THE WOOD -SANDPIPER. 615 



Soft parts. — Bill (ad.) black-brown, base of both mandibles 

 greenish -olive, (juv.) dusky-brown paling to greenish -olive ;• legs 

 and feet (ad.) pale greenish -olive, (juv.) ochreous -yellow or greyish - 

 ochreous ; iris very dark brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. White axillaries barred sepia, more 

 or less white upper tail-coverts and narrowly barred tail distinguish 

 species in all plumages. 



Field -characters. — On ground looks smaller but has relatively 

 longer legs than Green Sandpiper ; breast and flanks spotted, and 

 pale spots on back larger, but latter characters only discernible at 

 very close quarters. Despite greyish -white underwing is not in 

 flight such a strikingly black and white bird. Passage -migrant, 

 more frequent in autumn, resorting to marshes, sewage-farms and 

 open moorland with shallow pools. Alarm -note sharp " giff, giff, 

 giff." Miss Haviland renders love-song " taludle taludle lirra lirra 

 taludle." 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts open moors, swamps and in Siberia 

 wooded banks of great rivers. Nest. — In Europe generally a hollow 

 on ground among heath and ling, etc., but is also known at times to 

 lay in old nests of other birds, such as Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) and 

 Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor). Eggs. — Normally 4, pyriform, 

 pale green in ground-colour as a rule when fresh, but sometimes 

 creamy -white, boldly spotted and blotched with dark reddish-brown 

 and ashy shell-marks, chiefly at large end. Average of 100 eggs, 

 38.3x26.4. Max.: 42x28.1 and 41.5x28.5. Min. : 35.5x25 

 and 37x24.4 mm. Breeding -season. — In central Europe last week 

 May and early June, but in north through June. Incubation. — Shared 

 by sexes, male taking considerable part. Period not precisely 

 known. 



Food. — Chiefly insects and their larva3, especially coleoptera 

 (Gyrinus, Hydroporus, Donacia, Colymbetes, Haliplus, Dytiscus, 

 Hydrochus, Berosus, Dry ops, Helichus, Phyllobius, etc.), diptera 

 (larvae of Stratiomys), rhynchota (Plea), etc. Also spiders, worms, 

 and small mollusca. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Passage -migrant. Regular (gener- 

 ally single, sometimes flocks) autumn (July-Oct.), uncommon spring 

 (April-May) on east and south-east coasts England, rare along south 

 coast. Rare vagrant, west coast England and Wales, in Scotland 

 and in Ireland (seven). Exceptionally inland. Bred Prestwick 

 Car (Northumberland) 1853, and possibly previously, possibly 

 Norfolk prior to 1846, bat alleged breeding Elgin 1853 dis- 

 credited. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Breeds in north Europe and north 

 Asia, and winters in Mediterranean countries, Africa, and south 

 Asia to Australia and Hawaiian Isles. Casual Canaries and 

 Faeroes. 



