GREEN SANDPIPER. 



The food of this bird consists of small insects, their 

 larvae and worms, which it finds on the surface of soft mud 

 or water : it never consumes vegetable matter. The Green 

 Sandpiper is said to breed on the banks of running streams, 

 where the nest is so hidden among grasses, or under overhang- 

 ing bushes or trees, that it is exceedingly difficult to find 

 it ; and this may be assigned as a reason why the eggs of this 

 bird are so rarely obtained. The eggs are four in number, 

 of a greenish-olive, with very dark markings or spots. We 

 are unable to give any more particulars respecting the incu- 

 bation or young birds, owing to the very rare occurrence of it 

 within our reach. 



The measurements of the Green Sandpiper are as follows : — 

 Entire length, nine inches and a half; the wing, from the 

 carpus to the tip, five inches and eight lines. 



The top of the head, nape, back of the neck, back, and 

 wing-coverings are dusky green, studded with triangular small 

 white spots. The quill-feathers are dusky; rump and upper tail- 

 coverts pure white ; tail white, the two middle feathers barred 

 with dusky black ; the next less barred, and the outer white, 

 with only one spot at their tip. The under parts are white, 

 from the chin to the tip of the tail, with exception of the 

 sides and upper part of the neck and breast being streaked 

 with dusky cinereous ash and pale green. Over the eye extends a 

 white streak, that originates at the base of the upper mandible : 

 between the beak and the eye is a patch of dusky and grey. 

 The eye is dusky ; beak dusky black, and greenish at the 

 base of the under mandible : legs green ; claws dusky. 



The egg figured 180 is that of the Green Sandpiper. 



END OF THE FOURTH VOLUME. 



