140 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 



Female {breeding plumage). — Similar to male, but less heavily 

 marked. 



Male and Female ( winter plumage). — Upper surface almost 

 uniform bronzy-olive, without central black marks to feathers; 

 under surface less distinctly streaked. 



Young. — Upper surface with cross bars of reddish-buff and 

 dusky-brown, giving the upper surface a freckled appearance; 

 under surface almost uniform, scarcely streaked. 



Nest. — " A mere hole lined with dry grass and moss, or without 

 lining ; situated among herbage upon the banks of a stream, in a 

 gravel bed among pebbles, in irregularities upon the surface of a 

 bare rock (Buller)" (A. J. Campbell). 



Eggs. — " Generally four in number, varying in colour irojon 

 pale clay-colour to greenish- white, with chocolate-brown spots 

 and blotches, as a rule equally distributed, but sometimes more 

 thickly round the larger end, the underlying spots purplish-grey. 

 Axis 1.3-1.6, diameter 0.96-1.05 " (E. B. Sharpe). 



Breeding Season. — May and June. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania, Australia in general, 

 New Guinea, Africa, India; also throughout temperate Europe and 

 Asia, where it breeds. 



Observations. — Like a number of other species the Common 

 Sandpiper, or, as it is called in England, the Summer Snipe, only 

 visits us during the northern winter, arriving here with the other 

 migratory wading birds and departing at or about the same time. 

 Not only does it frequent the sea-shore and the mouths of rivers 

 and estuaries, but also the margins of inland lakes. The Sand- 

 piper almost invariably moves about singly, but on occasions as 

 many as half a dozen may be seen feeding and flitting from place 

 to place in company. I have seen this on the North-West Coast. 

 Its food consists of insects of various descriptions and Crustacea 

 gathered from out of the water and under the pebbles of its haunts. 



' ' Shortly after their arrival at their breeding grounds the males 

 are very demonstrative and excessively noisy. In early summer 

 they may often be seen running along the roagh stone walls near 

 the water, with drooping wings, as if displaying their charms to 

 the females crouching amongst the herbage below. At this season 

 the cock birds sometimes soar into the air and utter a short trill, 

 as is the case with most other waders " (Seebohm). 



*GEEBNSHANK 



{Glottis nebularius, Gunner). 



Male {breeding plumage). — Upper surface ruddy-brown, with 

 black centres to the feathers; lower back, rump, and upper tail 

 coverts white; two central tail feathers ashy-grey, remainder of tail 

 feathers white barred with blackish ; head and neck streaked with 



