TOTANUS ,GLARE O LA .
Wood-Sandpiper.
Trmga glareola, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 66.
, littorea, Linn, ibid., p. 66.
ochropus, var., Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. p. 250.
grallatoris, Mont. Orn. Diet., Append.
Totanus glareola, Temm. Man. d’Orn., 1816, p. 421.
— — sylvestris, Brehm, Vög. DeutschL, p. 688.
palustris, Brehm, ibid., p. 639.
grallatoris, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xii. p. 148.
Rhyacophilus glareola, Kaup, Natiirl. Syst., p. 140.
T he trivial name o f //« -S a n d p ip e r , assigned to this species, is certainly a misnomer; for it rather shuns the
forest than otherwise. Its province is the marsh, the peat-bog, the. swampy meadow, and the wet upland
e a rr s , its companions are the Mole-f ticket, the Copper- and Swallow-tailed Butterflies, the Bittern, and the
Large'Hamer. It dwells with the beautiful bnck-bean {Menymtlies trifoliate) and the flowering rush (liotomm
umheUalut) ; wttli all these it is associated. The pestiferous wastes are neither detrimental to ils health
nor deterrent o f its reproduction. In such situations the shrill piping note of the male is uttered while
he is sitting on a stone, a cushion of bog-grass, o r any slight elevation ; and now and anon it may be seen
circling overhead, uttering querulous cries, if its hreeding-grounds are being intruded upon : such at least
were the actions o f those I observed on the g reat dreary waste o f the Dovrefjeld, in N orway; and, with certain
modifications, these actions, as well as the situations in which it was seen, answer to Mr. Hoy's vivid
description o f the bird and its habits, as noted by him in Dutch Brabant during the months of summer. It
cannot be said that the Wood-Sandpiper is very common anywhere; yet it is sufliciently numerous in many
places to admit o f the naturalist satisfying his desire o f seeing it in a state o f nature, if he will seek for it
m any o f its homes at the proper nemo.. In England it has not only bee,, killed o r observed in every
county, but we have indubitable « id em - of i „ breeding with us, Mr. Hancock, o f Newcastle, having described
its nest and eggs from au example immsWid within a W n t ft,» i.wi, u * , » .. ■ « , , , n • i r T i , . . * 1^ " - Tew "*,H h 01 ,he birthplace o f the justly celebrated
Bewick. In Ireland it ,s stated to be 1 « , ,handout Am, E „ g U d _ a u .„ c r tio n due, 1 think, to the
circumstance o f there being fewer collectors and observers o f birds ,» country in our island. In
other parts o f Europe, from Lapland to the Mediterranean, from Holland to the Volga, it is very generally dis
persed, but is nowhere abundant, yet is always to be found in situations suited to its peculiar mode o f life.
Out o f Europe it also enjoys a wide range o f hab itat; for it is found all over India, Amooriand, Japan, China,
Malasia and the g reat islands o f Java and Sumatra, to which may probably be added the few fluviatile portions
o f Africa. I believe it is not found in America, although I may have so stated in my former writings, the
species I mistook for it being the Totanus solitarius.
The following interesting communication from the late Mr. Hoy to Mr. Hcwitson, comprising nearly all
that « k n ow n respecting the Wood-Sandpiper, I take the liberty o f transcribing from the latter gentleman's
valuable ‘Coloured Illustrations o f the Eggs o f British Birds,’ third edition, vol. ii. p. 330.
“ This species is migratory, retiring in September and making its appearance early in April. That it
breeds rather early I infer from having met with the young feathered and capable o f flying a short distance
on the 11th o f June. I regret that I did not discover the bird till late in the season.
“ A great portion o f Dutch Brabant, more particularly the southern and eastern parts, is covered by
large tracts o f heath, the soil being of a light, sandy nature. A great number o f pcat-bogs and shallow pools
o f water are distributed over this district. Most o f the small streams are skirted by swampy ground, where
the bog-myrtle grows in the g re a t* t luxuriance, with stunted bushes of alder and willow. These situations
are the favourite haunt of the Sandpiper during the brceding-season. While the hen is sitting, the male
flies round in wide circles, and at a considerable elevation. The female sits close, and the nest is most
difficult to find.
" I f you approach the spot where they have young, and especially if a dog be with you, the old birds flv
round in the most anxious manner, hover over the dog within a few feet, then, suddenly darting off, mount
high into the air and pounce down again with great rapidity on the intruder. I f you have observed the
actions and manoeuvres o f the Hedebank during the breeding-,eason, you will have seen very much the habit«
of the Wood-Sandpiper. It is far from lining numerous in the localities where I met with i t ; yet many pairs
are dispersed over these districts, where they have long been known to breed. Although I met with the