BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER. 
361 
year; they are neatly rounded hollows, and have a few 
bits of dry grass at the bottom. The bird sometimes flies, 
and sometimes runs, off her eggs ; and if she has sat for a 
day or two, she will come back even whilst men are stand¬ 
ing all around. The eggs are usually very deeply and 
richly coloured when fresh, but they fade sadly soon after 
they are blown. As Swedish ornithologists consider the 
Broad-billed Sandpiper in the light of an accidental 
visitor to their country, I suppose its breeding grounds 
to be confined to this far northern region/' 
The eggs figured selected from a numerous series by 
Mr. Wolley, as characteristic of the species, bear no resem¬ 
blance whatever, except in shape, to the eggs of any of 
the sandpipers with which we are acquainted, and in their 
singular colouring are unlike the eggs of any other bird. 
