walking or standing on the ground it differs somewhat in its general attitude from that bird. I 

 have never heard its note, and do not find any reliable information as to what its note is. 



As regards its breeding-habits, I am indebted to Professor Newton for the loan of the letter 

 from the late Mr. John Wolley to Mr. Hewitson, in which he gives the details from which 

 Mr. Hewitson selected the notes published by him on the nidification of this species. Writing 

 from Muoniovara, in Lapland, Mr. Wolley says : — " The Broad-billed Sandpiper differs from other 

 wading birds in the situation of its nest, choosing open soft places in the marsh where there is 

 little else than bog-moss with a light growth of a kind of sedge ; and on a low tuft just rising 

 above the water its nest may be found, often without much difficulty. If the bird is not seen to 

 leave, it will at all events be heard in the air making a kind of faint twittering noise ; and when 

 once it is discovered a careful search of the neighbourhood it frequents with plenty of beaters 

 seldom fails of success. But it must not be supposed that this kind of bird-nesting is very easy 

 work. The marshes where the Broad-billed Sandpiper is to be found are few and far between ; 

 they are soft and full of water ; and often every step is a struggle, whilst the swarms of hungry 

 gnats require almost individual attention. Satisfactory food is not easy to get ; whilst eating and 

 having to expose one's face to the attacks of the insects is necessary, though extremely pro- 

 voking. The sun is scorching at midday ; but at midnight it has not enough power to keep away 

 an unpleasant chill. The country to be gone over is of vast extent, the egg-season very short. 

 Sleep is seldom attainable ; a feverish feeling comes on, and present enjoyment soon ceases; but 

 one works away with a conviction that the greater the difficulty the greater will be the satis- 

 faction in success. It is just when the thickest cloud of gnats rise from the water which is so 

 generally spread over the recently thawed land that the Broad-billed Sandpiper has its eggs ; and 

 this is just before midsummer, about the third week in June. Many empty nests are found for 

 one that is occupied; and I suppose them to be nests of former years; for the moss in which they 

 are usually worked long retains any mark made in it, being hard-frozen for more than half the 

 year. They are neatly rounded hollows, and have a few bits of dry grass at the bottom. The 

 bird sometimes flies and sometimes runs off her eggs ; and if she has sat for a day or two she will 

 come back even whilst men are standing all around. The eggs are usually very deeply and 

 richly coloured when fresh, but they fade sadly soon after they are blown." 



Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brown sends me the following note respecting the nidification of the 

 present species in Norway : — " Mr. Mitchell, who visited the Dovrefjeld, in Norway, in 1873, 

 accompanied by our collector, Herr O. J. Lysne, kindly presented me on his return with a set of 

 four eggs of the Broad-billed Sandpiper, along with the following notes, under date of I Oth July, 

 1873 : — 'The Broadbill's eggs were taken near Fokstuen, on the Dovrefjeld, on the 15th May, in 

 an open part of the marsh. It is rather curious to notice how the lining of the nest is suited to 

 the colour of the egg. The darkest ones are laid on the brown withered leaves of the mountain- 

 willow, while one nest, the eggs of which were as light as Dunlins', was lined entirely with grass ; 



several others were mixed The nests are more elaborate than most of the Sandpipers', 



scratched deeper down, and more carefully lined. The old bird sits so closely that she never 

 gets off until your foot is nearly upon her.' Prior to our visit to the Fille Fyeld in 1871, 

 Mr. Alston and myself had heard of the nesting of this species upon the edge of a lake in 

 Valders. We had no opportunity of visiting this locality ourselves; but Herr Dr. Printz, of 



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