^■i MARSH SANDPIPER. 



inferior layer witli their narrow outer webs edged with a line 

 of brown and dirty white; the bare portion of the tibia as long 

 as the middle toe. Length nine inches, carpus to tip five inches 

 and a half, beak one inch and three fifths, tarsus one inch and 

 four fifths, middle toe one inch. 



The Marsh Sandpiper inhabits the north of Europe, 

 migrating along the rivers which flow eastward and 

 south, more especially those that empty themselves into 

 the Black or Caspian Seas. It comes irregularly and 

 rarely into France and Italy, and more frequently into 

 Greece. It has been hilled, according to Degland, 

 at Dunkirk, St. Omer, Abbeville, and Dieppe, in the 

 department of Aube, and in some parts of the south 

 of France. Baillon mentions it as a rare visitor in 

 Picardy. Savi says it comes in small numbers to 

 Pisano in April, but leaves shortly after. Count Miihle 

 says that many are killed in Greece in October and 

 November, bat it is always considered there as among 

 the rarer birds. Dr. Lindermayer informs us that it 

 comes into Greece with the equinoctial spring storms 

 in great numbers. It lives in swampy meadows till 

 the middle of May^ when it goes farther north. It 

 has not yet been found to breed in Greece. Dr. L. 

 does not consider it so rare a bird as Count Miihle, 

 as he has observed large flocks of them at Phaleros, 

 and he has killed a great number in a single morning. 

 It only frequents the islands on its migration. Fie 

 did not observe it in autumn. 



Lord Lilford ("Ibis," vol. ii, p. 344,) says, — "Abun- 

 dant in March, April, and the early part of May, on 

 the race-course of Corfu. The habits of the species 

 closely resemble those of the Green Sandpiper, fT. 

 ochropus,J but it is less shy, and not so clamorous. I 

 have had excellent opportunities of observing closely 



