13'-' 



i) 



collected together and left by the receding water, or on the ground in the grass or heather, and 

 is a mere depression lined with a few withered grass-blades. 



The eggs of the common Sandpiper, four in number, are pyriform, large for the size of the 

 bird, and vary somewhat in coloration and markings. In a large series in my collection I find 

 the ground-colour varies from creamy white to warm stone-buff, and the markings from dull red 

 to brownish red. These latter are sometimes sparingly spread over the surface of the egg, and 

 sometimes thickly dotted, and consist of small spots with a few larger blotches, intermixed with 

 a few purplish grey shell-markings. In size they vary from 1^§ by 1 inch to l-j§ by l^o an( i 

 lif by l-£o inch. 



Naumann says that many of the nests he has found were better constructed than those of 

 most of the Waders, and were nearly as well built as some nests of the Skylark ; but the nests I 

 have seen were usually very poorly made, and could scarcely be dignified with the name of nest, 

 being, as above stated, a mere depression loosely lined with dry grass-blades. It sometimes nests 

 amongst the stones and shingle on the banks of a river ; and Mr. Thompson says that he knew 

 an instance of a pair having built their nest in a gooseberry-bush in a garden close to a pond 

 near Belfast. 



The eggs are incubated by the female, who sits with great assiduity. After about fourteen 

 days the young emerge from the eggs, and leave the nest almost immediately, and are most 

 carefully tended by their parents until able to provide for themselves. When alarmed, they 

 squat motionless on the ground, and trust thus to avoid observation ; and the old birds use every 

 endeavour to entice away the intruder. Sometimes they are said to take to the water and swim 

 with ease. I have seen the old birds, when wounded, take to the water and swim and dive with 

 the greatest facility. 



The food of the common Sandpiper consists of insects, insect-larvae, and worms of various 

 kinds ; and the gizzard usually contains a few small stones. 



Mr. G. R. Gray and several recent authors give as a synonym of this species Tringa canutus, 

 Betz. ; but on reference to Retzius's description (Faun. Suec. p. 189) it appears to me that it is 

 not applicable to the present species ; and, moreover, he gives references to prior authors, who 

 decidedly refer to the Knot. In his ' Gen. of Birds' (iii. p. 514) he gives Tringa pacifica, Lath. 

 (Lamb. Icon, inedit. iii. p. 26), and in his 'Hand-list of Birds' (iii. p. 46) Tringa aurita, Lath. 

 (Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. lxvi), as synonyms ; but the latter of these is certainly not referable to the 

 common Sandpiper, and the former I have not been able to verify. Mr. Giebel (Thes. Orn. i. 

 p. 271) gives amongst his list of synonyms Tringa cinclus of Boddaert, as founded on PI. Enl. 

 850 ; but on reference to Boddaert's Tabl. des PL Enl. p. 52, I find that he refers to the species 

 figured on that plate under the name of Tringa hypoleucos, L., and not Tringa cinclus. 



The specimen figured is an adult male, in full breeding-plumage, from Archangel, now in 

 my collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



