136 



towards the base; iris deep brown; legs light blue or lead-grey, washed with green on the joints. 

 Total length about 10 inches, culmen 1*4, wing 5 - 4, tail 2'55, tarsus 1'33. 



Young (Smyrna, 10th August). Differs from the adult in having the head strongly tinged with grey, and 

 scarcely marked with white; the spots on the upper parts are also not white, but yellowish or buffy 

 white ; and the outer tail-coverts are more marked than iu the adult. 



Nestling (Wermland, 3rd June). Covered with close, fine down; head greyish buff; a black line passes 

 through each eye from the base of the bill to the nape ; another broad line passes through the centre 

 of the crown, and joins with one on each side of the crown at the nape, forming a patch, which is con- 

 tinued in a broad line to the rump ; upper parts greyish buff and rufous, variegated with black, the latter 

 forming to some extent a broad line on each side of the body; chin, throat, and underparts white. 



Winter plumage (Biskra) . Differs from the adult in having the head and hind neck greyish brown, unspotted ; 

 a white streak passes from the base of the bill over the eye ; sides of the head slightly marked with 

 white ; upper parts as in the adult above described, but uniform in colour, without any spots ; under- 

 parts as in the adult in summer. 



Obs. I am uncertain as to whether the winter-plumaged specimen above described may not be a bird of the 

 year ; but, so far as I can see by comparison, it seems to be a tolerably old bird. Another example from 

 Burmah, shot in March, closely resembles that from Biskra, and is equally unspotted on the upper parts. 



The range of the Green Sandpiper is, like that of many of its allies, very wide ; for it inhabits 

 Europe generally, as far north as the arctic circle, breeding in the northern districts, and retiring 

 to the south for the winter, at which latter season it is found in Africa ; and in Asia it is generally 

 distributed as far east as China. 



In Great Britain it is a tolerably common spring and autumn visitant ; and as it is not 

 unfrequently met with in summer in some localities, it is fair to infer that it occasionally breeds 

 with us, though I can find no proof of such being the case. Mr. Stevenson, in his recently 

 published work on the birds of Norfolk, gives all the information that appears to be available on 

 this subject as regards its occurrence in the summer season in that county ; but he also has failed 

 to obtain any proof of a nest having been found. Throughout the southern counties the 

 present species appears to be very generally met with, and it is also found in some localities 

 throughout the winter, even when the country is covered with snow. Mr. Cecil Smith informs 

 me, " it is a tolerably common late summer and autumn visitant to Somersetshire, and, I 

 believe, breeds here, as I have had specimens brought to me as early as the 8th of August ; but it 

 is difficult to get at the brooks and pits of water which it frequents, and in old trees surrounding 

 which it probably breeds before the corn is cut ; so I do not feel quite certain of its breeding, 

 never having found the eggs myself. A few probably also remain with us throughout the winter, 

 as I have known it killed on the 2nd of February. In Guernsey I have only seen it in the 

 autumn, though it probably occasionally occurs there in the spring also ; but I do not think it 

 remains to breed." 1 have seen it myself in many of our southern counties, and also on the 

 east coast ; and Mr. Stevenson speaks of it as being " a regular migrant, appearing singly or in 

 pahs during April and May, and in small family groups, rarely exceeding six in number, on 

 then - return southwards at the end of July or the beginning of August ;" and he adds that 

 numbers are obtained in December and January. Colonel Irby, writing to me respecting the 



