CHAP. XIX. 



CURLEW SANDPIPER. 



233 



few minutes, and soon heard their notes again. This time 

 a small flock passed me over the water, and I dropped a 

 couple into it. I endeavoured to wade in after them, but 

 the mud was too much for me; a smart north wind was 

 blowing also, so I turned back and waited on the shore; 

 there I spent the time examining every dunlin that came 

 within the range of my glass, in the hopes of discovering one 

 without the black belly. After a while I walked on, not 

 caring to shoot more, but desirous of finding some evidence 

 of the little stint's breeding haunts. At a short distance 

 before me rose sandhills sprinkled over with esparto-grass ; 

 towards these I now bent my steps. The intervening ground 

 was covered with thick, short, coarse grass, and was studded 

 with little pools of water. I had not gone far before I came 

 upon some sandpipers feeding on the edge of a small island 

 in the bay. There was no kind of cover near, so, approach- 

 ing as close as I dared, I fired. There must have been six 

 or seven birds ; all rose but one, who tried to follow the rest, 

 but was wounded, and he- dropped into the water, fluttering 

 feebly on, till he reached another island. The mud on the 

 banks was so deep and sticky that it was with difficulty I again 

 got within range, and with a second shot laid him upon his 

 back. When I managed to reach him my pleasure was 

 great on picking him up to find a curlew sandpiper.* This 



* The curlew sandpiper (^Tringa 

 suharquata, Guld.) is a regular spring 

 and autumn migrant on the shores of 

 Great Britain and Ireland. It rarely 

 if ever remains the winter with us, 

 but passes through in September and 



October in considerable numbers, and 

 again, but in much smaller £ocks, in 

 May. It is not known that eggs of 

 this bird, common as it is, have ever 

 been taken. Even its breeding-grounds 

 have yet to be discovered. The 'ill- 



