Birds. 8829 



2. Curlew (Numenius arquata). A solitary specimen appeared at 

 the Reservoir here on August 3rd. This is not the first time of its 

 occurrence, but it is an uncertain visitant, and certainly not common. 



3. Redshank [Totanus calidris). I have three of these birds in my 

 own collection, all of which were obtained at our Reservoir this year. 

 One of them, an adult male, in fine plumage, was shot in May by Mr. 

 F. Bond, who kindly presented it to me ; the other two, which are 

 male and female birds of the year, were killed on the 17th of August. 

 These latter have not the rich markings on the breast peculiar to the 

 adult bird in summer plumage, and the colour of the legs and base of 

 bill is much lighter. The stomach of one which I examined contained 

 vegetable remains only, with a few pebbles. 



4. Green Sandpiper (T. ochropus). A female of this species was 

 killed here on the last day of April, by Mr. F. Bond, and upon dis- 

 section we found rudiments of eggs in the ovary. On August 3rd 

 several of these birds were observed, and two or three were shot. 

 Since then I have seen others. This species is a regular summer 

 visitant. 



5. Wood Sandpiper (T.glareola). On August 4th, while walking round 

 the Reservoir in company with my friend; Mr. Bond, we saw a wood 

 sandpiper which had just been killed there. The person who shot it 

 told us that he had wounded another that was with it, but not having 

 winged it he had failed to find it. He had no idea of the species, and 

 called them " greenshanks," observing that he had often killed such 

 birds before. But no doubt he would call the green sandpiper a 

 " greenshank," and common and rare birds would be all " green- 

 shanks " to him. In this case a real wood sandpiper was to be con- 

 signed to the spit with as little remorse as if it had been a sparrow. 

 It is to be deplored that rare birds should be killed and eaten in this 

 way, and, as is generally the case, without any record of their occur- 

 rence or capture. 



6. Common Sandpiper (T. hypoleucos) . This bird does not belie 

 its name, being the commonest species of sandpiper that visits us, 

 generally arriving about the first week in May, and after leaving us 

 for June and July — to breed, as I believe, further north — it returns 

 again at the end of July or beginning of August, and remains until 

 the middle of September. Both young and old birds are then to be 

 found. I obtained a full-grown young male on September 7th, which 

 externally differed hardly at all from an old bird. This and the 

 green s^idpiper always remain here later than any other species, and, 

 unlike the ringed plover, dunlin and some others, they do not stay so 



