 



Totanus. Plate xxix. SCOLOPACIDM. 



327. kypoleucus, 7J in. Sandpiper. Remiges 24, much patched with 



white; eighth and ninth secondaries nearly white ; 

 upper tail coverts brown ; wings white barred ; 

 axillaries white ; legs olive. ^ 



328. macularius, jl in. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Remiges 27 ; eighth and 



ninth secondaries with a broad brown band across 

 both webs ; circular greenish black spots on breast 

 and neck. 



330. glareola, 8 in. Wood Sandpiper. Remiges 26 ; upper tail 



coverts white ; axillaries white, often with brown 

 bars ; legs pale olive. 



329. ochropus, Z\ in. Green Sandpiper. Remiges 29 ; upper tail 



coverts white ; axillaries white with brown bars ; 

 legs slaty blue. 



331. solitarius, 9 in. Solitary Sandpiper. Central upper tail coverts 



brown ; no bars on primaries ; axillaries brown and 

 white ; two middle tail feathers olive brown speckled 

 with white. 



332. calidris, io\ in. Redshank. Lower back white ; secondaries 



white ; legs red. 



334. flavlpes, I'jf in. Yellowshank, Legs bright yellow. 



333- fu-scus, 12 in. Spotted Redshank. Head, neck, mantle, and 



iinderparts grey ; secondaries white and grey ; legs 

 reddish brown. 



335. canescens, 13^ in, Greenshank. Lower back white ; remiges 27 ; 



secondaries grey ; legs green ; no web between 

 middle and inner toes. 



The Sandpiper— Dimensions, Fs ; Eggs, Ip — is almost as well known as the Summer Snipe; 

 and is with us from April to September every year. It is a greenish brown bird, barred with 

 bronze. Its wings are much bent as it flies ; it glides with them half open, then flaps them 

 rapidly and regularly for a time, and finally holds them almost upright as it alights and runs. 

 Its call is " weet, weet, killy leepie " ; and it has a cheery little song which it sings on the 

 wing. The sexes are alike in plumage, and lose much of the dark brown in the autumn. 

 The nest is a hollow, near water, lined with a little grass or moss, and it contains four eggs. 



The Spotted Sandpiper— Dimensions, Ge ; Eggs, He — is an American bird of whose 

 appearances here there are only a few somewhat doubtful records. 



