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very common on the banks of the Meuse and the Escaut. It is stated by Degland and Gerbe to 

 occur periodically on passage in most parts of France, and breeds near Boulogne, in the marshes 

 of Guignes, near Calais, on the banks of the Seine, in Anjou, and in many other parts of France. 

 M. Adrien Lacroix records it as common and generally distributed throughout the French 

 Pyrenees during summer, arriving early in April, and leaving late in September or early 'in 

 October. Professor Barboza du Bocage says that it is rather rare than otherwise in Portugal ; 

 but it is common in Spain. Colonel Irby states (Orn. Str. Gibr. p. 168) that it " swarms about 

 the Straits of Gibraltar in March and April, passing in lots of four or five together." He had no 

 record of any in November, but saw one on the 24th of October and one on the 7th of December. 

 In spring they are not abundant until the month of March, their passage being at its height 

 about the 15th of April. He never found its nest, but believes that it breeds there, as he saw a 

 pair near the mouth of the Guadiarro at the end of May, which, from their manner, were, he 

 says, certainly nesting. Mr. Howard Saunders states (Ibis, 1871, p. 388) that he obtained one in 

 winter at Malaga. Mr. A. von Homeyer records it as tolerably common on the Balearic Islands, 

 and adds that it certainly breeds there. In Italy it is stated by Count Salvadori to be common 

 during the summer season ; and Mr. A. B. Brooke says the same as regards its occurrence in 

 Sardinia, and adds that he saw one in the month of March. According to Malherbe it is found 

 in Sicily both in summer and winter, but more numerously during the latter season ; and Mr. C. 

 Bygrave Wharton saw a few along the shore at Ajaccio, in Corsica, during the winter, and 

 observed a pair near Biguglia on the 22nd of April. 



In his notes on the birds of Malta and Gozo (Ibis, 1864, p. 147), Mr. Wright states that it 

 is " very common in spring and autumn. Arrives in March, and is common till May. It then 

 becomes scarce, and, until the middle of July, it is rarely seen. About this time small flocks 

 reappear on the coast ; and in August and September it is again common. It almost entirely 

 disappears in winter. A few probably breed here in summer." It is. found in most parts of 

 Southern Germany. Dr. A. Fritsch says (J. f. O. 1871, p. 388) it breeds here and there in 

 Bohemia, as, for instance, on the Hetzinsel, near Prague, and on the Valtava, near Horazdovic, 

 and is seen near water during passage. According to the late Mr. E. Seidensacher the common 

 Sandpiper breeds numerously in Styria, on the shores of the Sann and Woglena, on the Kotting, 

 near Neukirchen, and near Gairach, where he found pairs breeding far up the stream. It arrives 

 there in March or early in April, and leaves late in August or early in September. It is found 

 throughout Austria ; and is said by Messrs. Danford and Harvie-Brown to be common in Tran- 

 sylvania. According to Dr. Kriiper it is tolerably common in Greece, where it is found throughout 

 the summer. Erhard includes it as a resident in the Cyclades ; Colonel Drummond-Hay says 

 that it occurs singly in winter in Macedonia ; and Lord Lilford writes that it is common at all 

 seasons on the rocky parts of Epirus and Corfu. Messrs. Elwes and Buckley state that it is not 

 uncommon on the Bosphorus ; it is common in Southern Russia, and is found in Asia Minor 

 on passage ; but I lack information respecting its distribution there. Canon Tristram obtained 

 it in Palestine; and Mr. C. W. Wyatt states (Ibis, 1870, p. 17) that he found it common on the 

 sea-shore in the peninsula of Sinai. 



Throughout Africa it is very widely distributed, being found as far south as the Cape colony. 

 Messrs. Finsch and Hartlaub give most excellent details respecting its range on that continent as 



