UC-NRLF
177
BIOLOGY
LIBRARY
LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
PURPLE HERON.
LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
EDITED BY R. BOWDLER SHARPE, LL.D., F.L.S., &c.
A HAND-BOOK
TO THE
BIRDS
OF
GREAT BRITAIN
BY
R. BOWDLER SHARPE, LL.D.,
ASSISTANT KEEPER, SUB-DEPARTMENT OF VERTEBRATA,
ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT, BRITISH MUSEUM.
VOL. III.
LONDON:
EDWARD LLOYD, LIMITED,
12, SALISBURY SQUARE, FLEET STREET.
1896-
BIOLOGY
UBRARY
PRINTED BY
WYMAN AND SONS, LIMITED,
PREFACE.
I HAVE nothing to add to the prefatory remarks in the pre-
vious volumes, and am only too pleased to find that I have
no heterodox views to defend, nor any criticisms to reply to.
It only remains, therefore, to thank my kind friends who
have helped me in the preparation of the present volume.
It has been a somewhat tedious task, as the general habits of
Wading Birds are so much alike, that it is difficult to find
anything to say about them that has not been excellently done
by the late Mr. Henry Seebohm or by Mr. Howard Saunders.
Many of the descriptions of the Waders are taken from my re-
cent work on the group in the " Catalogue of Birds," and I hope
that these will be found instructive to the numbers of ornitholo-
gists who are interested in Shore-Birds and Waders generally.
I have also endeavoured to quote works on natural history not
familiarly known in this country ; and the notes on the habits
of some of the North American species, taken from the writings
of Mr. E. W. Nelson and Mr. D. G. Elliot, will be found to
be of some interest, and the latter's recent book on North
American Shore-birds has frequently been laid under con-
tribution in the following pages.
R. BOWDLER SHARPE.
Feb. 26, 1896.
910515
Q7S.
BIOLOGY
LIBRARY
PRINTED BY
WYMAN AND SONS, LIMITED.
PREFACE.
I HAVE nothing to add to the prefatory remarks in the pre-
vious volumes, and am only too pleased to find that I have
no heterodox views to defend, nor any criticisms to reply to.
It only remains, therefore, to thank my kind friends who
have helped me in the preparation of the present volume.
It has been a somewhat tedious task, as the general habits of
Wading Birds are so much alike, that it is difficult to find
anything to say about them that has not been excellently done
by the late Mr. Henry Seebohm or by Mr. Howard Saunders.
Many of the descriptions of the Waders are taken from my re-
cent work on the group in the " Catalogue of Birds," and I hope
that these will be found instructive to the numbers of ornitholo-
gists who are interested in Shore-Birds and Waders generally.
I have also endeavoured to quote works on natural history not
familiarly known in this country ; and the notes on the habits
of some of the North American species, taken from the writings
of Mr. E. W. Nelson and Mr. D. G. Elliot, will be found to
be of some interest, and the latter's recent book on North
American Shore-birds has frequently been laid under con-
tribution in the following pages.
R. BOWDLER SHARPE.
Feb. 26, 1896.
910515
SYSTEMATIC INDEX.
PAGE
ORDER ANSERIFORMES (continued) i
FAMILY ANATID^: I
SUB-FAMILY FULIGALINCE ... I
CXXXII. NETTA, Kaup i
I. rufina (Pall.) 2
CXXXIII. NYROCA, Flem 5
1. ferina (L.) 5
2. nyroca (Giild.). ... ... ... ... ... 9
CXXXIV. FULIGULA, Steph 12
1. fuligula (L.) 12
2. marila(L.) 16
CXXXV. CLANGULA, Leach 19
I. clangula (L.). 20
CXXXVI. CHARITONETTA, Stejn 24
i. albeola (L.) 24
CXXXVII. HARELDA, Steph 26
i. glacialis (L.) 26
CXXXVIII. COSMONETTA, Kaup 30
I. histrionica (L.) ... ... ... 3 1
CXXXIX. HENICONETTA, Gray 34
I. stelleri (Pall.) 34
CXL. SOMATERIA, Leach. 37
1. mollissima (L.). ... ... ... ... 37
2. spectabilis (L.). ..- 4 1
Vll
iii SYSTEMATIC INDEX.
PAGE
CXLI. CEDEMIA, Flem 43
1. nigra (L.) 43
2. fusca(L.). 46
3. perspicillata (L.). ... ... 48
SUB-FAMILY MERGING 5 r
CXLII. MERGUS, L 51
I. albellus(L.) 52
CXLIII. LOPHODYTES, Reichenb 55
I. cucullatus (L.). ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 56
CXLIV. MERGANSER, Briss 58
1. merganser (L.). ... ... ... ... ... ... 58
2. serrator (L.). ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 61
ORDER ARDEIFORMES 65
SUB-ORDER ARDE^E 65
CXLV. PHOYX, Stejn 66
I. purpurea(L.) 66
CXLVI. ARDEA, L 69
I. cinerea, L. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 69
CXLVII. HERODIAS, Boie 73
I. alba(L.) 74
CXLVIII. GARZETTA, Kaup 76
I. garzetta (L.). ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 77
CXLIX. NYCTICORAX, Rafin 80
I. nycticorax (L.). ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 80
CL. ARDEOLA, Boie. 83
I. ralloides (Scop.). 83
CLI. BUBULCUS, Bp 86
I. lucidus (Rafin.) 86
CLII. ARDETTA. Gray 88
I. minuta (L.) 88
CLIII. BOTAURUS, Steph 91
1. slellaris (L.). ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 92
2. lentiginosus (Mont.). ... ... ... ... ... ... 95
SYSTEMATIC INDEX. ix
PAGE
SUB-ORDER CICONII 97
CLIV. CICONIA, Briss 97
1. ciconia (L.). ... ... ... ... ... 97
2. nigra(L.) IOO
SUB-ORDER PLATALES 103
FAMILY IBIDID.^ 103
CLV. PLEGADIS, Kaup ... 103
I. falcinellus (L.). ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 104
FAMILY PLATALEIM; 106
CLVI. PLATALEA, L 107
I. leucerodia, L. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 107
ORDER GRUIFORMES no
SUB-ORDER GRUES in
CLVII. GRUS, Pall in
I. grus (L.). in
CLVIII. ANTHROPOIDES, Vieill. 114
i. virgo (L.). 114
ORDER CHARADRIIFORMES 115
SUB-ORDER OTIDES 115
CLIX. OTIS, L 115
I. tarda, L ... ... ... ... ... ... 116
CLX. TETRAX, Leach 119
I. tetrax (L.) 120
CLXI. HOUBARA, Bp 123
I. macqueeni (J. E. Gray). 123
SUB-ORDER (EDICNEMI 126
CLXII. CEDICNEMUS, Temm 127
i. oedicnemus (L.). ... ... ... ... ... ... 127
SUB-ORDER CURSORII 130
CLXIII. CURSORIUS, Lath 130
I. gallicus (Gm.). ... ... ... 131
X SYSTEMATIC INDEX.
PACK
CLXIV. GLAREOLA, Briss 133
I. pratincola (L.) *33
SUB-ORDER CHARADRII 136
FAMILY CHARADRIIM; 137
SUB-FAMILY CHARADRIINA; 137
CLXV. SQUATAROLA, Leach I3 8
I. helvetica (L.) 138
CLXVI. CHARADRIUS, L 143
1. pluvialis, L. ... .. *43
2. dominicus, P. L. S. Mull 147
CLXVII. OCHTHODROMUS, Reichenb. ... 15
I. asiaticus (Pall.). J 5
CLXVIII. EUDROMIAS, Brehm. I5 2
i. morinellus (L.) J 5 2
CLXIX. OXYECHUS, Reichenb 155
I. vociferus (L.) I 5S
CLXX. /EGIALITIS, Boie 158
1. hiaticola (L.) I5 8
2. dubia (Scop.) 162
3. alexandrina (L.)- l66
CLXXI. VANELLUS, Briss. -.170
I. vanellus(L.) 170
CLXXII. CH/ETUSIA, Bp. *73
I. gregaria (Pall) '73
SUB-FAMILY ARENARIIN/E. .176
CLXX III. ARENARI A, Briss ..176
I. interpres (L.) 176
SUB-FAMILY II^MATOPODIN/E. ... 180
CLXXIV. H^EMATOPUS, L 180
I. ostralegus, L. ... J 8i
SUB-FAMILY HIMANTOPODIN^E 184
CLXXV. RECURVI ROSTRA, L 184
i. avocetta, L l8 5
SYSTEMATIC INDEX. X'
PAGE
CLXXVI. HIMANTOPUS, Briss " 188
I. himantopus (L.). 188
SUB-FAMILY PHALAROPIN^) 192
CLXXVII. CRYMOPHILUS, V 193
i. fulicarius (L.) 193
CLXXVIII. PHALAROPUS, Briss 197
I. hyperboreus (L.). ... ... ... 197
CLXXIX. STEGANOPUS, V 201
I. tricolor, V ... 202
SUB-FAMILY SCOLOPACIN/E . ... 205
CLXXX. SCOLOPAX, L 205
I. rusticula, L. ... ... ... ... ... 205
CLXXXI. GALLINAGO, Leach ... 210
1. major (Gm.) 211
2. gallinago (L.) 215
CLXXXII. LIMNOCRYPTES, Kaup 220
i. gallinula (L.) 220
CLXXXIII. LIMICOLA, Koch 223
I. platyrhyncha (Temm. ). . . . ... ... ... 223
CLXXXIV. PELIDNA, Cuv ... 227
i. alpina (L.) 228
CLXXXV. TRINGA, L ... 231
I. canutus, L. ... ... ... 232
CLXXXVI. ARQUATELLA, Baird ... 236
I. maritima (Gm.). ... ... ... ... .. 236
CLXXXVII. ANCYLOCHILUS, Kaup 239
I. subarcuatus (GiAld.) ... ... ... ... 240
CLXXXVIII. HETEROPYGIA, Cones 242
1. fuscicollis (V.) 242
2. acuminata (Horsf.). ... ... 244
3. maculata (V.) 247
CLXXXIX. LIMONITES, Kaup 250
I. minuta (Leisl.) 250
xii SYSTEMATIC INDEX.
PAGE
2. minutilla (V.) 255
3. temmincki (Leisl.). 2 57
CXC. CALIDRIS, Illig 260
I. arenaria (L.) 260
CXCI. TRINGITES, Cab ... 264
I. sub-rufkolhs (V.) 264
SUB-FAMILY TOTANIN/E 266
CXCII. BARTRAMIA, Less. 267
I. longicauda (Bechst.) ...267
CXCIII. PAVONCELLA, Leach 270
I. pugnax (L.) 270
CXCIV. RHYACOPHILUS, Kaup. 275
I. glareola (L.) 275
CXCV. GLOTTIS, Koch 279
I. nebularius (Gunn.) 280
CXCVI. TRINGOIDES, Bp 282
1. hypoleucus (L.).... 283
2. macularius (L.).... ... ... 287
CXCVII. HELODROMAS, Kaup 289
1. ochropus (L.). ... ... 2 89
2. solitarius (Wils.) 292
CXCVIII. TOTANUS, Bechst ... 295
1. fuscus(L.) 2 9S
2. calidris (L.) 299
3. stagnatilis, Bechst 3 2
4. flavipes(Gm.) 33
CXCIX. MACRORHAMPHUS, Leach 305
i. griseus (Gm.). ... ... 36
CC. LIMOSA, Briss 39
1. lapponica (L.) 39
2. limosa(L.) ... 3'3
CCI. NUMENIUS, Briss 3*7
1. arquatus (L.) 3 ! 7
2. phatopus (L.). ...
3. borealis (Lath.) 326
LIST OF PLATES.
TO FACE PAGE
LIX. Scaup Duck ... 16
LX. Long-tailed Duck 27
LXI. Harlequin Duck.... ... ... ... ... ... 31
LXIL Eider Duck 37
LXIIL Surf Scoter 49
LXIV. Red-breasted Merganser 61
LXV. Purple Heron (Frontispiece)
LXVI. Common Heron.... ... ... ... ... ... 69
LXVIL Little Egret 77
LXVIIL Little Bittern 89
LXIX. Common Bittern. 93
LXX. White Stork 97
LXXL Glossy Ibis 105
LXXII. Spoon-bill 109
LXXIII. Common Crane 113
LXXIV. Great Bustard 117
LXXV. Little Bustard 121
LXXVI. Stone Curlew 127
LXXVIL Pratincole 133
LXXVIII. Ringed Plover 159
LXXIX. Lapwing 171
LXXX. Turn-stone 177
LXXXL Oyster-catcher 181
LXXXII. Avocet 185
LXXXIII. Black-winged Stilt 189
LXXXIV. Grey Phalarope 193
LXXXV. Wood-Cock 205
LXXXVL Jack Snipe 221
LXXXVIL Dunlin 229
LXXXVIIL Ruff. 273
LXXXIX. Fig. i. Common Sandpiper.
Fig. 2. Spotted Sandpiper 283
XC Spotted Red-shank 295
XCL Black tailed God wit 313
XCIL Common Curlew 317
XCIII. Nestlings 329
BRITISH BIRDS.
ORDER ANSERIFORMES (Vol. ii. p. 223: continued}.
FAMILY ANATID^E (Vol. ii. p. 224 : continued}.
THE DIVING DUCKS. SUB-FAMILY FULIGULIN.E.
THESE Ducks are distinguished by Count Salvadori by the
character of the hind-toe being furnished with a very broad
lobe. Four Sub-families have this peculiarity : viz., the Soft-
tailed Diving Ducks (Fuliguli*&\ the Stiff-tailed Diving Ducks
(Erismaturincc), the Torrent-Ducks (Merg<incttina\ and the
Mergansers (Mergince). Of these the first and the last have
British representatives. All the Diving Ducks appear to have
a post-nuptial plumage, when the males become more or less
like the females, during the time that they moult their quills.
Unfortunately for the purposes of the present work, they are so
seldom shot during this period, that I have, in the National
Collection, no specimens from which to describe these changes.
THE RED-CRESTED POCHARDS. GENUS NETTA.
Netta^ Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 102 (1829).
The single species which comprises this genus is remarkable
for its very full crest, and for the prominent indentations of
the upper mandible. It belongs to the section of the Diving
Ducks which have a " mirror " on the wing, the primaries not
being uniform dark brown or blackish, but partly whitish, with
the tip brown (cf, Salvadori, torn. cit. p. 326).
II B
2 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
I. THE RED CRESTED POCHARD. NETTA RUFINA.
Anas rujina, Pallas, Reise, ii. App. p. 713 (1773).
Aythya rufi.na, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 109 (1852).
Fuligula rvfina, Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 559, pi. 435 (1873);
B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 128 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr.
Br. B. iv. p. 403 (1884); Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 567
(1885) ; Saunders, Man. p. 431 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig.
Br. B. part x. (1889).
Netta rufina, Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 328 (1895).
Adult Male. Back light drab-brown, including the mantle,
upper back, and scapulars ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-
coverts black ; a white patch on each side of the mantle ;
wing-coverts dull ashy, those round the end of the wing white ;
bastard-wing and primary-coverts also ashy; primaries ashy-
brown externally, as well as at the tips of the inner webs, with a
sub-terminal black bar on the latter, the inner webs otherwise
white, forming a large " mirror," extending on to the outer
webs of the inner primaries, which are white excepting for their
blackish tips ; secondaries also white, with a sub-terminal bar of
ashy ; the inner ones pearly-grey, the innermost brown, like the
scapulars ; tail ashy-grey ; crown of head much crested, cinna-
mon ; lores, sides of face, and throat vinous-chestnut ; a band
down the hind neck, sides of neck and upper mantle, as well as
the under surface of the body black, rather browner on the
abdomen ; sides of body white, the feathers adjoining the
black colour vermiculated with dusky; the flank- feathers light
brown at the ends; axillaries and under wing-coverts white;
" bill brilliant crimson, sometimes a little inclining to vermi-
lion ; nail brown or white, tinged with brownish-horn or pink
horny, brown or yellow at tip ; feet dingy salmon-colour or
reddish-orange, dusky on the joints and blackish on the webs ;
iris varying from brown to red, in very old birds " (A. O.
Hume}. Total length, 21 inches; oilmen, 2*15; wing, 10-3;
tail, 27; tarsus, r6.
Adult Female. Different from the male. Light brown above,
paler' on the scapulars, which have whity-brown ends ; lower
back and rump dusky-brown, the upper tail-coverts paler
brown ; wing-coverts light brown ; quills as in the male, but
the white on the inner web of the primaries not quite so ex-
THE RED-CRESTED POCHARD. 3
tended and more ashy; crown of head slightly crested and
rufous-brown, extending down the hind-neck, where it becomes
more ashy; lores, sides of face, and throat .pale ashy-grey;
remainder of under surface of body white, the sides of the
body and flanks pale earthy-brown ; under wing-coverts and
axillaries white, the lower primary-coverts and quill-lining pale
ashy ; " bill black, reddish or orange towards the tip, and more
or less so along the lower and on the edges of the upper
mandible" (A. O. Hume}. Total length, 19 inches; culmen,
i'8; wing, io'o; tail, 27; tarsus, 17.
Nestling. Uniform brown above, with an olive tinge, and
with a slightly indicated spot of yellow on each side of the
lower back ; lores, eyebrow, sides of face, and under surface of
body pale yellow ; through the eye a streak of dusky-olive ;
abdomen whiter ; sides of body brown, with an olive tinge.
Young Birds. Resemble the old female, and have the bill
and feet similarly coloured. According to Mr. Hume, these
vary in young males from olivaceous-orange to pale olive-yellow,
reddish-brown, or dusky with a reddish tinge.
Hybrids. The present species has been known to cross
with the Rosy-billed Duck {Metoponiana peposaca) and with the
Mallard.
Characters. The lobed hind-toe, the white wing-speculum,
and the chestnut crest in the male distinguish the species.
The female has the speculum more grey, but has no sign of
vermiculations on the back ; the axillaries are white.
Range in Great Britain. An accidental visitor, chiefly in win-
ter. It has occurred mostly on the eastern shores of England,
but the National Collection contains one example from Pem-
brokeshire, and the species has been met with once in Devon-
shire and once in Cornwall. One Scotch record is known :
viz., from Argyllshire, and one from Co. Kerry, in* Ireland.
Kange outside the British Islands. This Duck seldom occurs
away from Southern and Central Europe, and is only a rare
visitor to Holland, Belgium, or France, and has occurred but
once in Denmark. Its eastern range appears to extend to
Turkestan, though it is plentiful in Southern Russia, and in
winter it visits the Mediterranean countries, the Black and
B 2
4 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
Caspian Seas, and the Indian Peninsula, being very abundant
in the last-named locality.
Habits. The Red-crested Pochard is a fresh-water Duck, and
frequents open sheets of water and broads, where there are
fringes of reeds or overhanging trees, and being a capital
diver, it loves places where the water is deep. Its favourite
haunts, says Mr. A. O. Hume, who has given an excellent
account of this species in his " Game Birds of India," are deep
broads, " where the feathery water-weed beds do not reach
within several feet of the surface, not the comparatively shallow
ones, where the same weeds lie in thick masses coiled along
the surface." Mr. Hume observes that habitually these Ducks
keep in moderately-sized flocks of from ten to fifteen, but
occasionally on very large pieces of water they are seen in
thousands. Of their food he writes : " Although mainly vege-
tarians, they indulge more in animal food than the Pochard. I
have found small frogs, fish-spawn, shells (both land and
water), insects, grubs, worms, and, on three or four occasions,
tiny fish, mixed with the vegetable matter, sand, and pebbles
that their stomachs contained. ... I examined one male
which had entirely gorged itself on fishes about an inch in
length.
"Though constantly seen feeding by day, when in suitable
situations, they also feed a good deal during the night, and
those individuals, whose day-quarters happen for the time to
be on waters that yield little food, leave these at dusk for more
prolific haunts. They are strong but heavy fliers, and are slow
in getting under way. ... I have sometimes found them
out of the water, on the land a yard or two from the water's
edge, grazing and picking up small shells and insects, and they
then walk better than the other Pochards. . . . Their
call-note, not very often heard by day unless they are alarmed,
is quite of the Pochard character, not the quack of a duck, but
a deep grating ' kurr.' Occasionally the males only, I think,
emit a sharp sibilant note a sort of whistle, quite different from
that of the Wigeon, and yet somewhat reminding one of that.
. . . They have a very characteristic wing-rustle, which,
though resembling that of the Pochard, is louder and harsher ;
their wings are short, and rapidly agitated, make a very distinct,
palpitating, rushing sound, by which even a single bird, pass-
THE POCHARDS. 5
ing anywhere near one in the stillness of the night, can gener-
ally be recognised."
Nest. Placed close to the water, and made of decayed
stems of rushes and dead leaves.
Eggs. Eggs seven to nine in number, of a bright green
colour when fresh, but fading, after being blown, to greenish-
white. Axis, 2-3-2-4 inches; diam., 1-65-175.
THE POCHARDS. GENUS NYROCA.
Nyroca, Fleming, Phil. Zool. ii. p. 260 (1822).
Type, N. nyroca (Giild.).
The genus Nyroca, according to Count Salvadori, differs
from Netta in having the indentations not prominent on
the upper mandible. The bill does not widen out towards
the tip, and is not so broad or so short as in the next genus,
Fuligula.
I. THE POCHARD. NYROCA FERINA.
Anas feruia. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 230 (1766).
Aythya ferina, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 103 (1852).
Fuligula ferina. Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 551, pi. 434 (1878);
B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 130 (1883); Seebohru, Br. B. iii.
P- 575 (1885); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 413
(1885); id. Man. Br. B. p. 429 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig.
Br. B. part xiii. (1890).
Nyroca ferina, Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 335 (1895).
Adult Male. General colour above light grey, everywhere
finely vermiculated with wavy cross-lines of dull ashy, less dis-
tinct on the lower back, and absent on the rump and tipper
tail-coverts, which are black ; tail grey, minutely freckled with
dusky ; wing-coverts like the back, but rather more finely
freckled, these being less distinct on the greater series, which
are uniform grey except at the tips ; bastard-wing and primary-
coverts dusky ; primaries dusky-grey externally, blackish near
the tip of the inner webs, which are lavender-grey for the most
part, forming a " mirror " ; secondaries light grey, edged with
O LLOYD S NATURAL HISTORY.
white at the ends, and slightly freckled with dusky, the inner
ones with black margins, the innermost like the back and
similarly freckled ; head, neck, and throat deep chestnut ;
the fore-neck, as well as the sides of the neck and hind-
neck, black, forming a broad collar; the chest black, varied
with grey vermiculations ; breast and remainder of under
surface ashy-white, powdered with grey vermiculations ; vent
and under tail-coverts black ; the sides of the body and flanks
with somewhat plainer vermiculations ; under w ? ing-coverts and
axillaries white ; lower greater coverts greyish like the quill-
lining; bill black at the base and at the tip, with an inter-
mediate band of leaden-blue, varying in width ; feet bluish or
slaty-grey, or dull leaden-grey, the webs black; iris yellow,
becoming lac-red, according to Mr. Hume, in an old male.
Total length, 18 inches; culmen, 2*0; wing, 8-3; tail, 2'i ;
tarsus, i '4.
Adult Female. Different from the male. Upper surface
rather more coarsely vermiculated, the lower back, rump, and
upper tail-eoverts dark brown ; crown of head reddish-brown
like the neck and mantle, but the head much darker ; lores,
feathers round the eye, sides of face, and throat whitish, with a
patch of brown on the face ; lower throat and fore-neck and
chest brown, washed with ochreous ; the chest-feathers brown
with whitish margins; remainder of under surface of body
whitish, mottled with light brown bases to the feathers, es-
pecially distinct on the under tail-coverts ; the flanks brown
with pale tips; axillaries and under wing-coverts white, with
the edge of the wing ashy, like the lower primary-coverts and
quill-lining ; bill duller than in the male ; feet dark leaden-
grey ; iris sometimes brown. Total length, 18 inches; cul-
men, 2-0 ; wing, 8'i ; tail, 2*2; tarsus, i'35.
Young Birds. According to Count Salvador!, the young
males at first resemble the females, but are rather more rufous
on the head and neck. In the second year they differ from
fully adult birds in having the chestnut of the head and neck
paler, and the black of the breast and upper back replaced by
dark brown.
Hybrids. These are numerous, and in some instances they
have been recorded as the American Pochard, or have been
THE POCHARDS. 7
considered to be distinct species. The Pochard has been
known to cross with the White-eyed Pochard, the Summer
Duck, the Tufted Duck, the Mallard, and the Golden-eye.
Characters. Distinguished by its grey back with fine ver-
miculations, and its chestnut head; the bill is black at the
base and tip, the intermediate part being leaden-blue; wing-
speculum, grey.
Range in Great Britain. The Pochard breeds in certain inland
waters in England, and, where it is protected, its numbers as a
nesting-species seem to be on the increase. In Scotland it
also nests, but, as regards Ireland, Mr. R. J. Ussher writes :
" The Pochard has been reported as breeding in Galway, Ros-
common, Westmeath, Meath, and Tipperary, and some pro-
b^bility attaches to several of these instances; but we still
await complete proof of the Pochard breeding in Ireland." In
winter the species is found in Great Britain from October to
April.
Eange outside the British Islands. The Pochard ranges from
Central and Southern Europe to Lake Baikal in Eastern
Siberia, breeding in Russia as high as Lake Ladoga and as far
south as the Caspian sea, as well as in Poland, Germany, and
Denmark, but not to the northward. It occurs in the Mediter-
ranean in winter, at which season it also visits India and China.
In North America its place is taken by the American Pochard,
which differs in having a purple gloss on the chestnut of the
head, and the bill pale blue, with only the end black.
Habits. Although also frequenting the coasts, the Pochard
is principally a fresh-water Duck, and in some of its winter
quarters, as in India, occurs in flocks of thousands. Mr. A.
O. Hume, whose excellent notes on wild-fowl are not so well-
known in this country as they ought to be, has given a very inter-
esting account of his experiences with the Pochard in India,
from which I make the following brief extracts. He says that
in some places, such as the Sambhar Lake, many acres of
water may be seen completely paved with Pochards. " They
are eminently swimming and diving Ducks, but walk badly.
Their flight is slow and heavy until they get well on the
wing, after which it is fairly rapid ; but they rise with some
difficulty in perfectly calm weather. They swim very rapidly
8 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORV.
and gracefully ; as a rule, rather deep in the water, but at
times, especially when a lot are at play together, for a minute
or two quite high, as if barely resting on the water. They are
very playful, and skirmish about together, chasing each other,
scuttling along the surface one moment, out of sight the next,
and they are grand divers.
" I think that they feed chiefly by night, for which purpose all
birds, spending the day in rivers and bare-shored lakes, leave
these at night for more suitable feeding-grounds. But they
feed also during the day, when in any of their favourite haunts,
and you may see them for an hour together diving for the
roots and submerged stems and foliage of all kinds of aquatic
plants. With us, in Upper India, their food is, according to
my experience, almost entirely vegetable. I have found a few
insects, grubs, worms, tiny frogs, and a good many shells in
their stomachs, but seeds, flower-buds, shoots, leaves, stems,
and roots of water-plants, together with fine pebbles and sand,
of which there is always a considerable quantity, have always
constituted the bulk of the contents ; and it is, perhaps, in
consequence of this that, as a rule, when killed inland in India,
they are excellent eating. Not so always with those killed on
the coast. A pair I shot in Karachi harbour turned out rank
and far from good eating; and a third, shot a few days later,
proved to have fed chiefly on marine plants, small Crustacea
and mollusca. Occasionally, when in small parties, they are
to be seen paddling about in shallow, weedy corners of jhils,
along with Gadwall, Teal, and Shovelers ; but normally they
keep in large flocks, and affect pretty deep water when feeding
in the day-time."
Nest. Made of dead grass and sedge, and lined with
down.
Eggs. From seven to ten, the latter being the usual number,
though as many as thirteen have been found. The colour is
greenish or greenish stone-colour, and they resemble those ol
the Scaup and Tufted Duck. Axis, 2-45-2-55 inches; diam.,
1-65-175,
Down. Of medium size, ctarfc brown, with greyish-brown
filamental tips, and a somewhat large star of dull white.
THE POCHARDS. 9
II. THE WHITE-EYED POCHARD. NYROCA NYROCA.
Anas nyroca, Giild. N. Comm. Petrop. xiv. pt. i.p. 403 (1769).
Fvligula nyroca, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 113 (1852); Seeb. Br. B.
iii. p. 571 (1885) ; Saisnders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 418
(1885) ; id. Man. Br. B. p. 433 (1859); Lilford, Col. Fig.
Br. B. part xiv. (1890).
Nyroca ferruginea (Gm.), Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 581, pi. 438
(1872) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 130 (1883).
Nyroca africana, Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii.p. 345 (1895.)
Adult Male. General colour above dusky-brown with an
oily-green gloss, with scarcely perceptible vermiculations of
lighter brown; the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts
black ; wing-coverts brown, faintly vermiculated with lighter
brown ; greater series blacker, with a slight green gloss ;
bastard-wing and primary-coverts blackish; primaries exter-
nally blackish, as well as at the ends of the inner webs;
the rest of the inner web pure white, which extends on to the
outer web of the inner primaries ; the secondaries white, with
a broad black band at the ends, the innermost secondaries
black with an oily-green gloss ; tail bronzy-black ; crown of
head slightly crested and bright chestnut, as also the sides of
face, sides of neck, sides of mantle, throat, and upper breast ;
on the chin a white spot ; round the lower throat a blackish
collar, which joins on the hind-neck and extends to the middle
of the mantle, which is dusky-brown washed with rufous ; lower
breast and abdomen white ; sides of the body chestnut, inclin-
ing to brown near to the sides of the vent ; under tail-coverts
white, with a patch of black near the outer base ; axillaries and
under wing-coverts white ; quill-lining also whitish ; "bill black,
bluish-black, and dark leaden, often browner below ; legs and
toes slate-colour, leaden, or dusky-grey ; the tarsi often with a
greenish tinge ; the claws and webs dusky-black ; iris white or
greyish-white" (A. O. Hume}. Total length, 16-5 inches; cul-
men, r6; wing, 7-4 ; tail, 2-3; tarsus, 1*25.
Adult Female, Lighter brown than the male above, the
feathers with sandy-buff margins, producing a mottled ap-
pearance j the wings as in the male ; the crown of the head
dark chestnut-brown, the sides of the face and throat a little
clearer chestnut with a white chin-spot ; the fore-neck and
10 LLOYD S NATURAL HISTORY.
chest, as well as the sides of the body, rufous mottled with
dusky bases to the feathers; breast and abdomen white, mottled
with dusky on the lower part of the latter. Total length, 14-0
inches; culmen, 1*5; wing, 67; tail, rg ; tarsus, n.
Young Birds. Count Salvadori states that in immature birds
the head and neck is brown, with scarcely any chestnut tinge
on the side of the head, the breast and under-parts are brown,
the abdomen paler and almost whitish, the under tail-coverts
being dull whitish. The iris is said by Dr. Scully to be dark
brown or brownish-grey.
Hybrids. Crosses between this species and the Scaup, the
Tufted Scaup, and the Summer Duck, have been recorded.
Characters. This species is distinguished by its white iris,
white speculum, and chestnut head. The male has also a
white chin-spot.
Range in Great Britain, An irregular visitor, generally occur-
ring in the winter and spring. Over thirty examples have been
recorded, principally from the eastern counties, but it has also
been met with in Cumberland, Northumberland, Dorset, Devon,
Radnorshire, and has thrice been obtained near Edinburgh,
and has occurred four times on the east and north-east coasts of
Ireland.
Range outside the British Islands. The White-eyed Pochard,
or "Ferruginous Duck," as it is often called, is an inhabitant
of Southern and Central Europe, and breeds from Holland
through Germany to the latitude of Moscow. It also breeds
in Central Asia and in Cashmere, visiting the Indian Peninsula
and Burma in winter, at which season it also extends through
Egypt to Abyssinia, and is found as far west as the Canaries.
Habits. These are said by Lord Lilford to be like those of
the Common Pochard, but its flight is more swift than that of
the latter species. He observes : " It is remarkably tame and
feailess of man in comparison with others of the Anatidce, and
loves the thick coverts of dense aquatic vegetation. The call-
note is a harsh rattling monosyllable, frequently repeated. The
flesh of this bird is, in my opinion, excellent."
Mr. Hume says that these Ducks rise from the water with
some little difficulty, and strike it repeatedly with their feet as
THE POCHARDS. II
they start ; and Captain Shelley states that a large flock makes
such a noise with their feet patting the water, that it can be
heard at a distance of two miles. Mr. Hume gives the follow-
ing interesting note on the species : " In the water they are at
home ; they swim with great rapidity, and dive marvellously.
Indeed, what becomes of them is often a puzzle ; the instant
that, wounded, they touch the water, they disappear, and not
unfrequently that is the last you see of them ; at most they
only rise once or twice, and then disappear for good. It is a
waste of time to pursue them ; if they do rise, give them in-
stantly a second barrel. If not, you must trust to the dogs pick-
ing them up in the rushes near the margin later in the day when
all is quiet. But even the best dogs will be baffled, and I have
seen a well-trained retriever, after skirmishing in weeds and
water for several minutes in pursuit of a wounded White-eye,
come out with his tail between his legs and a general crestfallen
appearance, clearly under the impression that, in consequence
of some delusion, he had been beguiled into hunting a Dab-
chick a bird that from his earliest puppy-hood he had been
taught to consider altogether beneath his notice.
" They are with us quite omnivorous ; no doubt their food
chiefly consists of vegetable matter leaves, stems, roots and
seeds of grass, rush, sedge, and all kinds of aquatic herbage ;
but besides this I have noted at different times, amongst the
contents of their stomachs, delicate fresh-water shells and
shrimps, insects, including several species of Neuroptera and
Lepidoptera and their larvae, worms, grubs, and small fishes.
I have often, when lying up hid in the reeds, waiting for
more valuable fowl to come over, watched little parties of
them feeding in some tiny, weedy, reed-hedged opening. For
part of the time they swim about, nibbling at the herbage
or picking shells or insects off the lotus leaves ; but they are
continually disappearing below the surface, often reappear-
ing with a whole bunch of feathery, slimy weed, which all
present join in gobbling up. Sometimes they remain a very
long time out of sight, I should guess nearly two minutes (it
seems an age) ; but generally they do not, when thus feeding,
keep under more than, say from forty to fifty seconds. I fancy
that they feed preferentially by day; first, because when in
their favourite haunts, I have invariably found them, when I
12 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
have had opportunities of watching them unperceived, busy
feeding at all hours, and never asleep as night-feeding Ducks
so constantly are between n a.m. and 3 p.m. ; and, secondly,
because I have so rarely killed them when flight-shooting.
When settled on some comfortable, rush-embosomed, weed-
interwoven broad, I am pretty certain that they do not change
their quarters at nightfall, as when encamped near any of their
chosen day haunts I have heard their harsh, familiar call at in-
tervals throughout the midnight hours ; but, of course, in the
less common case, when they affect bare-shored lakes or rivers
by day (and some few do do this), they must needs go elsewhere
to feed during the night, and in such situations I have once or
twice seen them at mid-day snoozing at the water's edge.
"Their 'quack,' or note, is peculiar, though something like
that of the Pochard, a harsh kirr, kirr, kirr, with which one
soon becomes acquainted, as they invariably utter it staccato
as they bustle up from the rushes, often within a few yards of
the boat."
Nest. Composed of dry flags and rushes, and lined with thick
brownish down and a few white feathers (Litford).
Eggs. From nine to fourteen in number, but the usual
number is ten. Colour creamy-brown. Axis, 2-0-2-2 inches ;
diam., i^S-^SS-
THE SCAUP DUCKS. GENUS FULIGULA.
Fuligula, Steph. Gen. Zool. xii. pt. 2, p. 187 (1824).
Type,
The genus Fuligula is very similar to Nyroca, and only differs
in the shape of the bill, which, as Count Salvadori points out,
is rather broader and snorter, and widens out near the end, so
that it is wider at the tip than at the base ; it is also more
rounded at the end. The males in the genus Fuligiila have
the head black, not chestnut.
I. THE TUFTED SCAUP DUCK. FULIGULA FULIGULA.
Anas futigufa) Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 207 (1766).
THE SCAUP DUCKS. 13
Fuhgula cristata, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 121 (1852); Dresser, B.
Eur.vi. p. 573, pi. 437 (1879); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 129
(1883) ; Seeb Br. B. iii. p. 583 (1885) Saunders, ed. Yarr.
Brit. B. iv. p. 430 (1885) ; id. Man. Br. B. p. 435 (1889) ;
Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xiii. (1890).
Fuligula fuligulci) Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 363
Adult Male. General colour above black, with a slight green-
ish gloss, and with faint indications of grey frecklings ; the
wing-coverts like the back, including the bastard-wing and
primary-coverts ; the primaries black externally and at the
ends of the inner webs, the latter being brown on the outer
primaries, paler and inclining to white on the inner ones, where
the light colour extends to the outer web also ; the secondaries
white, with a black band at the end, the innermost black,
glossed with green ; tail dusky-brown ; crown of head with a
tufted crest black, slightly glossed with purple ; sides of face,
neck, and throat black, with a very distinct purple gloss, chang-
ing to green under certain lights ; fore-neck dusky-black,
freckled with whitish bars on the lower part; remainder of
under surface of body from the fore-neck downwards pure
white, the vent and sides of lower flanks and under tail-coverts
black ; the flank-feathers brown at their ends ; under wing-
coverts and axillaries white, the lower primary-coverts pale
ashy like the quill-lining ; " bill dull leaden to bright greyish-
blue, the nail and extreme tip black ; feet varying in colour
like the bill, often with an olivaceous tinge on the tarsi ; webs
varying from dusky to almost black, and the claws from deep
brown to black ; iris golden-yellow " (A. O. Hume]. Total
length, 14-5 inches; culmen, 1*5; wing, 7-9; tail, 2-1 ; tarsus,
1*2.
Adult Female. Browner than the male, with obscure edges of
paler brown to the feathers of the mantle ; wings and tail as
in the male, but the former without green gloss ; the head only
slightly crested, and, like the neck and throat, dark brown,
inclining to blackish ; the fore-neck rusty-brown ; under surface
of body from the fore-neck downwards pure white, mottled
with dusky spots on the lower abdomen, vent, and under tail-
coverts ; the flanks washed with rusty-brown ; the colours of
14 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
the bill and feet more dusky than in the male. Total length,
15 inches; oilmen, 1-5; wing, 7-4; tail, 2'o; tarsus, 1-3.
Young Birds. Resemble the old female, but have no crest,
and are more plentifully mottled with dusky-brown on the
lower parts ; there is also a patch of rusty- or whity-brown on
the lores and chin. The young males are darker than the
females, have blacker heads, and have the mottlings on the
fore-neck continued over the chest ; iris brown.
Nestling. Almost entirely brown, with only a faintly indicated
spot of lighter brown on each side of the lower back ; forehead,
eyebrow, and sides of face rather lighter brown, but the cheeks
dusky-brown; under surface of body buffy-white, the fore-neck,
sides of the body, and lower abdomen more dusky-brown.
Hybrids. The Tufted Scaup has been known to cross with
the Summer Duck, the Teal, and the Common and White-eyed
Pochards.
Characters. Distinguished by the white speculum, tipped with
black, the very obvious crest, and the uniform back.
Range in Great Britain. Athough better known as a winter
visitor to the British Islands, the Tufted Scaup Duck breeds
in many counties, from Norfolk to Northumberland, in Lan-
cashire, Sussex, Dorset, and especially at Rainworth, Mr.
Whitaker's estate in Nottinghamshire, as well as in other
localities in the same county. I have also noticed it in pairs
at Avington in Hampshire at the end of May, and believe that
some remain to breed there. In Scotland it breeds on many
of the lochs ; and besides Lough Neagh, Lough Beg, the Shan-
non Lakes, and Co. Monaghan, where Sir Ralph Payne-Galhvey
recorded its nesting in Ireland, it is now said by Mr. Ussher to
breed in Fermanagh, Roscommon, and Sligo, and probably also
on lakes in Longford and Westmeath.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species breeds
in the northern part of the Palaearctic Region from the Atlantic
to the Pacific, and goes far south in winter, in the East visiting
the Indian Peninsula, China, the Malayan Archipelago, and
even extending to the Mariannes and Pelew Islands. In Europe
its southern breeding-range is said by Mr. Seebohm to extend
to about 50 N. kit, but its northern limit is 70 N. lat. in
THE SCAUP DUCKS. 15
Norway, 68 on the Yenesei, and 62 on the Pacific coast. In
winter it is found throughout Southern Europe and the Medi-
terranean countries, and it extends down the Nile Valley to
Abyssinia and Shoa. In the higher lakes of the latter countries
some apparently remain to breed.
Habits. Although found on the coasts in winter, the Tufted
Scaup is much more of a fresh-water than a maritime Duck at
any season of the year, and is strictly an inland species during
the breeding-season. During the winter, too, it frequents in-
land lakes, where it is a shy and suspicious species, keeping
aloof from the resident Mallards of the locality, but associating
with the Wigeon in flocks, which keep well out of gun-shot in
the middle of the water. When swimming, the Tufted Scaups
show a great deal of their white breasts, and appear to sit lightly
on the water, while their crested heads are very distinctly seen.
They prefer lakes where there are reedy shores, rather than
those with bare or sandy banks. In India, Mr. Hume states
that he has seen as many as ten thousand together, covering the
whole of the centre cf the Kunkrowli Lake in Oodeypore. Like
the Pochards, they make a great noise when they rise by strik-
ing the water with their feet. "Their food," writes Mr. Hume,
" is more animal than vegetable. They constantly devour small
fish, and one finds every kind of water-insect, worm, grub, and
shells, small lizards, frogs, spawn, &c., in their stomachs. Still,
like the rest of the Ducks, they eat the leaves, stems, and roots
of water-plants freely, and I have several notes of birds which
had dined, or breakfasted, entirely off some white shining onion-
like bulb." The note is like that of the Pochards, a grating
" Kurr, kurr," but not so loud as in the last-named birds.
Nest. Placed near the water in a tussock or hump of grass,
and made of sedge or grass lined with down. My friend Mr.
Robert Read tells me that in Scotland he has found the nest
amongst rushes and in open pastures amongst the grass ; in the
latter case the down is of great protective value, and the nest
might easily be mistaken for a patch of dried cow- dung.
Eggs. Laid in May and June, varying in number from eight
to thirteen, ten or twelve being the usual complement. Mr.
Robert Read writes to me : "The last week in May and the
first week in June are the best times to look for the eggs. Nine
1 6 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY
is the most usual full clutch, but I have found ten, twelve,
fifteen, and even twenty eggs in a nest. The last-mentioned
was, I believe, the produce of two females." The colour varies
from drab-brown or stone-colour to greenish-brown. Axis,
2*2-2*4 inches ; diam., i'6-i"j.
Down. Very small, and dark chocolate-brown, with a scarcely
perceptible whitish centre, the nlamental tips being also brown.
II. THE SCAUP DUCK. FULIGULA MARILA.
Anas marila, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 196 (1766).
Fuli^ula marila, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 1 16 (1852) ; Dresser, B. Eur.
vi- p. 565, pi. 436 (1878); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 129
(1883); Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 579 (1885); Saunders, ed.
Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 423 (1885); id. Man. Br. B. p. 437
(1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xv. (1890); Salvad.
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 356 (1895).
(Plate LIX.)
Adult Male. Back light grey or white, pencilled with blackish
vermiculations, less continuous on the upper scapulars, which
in consequence look whiter than the rest of the back ; the
lower back black with a few whitish vermiculations ; rump
and upper tail-coverts black, with a large white patch on both
sides ; tail sooty-brown ; wing-coverts black, finely pencilled
with greyish or white vermiculations, which are less plentiful
on the greater series and only appear at the ends of the latter ;
bastard-wing and primary-coverts dusky-blackish, the primaries
dull ashy externally, and blackish at the end of the inner webs,
which are for the rest drab-brown, forming a distinct " mirror " ;
the secondaries white with a broad black band at the end, the
innermost black, glossed with oily-green ; head, sides of face,
and throat glossy dark green, changing to purple, according
to the light in which the bird is held ; hind-neck and upper
mantle, sides of neck, fore-neck, and chest black with a bronzy
gloss ; the rest of the under surface of body white, from the
chest downwards, with a few blackish vermiculations near the
black chest-patch, and again on the lower abdomen ; vent and
under tail-coverts black ; sides of body, under wing-coverts,
and axillaries pure white, the outer coverts dusky, freckled with
grey, the j ower primary-coverts pale ashy like the quill-lining;
\
fHE SCAUP DUCKS. T}
" bill light greyish-blue or dull-lead colour, nail blackish ; feet
pale greyish- blue, darker on the joints ; membranes dusky,
claws black ; iris rich yellow ; the edges of the eyelids dusky "
(A. O. Hume). Total length, 17*5 inches; culmen, 175; vving,
87; tail, 2-3; tarsus, 1-5.
Adult Female. Very much browner than the male, with a few
grey specklings on the back ; the lower back and rump some-
what blacker than the rest of the upper-parts ; wings as in the
male, but the coverts darker and the vermiculations obsolete ;
crown of head and nape dull reddish-brown, with a large white
patch on the lores ; the chin with a white spot ; the chest
mottled, with reddish-brown bases to the feathers ; breast and
abdomen white ; the lower abdomen and under (ail-coverts
mottled with dusky ; the sides of the body reddish-brown ;
" bill as in the male, but darker ; feet dull leaden-grey with
the webs dusky " (A. O. Hume}. Total length, i6'o inches;
culmen, r6; wing, 8-2; tail, 2*6; tarsus, 1*4.
Young Birds. Resemble the old female, and have the white
chin-spot. The young males, according to Count Salvadori,
can be distinguished by their darker and richer coloration. In
the second year the young male resembles the adult, but has
less green gloss on the head and neck, and the black feathers
on the breast are margined with white ; the black under tail-
coverts are more or less vermiculated and in the vermiculations
on the lower mantle, scapulars, and wing-coverts the dark
brown colour predominates over the white.
Hybrids. The Scaup has been known to interbreed with the
White-eyed Pochard and the Golden-eye.
Characters. Resembles the Tufted Scaup in having the
speculum white, tipped with black, but has no crest, and the
back is greyish-white, vermiculated or lined across with zig-
zag black markings.
Range in Great Britain. The Scaup is a winter visitor, and is
common on our coasts from autumn to spring, with the ex-
ception of a few localities, such as the Outer Hebrides and
the south coast of Ireland. It has been said to breed on Loch
Leven in Scotland, where Mr. A. C. Stark states that he found
the nest.
II C
1 8 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Range outsi4e the British Islands. A circumpolar species, ac-
cording to Count Salvadori, who observes that he is unable to
distinguish the American Scaup or the Chinese Scaup from
the European species. It breeds in Scandinavia up to 70
N. lat. and above the limits of forest-growth across Northern
Asia to Kamtchatka, and again above 50 N. lat. of North
America. In other parts of its range it occurs only in winter,
when it visits the Mediterranean and extends into North-
western India, as well as to Japan, China, and Formosa. In
North America it wanders south in winter and reaches Mexico
and the West Indian Islands. Fuligula affinis of North
America has also been recorded as British, as also F. eollaris,
but only from specimens in Leadenhall Market, and these re-
cords have been ignored by Mr. Howard Saunders and recent
writers.
Habits. The Scaup is principally a maritime Duck, excepting
during the breeding-season, when it retires inland to nest.
From Mr. Seebohm's notes on the habits of the species, I ex-
tract the following, as no one has had better opportunities for
observing the species in a wild state: "The Scaup is most
active when the sun shines from the north ; that seems to be
its favourite feeding-time ; and then its loud, harsh scream may
be heard as the drake calls to his mate to leave her eggs covered
warmly up in a blanket of down, and to come away from her
snug nest among the bilberries on the adjacent bank-side and
join him on the lake, or perhaps have a swing down the river
to the delta to pick up anything that may be left on the
strand at low tide. Of all the cries of the Ducks that have
come under my notice, I think that of the Scaup is the
most discordant. None of them are very musical, perhaps,
but if you imagine a man with an exceptionally harsh, hoarse
voice, screaming out the word scaup at the top of his voice,
some idea of the note of this Duck may be formed. It is said
that when this harsh note is uttered the opening of the bill is
accompanied with a peculiar toss of the head. The ordinary
alarm-note during flight is a grating sound like that made by
the Tufted Duck.
"The Scaup is a very gregarious and sociable bird. In
winter it is almost always seen in flocks, frequently associated
with other Ducks, and in summer small parties are constantly
THE GOLDEN-EYED DUCKS. 19
seen coming and going from their feeding-grounds. When
alarmed, they generally seek safety by diving, but if they find
themselves obliged to take wing, they get up from the water,
one after another, with a great splash, but once fairly launched
in the air, they appear to get away very quickly, though their
wings are obliged to vibrate at a great speed and with con-
siderable noise. They both swim and dive with perfect ease,
and obtain much of their food under water.
" Although the Scaup, when cooked, is said to taste very
fishy, it does not appear to be much of a fish-eater. Shell-fish
are its favourite food, but it varies its diet with crustaceans,
the larvae of various insects, and with some vegetable matter.
In confinement Montagu found it remarkably tame, feeding
eagerly at once on soaked bread, and after a few days on
barley."
Nest. According to Mr. Seebohm, "the Scaup generally
selects some sloping bank, not far from water, but high enough
from the edge to be secure from floods, on which to build her
nest. It is always well concealed, and seldom to be found ex-
cept by accidentally frightening off the sitting Duck. Some-
times it is placed under a willow or juniper bush, but more often
in the open, carefully hidden in some hole in the rough ground
surrounded by cranberries or bilberries struggling amidst tufts
of sedge or cotton-grass. The hole is lined with dry broken
sedge, and, as the eggs are laid, an accumulation of down is
formed, sufficient to keep them warm when the Duck leaves
them to feed."
Eggs. From six to nine in number, of a pale greenish-grey
or stone- colour. Messrs. H. J. and C. E. Pearson once found
twelve eggs in a nest in Iceland. Axis, 2'55-2'65 inches;
diam., ry.
Down. Larger than that of the Tufted Scaup, but of about
the same character. Dark chocolate-brown, with paler brown
filamentous tips, and a small star of dull white in the middle.
THE GOLDEN-EYED DUCKS. GENUS CLANGULA.
Clangula, Leach, in Ross's Voy. Disc. App. p. xlviii. (1819).
Type, C. dangula (L.).
The genus Clangula, for which I adopt the well-known Eng-
C 2
20 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
lish name of the "Golden-eyes," belongs to the plain-winged sec-
tion of the Diving Ducks, in which the quills are uniform and
have no light " mirror " on the inner webs. They differ from the
Eider-Ducks in having no patches of stiff feathers on the head,
which is very fully crested. The tail is of moderate length,
and its feathers are rounded ; the edges of the upper mandible
are not bent inwards ; and there is a distinct difference in the
colour of the sexes, the males having a glossy black head,
and the females a brown one (cf. Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxvii. p. 326).
I. THE GOLDEN-EYED DUCK. CLANGULA CLANGULA.
Anas clangula, Linn. Syst Nat. i. p. 201 (1766).
Anas glaution. Linn. torn. cit. p. 201 (1766).
Clangula chrysophthalma, Macg. Br. B.'v. p. 174 (1852).
C languid glaucion. Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 595, pi. 440 (1875) ;
B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 131 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr.
Br. B. iv. p. 435 (1885) ; id. Man. Br. B. p. 429 (1889);
Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 376 (1895).
Fuligula clangula, Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 590 (1885); Lilford,
Col. Fig. Br. B. part xi. (1889).
Adult Male. General colour above black, including the whole
of the back and rump ; scapulars white or half black and
white, giving a streaked appearance to the sides of the back,
the external scapulars white with black margins ; wing-coverts
pure white, except those near the edge of the wing, which
are black ; the greater series white with a concealed black
bar at the base ; bastard- wing, primary-coverts, and quills
black; secondaries pure white, the inner ones velvety-black
with a green gloss ; upper tail-coverts and tail cindery-grey,
the latter fringed with whity-brown at the ends; head fully
crested metallic - green, as also the nape and entire sides
of the face, with purplish reflections under certain lights ; at
the base of the bill a large white spot ; throat velvety-black
with a shade of bronzy-green ; rest of the under surface from
the lower throat downwards pure white, the feathers on the
thighs and vent dusky blackish, the flank-feathers edged with
black on their inner webs, imparting a streaked appearance ;
THE GOLDEN-EYED DUCKS. 21
axillaries and under wing coverts black, the quill-lining some-
what more ashy; "bill bluish- or greenish-black, in rare in-
stances with an orange spot or bar near the tip of the upper
mandible ; feet intense orange-yellow, the webs dusky ; iris
reddish or orange-yellow ; eyelids reddish-dusky " (A. O.
Hume). Total length, i8'o inches; culmen, 1-55 ; wing, 8-9 ;
tail, 37; tarsus, 1-55.
Adult Female. Different from the male. Upper surface of
body slaty-grey, the feathers with dusky bases ; lower back and
rump dusky-black, becoming more slaty on the upper tail-
coverts ; the wing-coverts slaty-grey like the back, with an
irregular white patch caused by the outer lesser coverts being
white ; median coverts with white spots at the ends and the
central greater coverts white with black tips ; bastard-wing,
primary-coverts, and quills blackish, the primaries browner on
the inner webs ; secondaries white, the inner secondaries half
black and half white and the innermost ones entirely black ;
head and throat all round chocolate-brown, followed by a
white collar across the lower throat ; breast and abdomen pure
white; fore-neck, chest, and sides of the body slaty-grey,
mottled with dusky centres to the feathers; under wing-coverts,
axillaries, and quill-lining dull slaty ; " bill brownish-black, more
dusky than in the males, and generally showing a yellowish-
red or orange spot or bar near the tip of the upper mandible,
which in some forms a terminal band at the tips of both
mandibles, never, however, including the nail, which remains
black or dusky " (A. O. Hitme). Total length, 17*5 inches ;
culmen, 1*3; wing, 7*6; tail, 3*2; tarsus, 1*4.
Young Birds. According to Count Salvadori, resemble the
old females, but are duller in colour; the pale collar round
the neck is less distinct, and the grey feathers on the breast
have white margins. In his first breeding-dress, the young
male has less white on the scapulars, the white on the hinder
lower neck is mottled with brown, as also is the white spot at
the base of the bill. The latter, in the young birds, resembles
that of the old females, and, according to Mr. Hume, in quite
young birds, the iris is white or very pale yellow.
. Dark brown on the upper-parts, and paler brown
22 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTOR\.
on the breast and flanks, shading into white on the throat and
into pale grey on the belly (Salvadori).
HyMrds. The Golden-eye has been known to interbreed
with the Smew, Pochard, Scaup, and Buffel-headed Duck.
Characters. This species is very easily recognisable by its
coloration, and cannot well be confounded with any of the
other British Ducks. The female can be told from that of
any of the Diving Ducks by its brown axillaries and white
speculum, but it has no white patch on the ear-coverts as in
C. albeola.
Range in Great Britain. A winter visitor, frequenting inland
lakes from October to May. It has been doubtfully recorded
as breeding in Scotland, but is best known as a winter visitant
to that country and to Ireland, resorting to the coasts when
the inland waters are frozen over.
Range outside the British Islands. The Golden-eye breeds in
Northern Europe up to 70 N. lat, in Scandinavia and in
Russia to about 58, and sparingly in Holstein, Pomerania,
and Eastern Prussia. Its breeding-range further extends from
the Caucasus throughout Siberia and Arctic America, for
Count Salvadori confesses his inability to separate the
European and American Golden-eyes. In the New World
its winter range extends as far south as Mexico and the Greater
Antilles. In Europe it visits the Mediterranean in winter,
and in the East occurs in China at this season, and even
extends to North-western India, but very rarely. Barrow's
Golden-eye (Clangula islandica) has been supposed to have
occurred in England, but the evidence is not considered suffi-
cient. The latter species inhabits North America, Greenland,
and Iceland, and differs from the common species in having
the head and neck glossy blue-black, with a large triangular
patch across the lores. The female differs from the female
Golden-eye in being larger and in having a broader grey chest-
band.
Habits. Although frequenting, as a rule, lakes, rivers, and
marshy lands, the Golden-eye also affects the sea-coasts in
winter. Mr. Seebohm observes : " It is remarkable for its
noisy flight, its rapidly moving wings whistling in the wind as
THE GOLDEN-EYED DUCKS. 23
it passes overhead. It also makes a great splashing in the
water when it rises, but does not readily take wing, as it is a
most expert swimmer and diver. It is one of the shyest of
Ducks, and very difficult to shoot. It makes the same grating
sound, when calling to its fellows during flight, as the Scaup
and Tufted Duck. It is a clumsy walker on the land, and
lives almost entirely on the water, feeding on nearly every
kind of both animal and vegetable food that its unrivalled
powers of diving enable it to find at the bottom : small fish,
young frog?, shell-fish, insects, the seeds or buds or tender
leaves of water-plants, nothing comes amiss to it."
" But," he continues, " the most remarkable fact in the
history of the Golden-eye is its habit of occasionally perching
on the bare branch of some forest-tree, and of discovering a
hole in the trunk, sometimes quite a small one, but leading to
a hollow inside, where it deposits eggs on the rotten chips of
wood without any nest, like a Woodpecker."
Nest. As before stated by Mr. Seebohm, the nest is in the hole
of a tree, but, where this is not available, the Golden-eye will
place its nest on the ground or on the tops of pollard- willows.
Sometimes the nest is placed at a height of twelve, and even
twenty-five feet from the ground, and the old bird conveys the
young to the water, holding it between its bill and its breast.
Mr. Robert Read writes to me: "I have observed these
birds on the fresh-water lakes in Scotland as late as May, and
keepers tell me that they have seen them in every month of the
year except June. The ' Knipa,' as it is called, is well-known
in Sweden, and in Dalsland, about 59 N. lat. I saw a pair
in June, 1894, on a lake, and was shown the place wherein
they had nested the previous year. It was in a hole, about
fifteen feet up, at the main fork of an old black poplar stand-
ing in a churchyard beside the water's edge." In Lapland
and Finland the natives put up boxes for the convenience of
the Golden-eyes, and regularly pilfer the eggs of the too
confiding birds.
Nest. None, as recorded above, but down, as in the case of
all Ducks, is used as a lining to the hole or nesting-place
selected.
Eggs. From ten to thirteen in number, but many more are
24 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
often found. When fresh they are of a greyish-green colour,
but fade to dull green or olive-green.
Down. Greyish-white, with filamentous tips of the same
colour, and a large but not very conspicuous spot of white in
the centre.
THE BUFFEL-HEADS. GENUS CIIARITONETTA.
Charitonetta, Stejn. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. No. 29, p. 183 (1863).
Type, C. albeola (Linn.).
Count Salvador! does not separate the Buffel-heads from the
Golden-eyes, though he admits the difference in the style of
their plumage, and the structural character of the nostrils,
which are situated nearer to the base of the bill than to its tip,
being exactly the opposite to the features of the nostril in the
genus Clangula. In my opinion, therefore, the genus Chart to-
netta should be recognised.
I. THE BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. CHARITONETTA ALBEOLA.
Anas albeola, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 199 (1766).
Clangula albeola, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 185 (1852) ; Dresser, B.
Eur. vi. p. 589, pi. 439 (1877); B. O. U. List Br. B
p. 132 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 442
(1885); id. Man. Br. B. p. 441 (1889); Salvad. Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 376 (1895); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B.
part xxx. (1895).
Fuligula albeola, Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 588 (1885) ; Lilford,
Col. Fig. Br. B. part xi. (1889).
Adult Male. General colour above black, including the back
and scapulars, the outermost of the latter being white, edged
with black ; wing-coverts white, those round the edge of the
wing black, the greater series with concealed blackish bases ;
bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and primaries black ; the second-
aries white with blackish bases to the inner webs, the inner
secondaries velvety-black like the back ; upper tail-coverts
ashy-grey ; tail-feathers slaty-grey ; lores and fore-part of crown
green, verging into purple on the hinder crown and crest ; the
sides of the face from below the eye in a line to the cheeks
white, including the ear-coverts and nape, which is creste.d;
THE EUFFEL-HEADS. 25
the fore-part of the cheeks green, with steel-blue reflections ;
the hinder cheeks purplish, with bronzy reflections, and verg-
ing into bronzy-green on the sides of the neck ; the hinder neck
crested and dull steel-green ; throat dusky-black, with a purplish
gloss ; entire under surface of body from the lower throat
downwards pure white, the flank-feathers edged with black,
the lower abdomen slightly shaded with greyish ; axillaries
slaty-grey, the inner ones white; under wing-coverts white,
mottled with dusky bases to the feathers ; bill bluish-black ;
feet and toes pinkish, the webs and joints darker ; iris dark
brown. Total length, 15-0 inches; oilmen, 1-3; wing, 67;
tail, 2-8; tarsus, i'2.
Adult Female. Different from the male. General colour
above sooty-blackish, darker on the lower back and rump;
wings sooty-blackish, some of the greater coverts with a white
spot before the end of the outer web; quills blackish, the
secondaries externally white, forming a speculum ; tail dusky-
brown ; fore-part of crown, lores, throat, and neck all round
sooty-brown ; the hinder crown and nape blacker, and decidedly
crested ; from below the eye a broad, white band extending
across the ear-coverts to the sides of the neck ; under-surface
of body white, greyish across the fore-neck, on the sides of the
body, and on the under tail-coverts; axillaries sooty-brown,
or white with brown centres; under wing-coverts white,
mottled with brown bases ; bill dusky, inclining to plumbeous
at the end, and along the commissure ; feet and toes pale
bluish pink, the webs and joints darker; iris dark brown.
Total length, i2'o inches; culmen, i'o; wing, 5-9; tail, 2-4;
tarsus, n.
Young Birds. Resemble the old female in plumage.
Characters. Apart from the differences in structure recorded
above, the male can be easily told by the varying gloss on the
head, and the large patch of white on the sides of the face.
The female has the head and neck greyish-brown, with a white
spot on the ear-coverts and a white wing-speculum.
Range in Great Britain. At least five authentic instances of the
occurrence of the Buffel-headed Duck have been recorded in
Groat B itain. Of these two are Scotch and three English.
26 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
It has never been met with on the continent of Europe, and
appears to be only a straggler to Greenland.
Range outside the British Islands. This is a North American
species, breeding from Labrador to Alaska, and occurring even
on the Commander Islands ; migrating south in winter to
Mexico and the Greater Antilles.
Habits. Resemble those of the Golden-eye, even to the
mode of nesting in the hole of a tree. Very little has been
written about the species by the explorers in Alaska, but the
stomach of a female bird shot in Minnesota by Mr. A. C. Stark
was crammed with small red worms. The bird is also known
to be herbivorous, and to devour land and marine molluscs,
shrimps, and leeches. Like the Golden-eyes, it is a first-rate
diver, and in the States it is often called the " Butter-ball,"
from its extreme fatness.
Nest, Placed in the hole of a tree, and lined with down.
Eggs. From six to ten in number.
THE LONG-TAILED DUCKS. GENUS IIARELDA.
Harelda, Stephens, Gen. Zool. xii. part 2, p. 174 (1824).
Type, H. gladalis (Linn.).
The peculiar characters of this genus are the uniformly
coloured primaries, which show no distinct "mirror," the
variegated nature of the plumage, the fully-crested head, and
the long central tail-feathers. The edges of the upper man-
dible are partly bent inwardly.
I. THE LONG-TAILED DUCK. HARELDA GLACIALIS.
Anas gladalis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 303 (1766).
Harelda gladalis, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 192 (1852); Dresser, B.
Eur. vi. p. 617, pis. 443, 444 (1875) ; B. O. U. List Br.
B. p. 132 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 446
(1885); id. Man. Br. B. p. 443 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig.
Br. B. part xxx. (1895) ; Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii.
p. 389 (1895).
Fuligula gladalis, Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 598 (1885).
(Plate LX.)
Adult Male. General colour above black, the scapulars dove-
THE LONG TAILED DUCKS. 27
grey and elongated into narrow white plumes, forming a
band on each side of the back ; wing-coverts black, the
greater series slightly inclining to bronzy-brown ; bastard-
wing, primary-coverts, and primaries black, the latter inclin-
ing to ashy-brown on the inner webs ; the secondaries bronzy-
brown, the innermost black ; long centre tail-feathers black,
the outer ones white ; crown of head white, the hind-neck
greyish-white, and also the sides of the neck ; lores, feathers
round the eye, and sides of face lavender-grey, separated
from the bill by a line of white, and followed on the ear-
coverts by a large patch of black, extending to the sides of
the neck ; throat white, joining the sides of the neck ; fore-
neck, chest, and breast black, glossed with bronzy-brown ;
remainder of under surface of body white, extending over the
sides of the breast ; the sides of the body washed with delicate
lavender; under wing-coverts and axillaries smoky-brown,
quill-lining grey ; bill blackish lead-colour, as well as the nail,
with the intervening portion pinkish-orange ; feet leaden-blue,
the webs and joints blackish; iris reddish-brown. Total
length, 2i'o inches; oilmen, i'i; wing, 8'8; tail, 3-2 ; long
centre feathers, 8*5; tarsus, 1*4.
The pied plumage described above is also that of the
breeding-dress, but the post-nuptial or summer plumage is
very different, the general tone of the upper surface being
black ; the feathers of the upper mantle and scapulars have
broad, rusty-brown edges ; the wings are blackish-brown, with
an obscure bronzy-brown speculum ; the whole of the head
and neck, as well as the entire breast, are blackish-brown, some-
what paler and more chocolate-brown on the latter ; lores and
fore-part of cheeks white, extending in a patch behind the
eye ; abdomen and under surface white, as in the breeding-
plumage.
Adult Female Somewhat resembles the post-nuptial plumage
of the male, but has not the long tail-feathers of the latter.
The general colour is brown, the feathers of the upper sur-
face being edged with olive-grey or sandy-rufous, the scapu-
lars and rump especially showing the olive-grey tinge ; wings
brown, the feathers edged with grey, but showing no distinct
speculum ; crown of head blackish-brown, sharply defined
28 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
against the hind-neck, which is ashy-brown; eyebrow and lores
pale brown, deepening into darker brown on the ear-coverts,
which are surmounted by a whitish line ; throat greyish,
browner on the chin and lower throat ; sides of neck dull
white ; fore-neck and chest grey, slightly tinged with ochre ;
remainder of under surface white ; under wing-coverts and
axillaries brown. Total length, 15-5 inches; oilmen, n ;
wing, 8-5; tail, 3-0; tarsus, 1-3.
Young Males. Resemble the old female, but are more uni-
form above and do not show the olive-grey margins ; the
back and wings black ; the scapulars lighter brown, with
yellowish-brown margins and the feathers more pointed than
in the female ; head and neck marked as in the female, but
the throat browner; the bronzy speculum on the wing is
evident.
Nestling. Dark brown, the head blacker, as also the sides of
the face ; a white loral spot at the base of the bill and a mark
of white above and below the eye; throat white, extending
on to the sides of the neck, but not joining behind ; a band
of brown across the fore-neck ; remainder of under surface
greyish ; the sides of the body and flanks brown.
Range in Great Britain. A winter visitant to our coasts, being
more plentiful in Scotland than in England, and mostly so in
the Hebrides, where it is known by the Gaelic name of Lack
Bhinn, or the Musical Duck. In the Orkneys and the Shet-
land Isles it is called " Calloo," from the note uttered by the
male. Mr. Howard Saunders believes that the Long-tailed
Duck breeds on some of the unfrequented lochs of Yell and
Mainland in the latter group, though absolute proof is still
wanting. To Ireland it is only an occasional visitor.
Range outside the British Islands. The Long-tailed Duck breeds
throughout the Arctic Regions from Greenland and Iceland to
Eastern Siberia, and again in Arctic America. In the New
World it is generally called the " Old Squaw." In winter it
visits the United States, and in Europe it has been found
south to the northern countries of the Mediterranean, and
it occurs in Japan and China at that season of the year, and
also winters on Lake Baikal and the Caspian Sea.
THE LONG-TAILED DUCKS. 2,
Habits. In the arctic habitat, which this Duck affects dur-
ing the summer, it is a common bird, and it never appears
to wander very far south, some individuals even wintering in
the north. It is less gregarious than some of the arctic
Ducks, and is an extremely good diver. After the young are
hatched about the end of June, they frequent ponds and
marshy lakes, but as autumn approaches they seek the small
bays and creeks along the coast.
Mr. E. W. Nelson gives the following note on the species in
his " Report on Natural History Collections from Alaska " :
" During all the spring-season, until the young begin to hatch,
the males have a rich musical note, imperfectly represented
by the syllables "a-leedle-a, a-leedle-a," frequently repeated in
deep, reed-like tones. Amid the general hoarse chorus of
water-fowl at this season, the notes of the Old Squaw are so
harmonious that the fur-traders of the Upper Yukon have
christened it the " Organ Duck " a well-merited name, I
have frequently stopped and listened with deep pleasure to
these harmonious tones, while traversing the broad marshes in
the dim twilight at midnight, and while passing a lonely month
on the dreary banks of the Yukon delta, I have lain in my
blankets many hours at night and listened to these rhythmi-
cal sounds, which, with a few exceptions, were the only ones
to break the silence. These notes are somewhat less common
during the day. The male is often seen swimming rapidly
about the female, his long tail-feathers raised to an angle of
about 75 degrees, and vibrating rapidly from side to side as he
passes before his mate, uttering the love-note at short intervals.
If he becomes too pressing in his suit, the female suddenly
dives and is instantly followed by her partner, and then a
moment later they appear and take wing, and a playful chase
ensues, the two diving at full speed and flying above or below
in rapid succession, until they are tired. It is a common
thing for two or three males to join in this " follow-my-teader "
kind of game after the female, and in the end the latter usually
flies to some secluded pool with her choice, whilst the discom-
fited suitors move off in search of some easier prize. Several
males continue to utter their musical notes whilst chasing a
female, and make a very pretty chorus."
Nest. According to Mr. Nelson, an unusual amount of dry
30 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
grass-stems and down picked from the parent's breast composes
the nest, and if the eggs are left, they are carefully hidden in
the loose material. Messrs. H. J. and C. E. Pearson, who
found the species breeding in Iceland, write as follows :
" We found eggs from the 2oth of June to the i8th of July,
most of the nests being placed on islands. On the 2oth of
June we flushed the bird from a nest of six eggs, which was
several hundred yards from the water, on a bare hill-side of
black sand. There was no material in the nest except down,
the black colour of which would form a perfect protection when
the Duck covered the eggs with it in the ordinary course.
Not one of the many nests observed was placed in a hole, but
they were often in a hollow between two mounds of grass. In
such situations the outer part was always of grass, and the
bird carefully covered the eggs with the material on leaving,
sometimes forming a splendid imitation of an old nest. The
only safe rule was to put your hand well to the bottom of
every nest, whether it looked fresh or old."
Eggs. Six or seven in number; clay-brown to greenish-
grey, or dull green. Axis, 2-0-2-25 inches; diam., 1-5.
Down. Very dark, deep chocolate-brown, almost blackish, the
filamentous tips also dark brown ; in the centre a small star
or " eye " of white.
THE HARLEQUIN DUCKS. GENUS COSMONETTA.
Cosmonetta, Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 196 (1829).
Type, C. hislrionica (Linn.).
A single species, the Harlequin Duck, constitutes the genus
Cosmonetta, and the characters of the genus are given by
Count Salvadori as consisting mainly of the peculiar pattern
of plumage which is displayed by the species in question.
This is, however, so remarkable that recognition is easy. The
Harlequin Duck belongs to the section of Diving Ducks, in
which the primaries are nearly uniform and show no light
"mirror," as in the Pochards, while there is no perceptible
crest, and the bill is conical and tapers almost to a point.
THE HARLEQUIN DUCKS. 31
I. THE HARLEQUIN DUCK. COSMONETTA HISTRIONICA.
Anas histrionica. Linn. S. N. i. p. 204 (1766).
Clangula histrionica, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 169 (1852).
Cosmonetta histrionica. Dresser, B, Eur. vi. p. 609, pis. 600
613 (1877); B.O. U.ListBr. B. p. 132 (1883); Saunders,
ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 452 (1885); id. Man. Br. B. p. 445
(1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxx. (1895);- Sai-
vad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 395 (1895).
Histrionicus minutus. Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 613 (1877).
Fuligula histrionica, Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 594 (1885).
(Plat* LXI.}
Adult Male. General colour above slaty-blue, the scapulars
white edged with slaty-blue and forming a band down each
side of the back ; lower back duller slate-colour ; rump anc
upper tail-coverts purplish-black, with a few white-tipped
feathers on each side of the latter; tail sooty-black; wing-
coverts dark slaty-grey ; two of the median coverts with a
round white spot; the central greater coverts tipped with white,
before which is a bar of metallic-purple; bastard-\ving, primary-
coverts, and primaries blackish-brown, the latter lighter brown
on the inner webs ; the secondaries externally purplish-blue,
the inner ones for the most part white, bordered with black on
the outer webs and grey on the inner ones ; centre of crown
blue-black, bordered on each side by a broad band of chestnut,
which is separated on its anterior part by a line of white, which
is continuous with a white patch occupying the lores and fore-
part of cheeks ; eyebrow, sides of head, and neck dark slaty-
blue, relieved by a white spot on the ear-coverts and another
band of white skirting the sides of the nape ; round the lower
throat a white collar, skirted above and below by a purplish-
black band and almost meeting on the hind-neck ; fore-neck
and chest light slaty blue like the mantle, with which it is con-
tinuous ; on either side of the chest a broad vertical band of
white, bordered above and below with purplish-black; re-
mainder of under surface from the chest downwards dark
smoky-brown, inclining to purplish-black on the sides of the
vent and under tail-coverts ; sides of the body bright chestnut;
axillaries and under wing-coverts smoky-brown, some of the
latter with whitish edges ; bill dark leaden-blue, the nail lighter t
32 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORV.
feet brown, the webs of the toes blackish ; iris dark brown.
Total length, 15^5 inches; culmen, ro; wing, 77; tail, 3*8;
tarsus, 1-35.
Adult Female. Totally different from the male. Uniform
sooty-brown, darker brown on the lower back, rump, and
upper tail-coverts ; wings plain sooty-brown, without any sign
of a speculum ; head and neck sooty-brown, darker on the
crown and lighter on the throat, and more chocolate-brown on
the chest and sides of the body ; in front of the eye a dusky
patch, above which is a spot of white ; lores and sides of face
to the hinder level of the eye whitish, mottled with smoky-
brown ; on the ear-coverts a spot of white ; breast whitish,
mottled with dusky bases to the feathers ; the lower abdomen
and under tail-coverts, as well as the axillaries and under wing-
coverts, sooty-brown. Total length, 16*0 inches; culmen, ro;
wing, 7-6; tail, 3-6; tarsus, 1-4.
Young Males Resemble the old female, but are somewhat
darker in colour. In their first spring plumage they show
some white on the chin and throat, and have a browner
abdomen than the adults, with less chestnut on the flanks and
less white on the scapulars.
Nestling. Dark brown, with a white spot on each wing, and
another on each side of the rump ; underneath white, shaded
with brown on the breast and flanks ; the throat white.
Range in Great Britain. Of very rare occurrence in our islands,
most of the records being extremely doubtful, some other
species having been mistaken for the Harlequin. A specimen
in Mr. Whitaker's collection was obtained from Scarborough
in the autumn of 1862, and two others were shot near the
Fame Islands in December, 1886.
Range outside the British Islands. The Harlequin Duck is
strictly an arctic species, nesting in the extreme north of both
the Old and New Worlds. In North America it breeds as
far south as Newfoundland, the Northern Rocky Mountains,
and the Sierra Nevada, as far as 38 N. kit, according to
Mr. Ridgway, wintering in the Middle States and the Ohio
Valley, and being found in winter as far south as California,
It is resident in Iceland and visits Greenland in summer,
11lE HARLEQUIN DUCKS. 3 3
and in Finland and near Archangel it is rare, though it has
been said to breed in the Ural Mountains. In winter ti;e birds
which have bred in Eastern Siberia go south as far as the
Kurie Islands and Japan.
Habits. Although found in large flocks off the arctic sea-
coasts in winter, in summer the Harlequin Duck frequents
torrents and rushing streams. Messrs. H. J. and C. E. Pear-
son have given the following note on the bird in Iceland :
"This species is one of the latest Ducks to breed, our first eggs
being taken on July ist, and fresh eggs were brought to us on
the 1 8th Flocks of more than thirty males were
seen together on several occasions, and formed a beautiful
picture, some sitting on the rocks, and others swimming among
rapids that few other birds would care to frequent."
N33t. "Generally speaking," write Messrs. Pearson, "the
nest is placed within six feet of the water, a rapid stream being
preferred. On the nth of July one of us visited some islands
in a river, the remains of an ancient flow of lava. The lava had
formed a dam across the river, which had afterwards broken
through, forming four channels, and down these the waters ran
l;ke a mill-race, so that it was difficult to find a place where
even Iceland ponies could cross. On these islands were six
nests with eggs, three of them only two feet from the water,
and placed under the leaves of wild angelica, the others in
holes of the banks close to the water, and protected by a
screen of trailing plants. Many of the nests contained but
little down, though several of the eggs were much incubated.
The down of this Duck is much larger than that of most other
species we have taken, individual pieces having sometimes a
diameter of about i^ inch. There were many old nests in
these holes, showing the islands to have been a favourite
breeding-place for years. The dog put the Duck off a nest of
seven eggs on the qth. This was placed about ten yards from
the water, under a birch-bush, but we are sure (hat this is a
very unusual distance from water."
Eggs. From seven to ten in number; cream colour, smooth,
and glossy. Axis, 2 '2-2 '4 inches ; diam., 17-1 75.
Down. Light greyish-brown, with a smill white "eye" and
whitish filamentous tips.
1 1 n
34 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
THE RUFOUS-BREASTED EIDER DUCKS.
GENUS HENICONETTA.
Eniconetta, G. R. Gray, List Gen. B. 1840, p. 75.
Type, H. stelkri (Pall.).
Although recognised as one of the Eider Ducks, and placed
by many naturalists in the genus Somateria, Steller's Duck,
which is the sole representative of the genus, possesses certain
structural cha-acters which cause it to be placed in a genus
apart. The edges of the upper mandible are bent inwardly,
the lower mandible has the apical portion flat and almost
spatulated, and both male and female have a metallic alar
speculum (cf. Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 327).
There is only one species of the genus Hcniconetta^ viz., the
following :
i. STELLER'S EIDER DUCK. HENICONETTA STELLERI.
Anas stelkri, Pallas, Spic. Zool. fasc. vi. p. 35 (1769).
Stelkria dispar, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 164 (1852).
Somateria stelkri, Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 649, pi. 447 (1871);
Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 468 (1885); Seebohm,
Br. B. iii. p. 613 (1885) ; Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 451
(1889).
Heniconetta stelkri, B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 133 (1883); Salvad.
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 419 (1895).
Adult Male. General colour above blue-black, from the
lower hind-neck to the tail, the latter being a'so black; wing-
coverts and scapulars pure white, the long ones slightly sickle-
shaped, metallic purplish-blue, with a longitudinal white centre ;
bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky-blackish, darker
on the outer web and the end of the inner web, this dark por-
tion having a purplish gloss ; the secondaries metallic-purple,
tipped with white, form ng a speculum, the inner ones white
on the inner web, the innermost sickle-shaped, purple exter-
nally, white internally ; head satiny-white, with a faint greenish
spot on the lores ; eyelid purplish-black, wider below ; nape
greenish, with a purplish-black spot on each side ; malar-line
and throat purplish-black, separated from the chest by a band
of white across the fore-neck, which joins the white on the sides
STELLER'S EIDER DUCK. 35
of the neck ; centre of the chest and upper breast chestnut ;
fore-neck and sides of the chest paler and more cinnamon,
extending down the sides of the body to the lower flanks,
which are whiter ; centre of the breast and abdomen, as well
as the sides of the vent and under tail-coverts, black, the latter
glossed with purple ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white ;
on each side of the upper breast a patch of purplish-black,
some of the feathers broadly-edged with this colour ; bill lead-
colour, horny-white at tip ; feet and toes lead-colour, webs
blackish-grey; iris dark brown. Total length, 17-0 inches;
culmen, r6; wing, 8-3; tail, 3-5 ; tarsus, 1-4.
Adult Female. Blackish above, mottled with rufous bars, very
indistinct on the lower back and rump, but more pronounced
on the hind-neck and mantle ; wings dark brown ; the greater
coverts tipped with white, forming an upper margin to the
speculum on the secondaries, which are externally metallic-
purple, and broadly tipped with white ; the innermost second-
aries slightly falcate, externally purple, and with a whitish
streak down the centre ; head and neck rufous-brown, slightly
mottled on the hind-neck and lower throat with rufous-buff;
fore-neck and chest dark chestnut, mottled with black centres
to the feathers ; breast and abdomen blackish-brown, the sides
of the body slightly more chestnut ; under wing-coverts white,
those round the edge of the wing blackish, with pale edges ;
lower primary-coverts and quill-lining ashy-grey. Total length,
iS'o inches; wing, 8*5.
Young Birds. Brown, much paler than the adult female, the
feathers of the upper surface margined with sandy-buff; the
lower surface dull chestnut everywhere, mottled with blackish
sub-terminal bars to the feathers; head brown; feathers round
the eye whitish, with dusky streaks ; sides of face and throat
dull buff, with dusky streaks and bars ; speculum as in the
female, but black, with scarcely any gloss ; " bill dark blue ;
feet and toes slaty-olive ; iris dark hazel " (E. W. Nelson}.
Characters. Besides the generic characters given above,
Steller's Eider may be easily recognised by its peculiar and
striking coloration. The purple speculum present in both
sexes, bordered above and below by a white band in the female,
and the white head of the male with the green patch on the
D 2
36 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
lores, and the green patch on the nape, serve to distinguish the
species. The female is very dark in colour, and sho\vs chest-
nut mottlings on the upper back and again on the chest, the
breast and abdomen being black.
Range in Great Britain. Has only occurred twice within
British limits, one having been shot near Caistor in Norfolk
in February, 1830, while a second immature specimen was
procured off Filey Brigg in Yorkshire on the i5th of August,
1845.
Range outside the British Islands. Steller's Eider Duck breeds
plentifully along the arctic coast of Siberia east of the Taimyr
Peninsula, and is abundant in the Aleutian Islands. It has
also been found breeding on the Varanger Fjord in the north
of Norway and in Russian Finland. In winter it is not un-
common in the Baltic Sea, and has been obtained in Heli-
goland, Denmark, and off the coasts of Northern France. The
coasts and islands of Bering Sea, writes Mr. Nelson, "may
be given as the eastern range of this fine Duck. Westward of
these points it breeds in tens of thousands along the north
coast of Siberia." It also inhabits the Aleutian and Kurile
Islands in winter, frequenting the bays which are not ice-
bound, as well as the shores of Alaska, but the species has not
as yet been found breeding in the latter country.
Habits. Steller's Eider is a marine Duck, and feeds chiefly
on molluscs. It is said to be very shy, especially during the
breeding-season, and deserts its nest, if the latter be meddled
with. The note is said to be something like that of a Teal.
Nest. Cup-shaped, according to Von Middendorf, and
lined with down, and placed on moss on the flat tundra. Dall
found ore in Unalaska, built between two tussocks of grass,
and the depression carefully lined with the same material. It
cc ntained only one egg, and had not been lined with down ; it
was most carefully concealed by overhanging grasses.
Eggs. Seven to nine in number, of a pale greenish stone-
colour. Axis, 2*2 inches; diam., 1*55.
Down. Very dull chocolate-brown, with a small white "eye"
in th: centre, the filamentous tips being also brown.
THE TRUE EIDER DUCKS. 37
THE TRUE EIDER DUCKS. GENUS SOMATERIA.
Somakria, Leach, in Ross's Voy. Disc. App.p. xlviii. (18 1 9).
Type, S. mollissima (Linn).
In this genus the edges of the upper mandible are not bent
inwardly ; the lores are separated from the feathers of the fore-
head by a bare space ; the bill is rather narrow and pointed,
and the inner secondaries are slightly falcate, or sickle-shaped.
(Cf. Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 327).
There are four species of True Eiders, of which Somaleria
drcsseri is North American ; S. v.-nigrum inhabits North-west-
ern America and North-eastern Asia; S.spectabilis, North-eastern
Europe and North America, occasionally visiting the British
Islands, in parts of which the Common Eider is a resident.
I. THE COMMON EIDER DUCK. SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA.
Anas mollissima, Linn. S. N. i. p. 198 (1766).
Soinateria mollissima^ Macg. Br. B. v. p. 147 (1852); Dresser,
B. Eur. vi. p. 629, pi. 445 (1871) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p.
134 (1883) ; Saunders, ed, Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 457 (1885)5
Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 616 (1885); Saunders, Man. Br.
B. p. 447 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxii.
(1892); Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 425 (1895).
(Plate LXH.)
Adult Male. General colour above pure white, including the
wing-coverts and scapulars and innermost secondaries, which
are sickle-shaped ; centre of the rump and upper tail-coverts
black ; tail blackish ; bastard-wing, primary and greater coverts,
and quills black, the latter with paler shafts ; the inner second-
aries with a good deal of white on the inner web, where they
adjoin the sickle- -haped feathers; crown of head velvety pur-
plish-black, this black extending below the eye and above the
lores along the bare portion of the mandible ; the hinder
crown divided by a broad streak of white, tinged with green ;
the nape and sides c-f the hind head behind the ear-coverts
green, with a white patch in the centre of the latter portion ;
entire sides of face and throat white, joining the white of
the hind-neck and mantle ; fore-neck and chest delicate pink,
the lower feathers fringed with black at the ends, where they
38 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
adjoin the breast, which, with the rest of the under surface
of the body, is black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white ;
quill-lining grey ; bill dull olive-green, almost olive-yellow in
old birds ; nail brownish-white ; feet light olive-green, the claws
brownish-black ; iris brown. Total length, 23 inches ; culmen,
2'i ; wing, ii'o ; tail, 3*6; tarsus, 2*0.
Adult Female. Brown above, mottled with blackish centres to
the feathers and with rufous bars, the feathers being edged with
this colour; the head and neck everywhere thickly streaked
with blackish ; wing-coverts brown, the greater series tipped
with ashy-whitish, forming a wing-bar ; quills brown, the
secondaries ashy-whitish externally, with a dark brown base,
forming a second wing-bar ; under surface of body lighter
brown, with fulvescent cross-bars, the chest slightly more
rufescent, and barred with black, the flanks more broadly
banded with rufous and black ; under wing-coverts brown, a
few of the centre ones white ; bill and feet as in the male.
Young Males. Brown like the females, but much darker and
more uniform, with the light margins to the feathers very in-
distinct ; the greater coverts and secondaries narrowly tipped
with white, forming two obsolete wing-bars ; the sides of the
head blackish in the males and brown in the females ; throat
ashy-brown ; remainder of under surface of body pale brown,
with numerous whitish cross-lines, which are brought into relief
by dusky sub-terminal bars.
In the breeding-season the males assume a hen-like plumage,
which, according to Count Salvadori, is like that of the young
male, but generally shows some white and black feathers re-
maining.
Nestling. Dark brown above, pale brown below, with a
broad streak over each eye.
Range in Great Britain. The breeding-range of the Common
Eider Duck lies to the north of the British Islands, from the
Fame Islands and the coast of Northumberland north to the
Orkneys and Shetland Isles. It is also on the increase in the
western islands of Scotland, but is unknown as a breeding-bird
in Ireland, where, indeed, it is only a rare visitor. In the
winter it is met with off the coast of England.
THE EIDER DUCK. 39
Eange outside the British Islands. The Eider Duck, on account
of its usefulness in providing the material for quilts, is, in the
northern countries of Europe, under the special protection of
the law, and it is found nesting on the islands off the coast of
Norway and Denmark, as well as in the Faeroes and Iceland.
To the northward it occurs in Spitsbergen and Franz Josef
Land, and extends eastward to the Kara Sea and westward to
the Coppermine River. In America the Common Eider is
considered to be represented by a distinct race, which Mr.
Ridg way 'distinguishes as S. mollissiina borealis ; it is said by
him to be an inhabitant of Eastern North America, includ-
ing Greenland, ranging south to Northern Labrador in sum-
mer and to the northern border of the United States in
winter. Count Salvadori, however, cannot detect any material
difference in the Greenland Eider, as it is called, and I at pre-
sent agree with him, from a study of the specimens in the
British Museum. Mr. Ridgway, however, states that North
American specimens have the bill orange-yellowish in life,
instead of dull greyish. If this coloration proves to be con-
stant, Mr. Ridgway will have proved his point, and the
American Eider will have to be separated as S. borealis.
Habits. The Common Eider Duck is practically a resi-
dent species in the places which it frequents, and occurs
only accidentally away from them, when driven by stress of
weather. The females are entrusted with the care of the
young, the males taking themselves off, and associating in
large flocks on the sea.
Mr. Seebohm, who has studied the habits of the species on
the Fame Islands, writes : " No bird is more maritime in its
habits than the Eider. It rarely, if ever, leaves the sea, and
seldom flies over the land, always preferring to follow the
coast-line rather than cross even a narrow headland. . . .
It loves to frequent precipitous islands and small uninhabited
sea-girt rocks, breeding on them, and obtaining its food in the
surrounding sea. It is more or less gregarious at all times,
but collects into much larger flocks in winter than in summer.
Sometimes it is met with at a considerable distance from land,
and when undergoing its annual change of feathers it usually
keeps well out at sea, as if fully aware of its helplessness and
40 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
danger. It is a day-feeder, and appears to spend the night on
the land. ... It lives almost exclusively on small crus-
taceans, marine insects, and shell- fish, and crabs, often of con-
siderable size, are swallowed whole. . . . The note of the
Eider is a harsh grating kr-kr-kr ; but when courting his
mate the male utters a harsh loud cooing sound, like ah-oo, as
he swims round and round her, and repeatedly moves his head
up and down."
Nest. Sometimes only a depression in the ground, thickly
lined with the bird's own down. At the Fames, says Mr.
Seebohm, " most of the Eider Ducks make their nests among
the bladder-campion, which grows in great profusion on some
of the islands, but some of the birds seek nesting-sites in the
clefts of the rocks close to the water Where the
bird is common, especially where it is protected for commer-
cial purposes, great numbers of nests are placed almost side
by side, and in some cases two females share the same abode,
sitting amicably on their eggs. The nest of the Eider is a
substantial structure made of dry grass, heather, bits of sea-
weed, and stalks of campion and other marine herbage. The
lining of down is gradually added when the full complement of
eggs is almost completed."
Mr. Robert Read writes to me : " The Duck will sometimes
sit so closely on its nest that it can be touched by hand, but
when suddenly disturbed from the rest, it usually discharges
over the eggs a most offensive-smelling liquid excrement. This
is almost enough to prevent any human being from touching
the eggs ; and one can imagine that it must be of gieat protec-
tive value in acting as a strong deterrent to stoats, hoodies, and
other vermin from sucking the eggs. Although this habit is
not peculiar to the Eider, one probably notices it most in this
species of Duck, because the other species are not so easily
approached, but leave the nest earlier, and so have time to
cover up their eggs with down, and protect them in that way."
Eggs. From five to eight in number, of a greenish stone-
colour. Axis, 2*9-3'25 inches; diam., i'g-2'i.
Down. Not so dark as in some of the other diving Ducks,
of a light brown colour, with the filamentous tips scarcely any
paler, the "eye" of white in the centre dull and indistinct.
THE KING EIDER DUCK. 41
II. THE KING EIDER. SOMATERIA SPECTABILIS.
Anas spectabilis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 195 (1766).
^omateria spectabilis^ Macg. Brit. B. v. p. 158 (1852) ; Dresser,
B. Eur. vii. p. 643, pi. 446 (1877) ; B. O. U. List Br. B.
p. 134 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 463
(1885); Seebohm, Brit. B. iii. p. 621 (1885); Saunders,
Man. Brit. B. p. 449 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B.
part xxx. (1895) ; Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 432
(1895)-
Adult Male. General colour above black, the scapulars and
wing-coverts with a patch of white in the middle of the lesser
and median series, the greater coverts with a small white spot
at the end ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills black,
the secondaries tipped with white, the innermost sickle-shaped ;
on each side of the rump a large patch of white ; upper tail-
coverts and tail b'ack ; crown of head and nape and sides
of the hinder head delicate lavender-grey ; the hind-neck and
upper mantle pure white ; at the base of the bill a velvety-
black spot, continued round the bare loral space and reaching
nearly to the eye, and descending nearly to the base of the
mandible; sides of face delicate green, separated from the
lavender grey of the sides of the neck by a narrow band of
white, margined by a few black lines ; fore-pai t of lores and
cheeks whiter ; throat white, with a V-shaped mark of black ;
fore-neck creamy-buff; rei-t of under surface from the chest
downwards black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white, with
the coverts round the edge of the wing dusky-brown, with
whitish spots at the ends ; quill-lining ashy ; bill with the base
of the upper mandible spread out into a shield on each side,
reddish-orange ; feet orange-red, the membrane darker ; iris
yellow. Total length, 24 inches; culmen, 1*4; wing, 107;
tail, 2 '8; tarsus, 1-8.
Adult Female. Rufous, mottled with black centres to the
feathers ; the head and neck streaked with blackish ; wing-
coverts blackish, with rufous edgings to the lesser and median
series, the inner greater coverts with white tips, forming a
small band ; the innermost secondaries slightly sickle-shaped,
blackish edged with rufous ; quills black, a few of the second-
aries fringed with white at the ends; tail brown; threat
4 2 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
rufous, like the sides of the face ; fore-neck, chest, and sides of
body more chestnut, with concentric black bars ; centre of
breast and abdomen sooty-blackish, the under tail-coverts
more rufous ; under wing-coverts dusky, with a patch of white
in the centre ; bill greenish-brown ; feet dull ochre ; iris dull
yellow. Total length, 21 inches; wing, io'5.
Characters. The King Eider can always be distinguished by
the way in which the anterior point of the feathering on the
forehead reaches as far as the hinder end of the nostrils ; the
throat has a V-shaped mark. In the males the base of the
upper mandible is enlarged on each side so as to form a broad
naked lobe. The female is much more rufous than that of
the Common Eider, and can be distinguished by the characters
of the feathering on the bill.
Range in Great Britain. The King Eider can only be con-
sidered a rare visitor to our coasts, and has principally been
noticed off the Fame Islands, doubtless lured to stay there by
the presence of the Common Eider Ducks, which are resident
on the group. Several have been observed off the coast of
Scotland, particularly in the Orkneys and Shetland Isles, and
in England a few individuals have been procured, chiefly on
the east coast. I have seen one specimen from Ireland, an
immature bird having been submitted to me by Mr. Sheridan,
who shot it near Achill Island, and two other Irish specimens
have been recorded.
Range outside the British Islands. The King Eider is a strictly
arctic bird, breeding in Kolguev, Novaya Zemlya, and in the
northern lands of Siberia to Bering Sea. It is not yet known to
breed in Iceland or the Faeroes, or in Spitsbergen or Scandinavia,
though it occasionally occurs in winter in these localities, and
has also been found at intervals on the coasts of the North Sea
and the Baltic. In North America it is known as a breeding
bird, not only in Greenland, but nearly as far north as man has
yet penetrated, and as far south as the Province of Quebec in
Canada, coming further in winter to the Great Lakes and New
Jersey, and being found occasionally as far south as Cali-
fornia.
Habits. Colonel Feilden, in his notes on the birds of the
North Polar basin, says that King Eiders were first noticed on
THE SCOTERS. 43
the 24th of June, and that they bred in small numbers on
Cape Union. In Alaska, Mr. Nelson says, it is very seldom
found on the mainland, and generally on the sea, but on the
Siberian side of Bering Straits it is more common, and asso-
ciates in immense flocks with Steller's Eider Duck. In its
general habits the present species resembles the Common
Eider.
Nest. Resembles that of the Common Eider Duck, but is
generally less compact, and often consists of a mere depression
in the ground, the lining being composed of the bird's own
down.
Eggs. Generally six in number, of a greenish stone-colour
or clay-brown. Axis, 2-55-2-8 inches ; diam., 175-1-9.
THE SCOTERS. GENUS CEDEMIA.
Oidemia, Fleming, Phil. Zool. ii. p. 260 (1822).
The Scoters belong to the same section of the Diving Ducks
as the Long-tailed Duck and the Harlequin, but are chiefly dis-
tinguished by their black plumage, which is quite peculiar to
them, the females being also greyish-brown without any barring,
as is seen in most of the Anatidce. They are entirely marine
in their habits, and are of sombre plumage.
Six species of Scoters are recognised by Count Salvador!, all
of them arctic birds in the breeding-season, going south in
winter. They are inhabitants of the northern parts of both
hemispheres.
I. THE COMMON SCOTER. CEDEMIA NIGRA.
Anas nigra, Linn. S. N. i. p. 196 (1766).
Oidemia nigra, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 140 (1852).
(Edemia nigra, Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 663, pi. 449 (1877);
B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 135 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr.
Br. B. iv. p. 472 (1885) ; id. Man. Br. B. p. 453 (1889) ;
Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xii. (1892) ; Salvad. Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 401 (1895).
Fuligula nigra, Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 602 (1885).
Adult Male. Black all over, the head glossed with dark purple
and the back with greenish ; under surface of body somewhat
duller black, and having a slight shade of brown ; bill black,
with a swollen knob near the base, the region round the nostrils
yellow ; feet brownish-black, the webs darker ; iris dark brown.
Total length, 20 inches; oilmen, 1*8; wing, 9-0; tail, 3*5; tar-
sus, i*6.
Adiilt Female. Duller in colour than the male, dark brown,
with light edges to the feathers of the under-parts, which are
paler ; bill dull black, with only a slight swelling near the base,
but no distinct bulb ; the sides of the face and throat paler,
dull white, with obscure tips of dull brown to the feathers.
Total length, 18 inches; culmen, 17; wing, 7*6; tail, 2'6$ ;
tarsus, i '6 5.
Young Birds. Resemble the old female, but are more uniform
in colour above, and have the breast and abdomen white.
Young males are at first brown like the old female, and pass
their first winter in the brown plumage, moulting into a black
dress in the following spring.
Nestling. Uniform dark brown above ; throat white ; breast
brown; abdomen greyish- brown ; bill blackish lead-colour; feet
olivaceous.
Characters. The male Common Scoter is distinguished by its
entirely black colour, by the yellow patch on its bill, and by
the swollen knob on the latter. The female has the chin and
throat whitish, but has no white on the wing-speculum or on
the nape.
Range in Great Britain. A common winter visitor to our coasts
in autumn and winter, when it is found in thousands. A few
may be seen in summer, and the species is said to have bred in
Earnsley Marshes, near Chichester, of recent years. Mr. Chas.
Fowler shot a drake in August, 1891, which was accompanied
by seven nestlings just able to fly, and the specimen in ques-
tion was exhibited by Mr. Howard Saunders at a meeting of
the British Ornithologists' Club on the iSth of January, 1893.
This is the only probable instance of the breeding of the Scoter
in England, but it nests regularly in the north of Scotland, in
Caithness, Sutherland, and north-west Ross-shire.
Range outside the British Islands. The Common Scoter nests in
the Northern Pakearctic Region from Icel ind to Scandinavia,
Northern Russia and Siberia as far as the Taimyr Peninsula.
THE SCOTERS. 45
In winter it extends on the west along the shores of the Atlan-
tic, reaching to the Azores and for some little distance into the
Mediterranean, occurring very rarely on the coasts of Provence
and Italy. In the Eastern Mediterranean, however, it has been
observed off the coast of Palestine, but the birds which winter
here probably form part of the migration which populates the
Caspian Sea in winter. In America our Common Scoter is
replaced by the American Scoter (CE. americana), which is easily
distinguished by having the basal half of the upper mandible,
including the knob, of a light yellow, with a scarlet-vermilion
tinge on the sides. .
Habits. Although sometimes occurring inland, the Scoter is
essentially a marine Duck, and it is seen in immense flocks in
winter off our eastern coasts, as well as in the north of Ireland,
keeping at a safe distance out to sea, unless driven into the
bays by stress of weather. Thousands may often be seen on
a crossing to Holland or Belgium, off the mouths of the Maas
or the Scheldt. The Scoter is a very powerful swimmer and
diver, and I remember an expedition which I made in Novem-
ber, 1893, with my friends F. J. Jackson and Frank Stone, after
the Scoters in Holkham Bay in Norfolk. There were several
boats engaged in sailing round the flocks, while we had decoys
out in every direction, whose wooden heads bobbed up and
down in the water with a most lifelike motion, but the result
of the bag was very small. Although we managed to break up
the flocks somewhat, the birds became very wild, and swam
and dived out to sea quicker than the boats could sail.
Mr. Seebohm believes that numbers of the Scoters which go
north in summer do not breed, as he found large flocks fre-
quenting the mouth of the Petchora, on the banks of which
river other individuals were busily engaged wiih the duties of
incubation. He writes : " In the valley of the Petchora flocks
of Black Scoters were seen flying north down the river long
after other Ducks had eggs. In the middle of July we were
lying at anchor in the lagoon of the river, waiting for the dis-
appearance of the fog which had come down from the arctic
ice and concealed the Golievsky Islands which divide the
lagoon from the ocean. The sun was shining brilliantly over-
head, and when the fog lifted the island was revealed close to
46 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
us with a flock of ten thousand Black Ducks circling in a cloud
o\erit. It seems scarcely possible that these were all males
whose mates were scattered on the nests over the tundra.
More probably they were the accumulation of the late flocks
that we had seen migrating down the river, and which most
likely consisted of the previous year's birds not yet adult enough
to breed. They appear to arrive at their summer quarters very
late, and to leave again very early, probably before the autumn
moult takes place. If this be so, it will explain the statement
of Naumann that the adult males arrive in the Baltic in August,
but the young not until two months later; and also that of Mr.
Cecil Smith, who found them on the Devonshire coast moult-
ing their quills and unable to fly in the middle of September.
. . The usual note of the Common Scoter is a grating
kr-kr-kr like that of the Tufted Duck, but in early spring the
drake calls to the duck in a double note which is not unmu-
sical. It is a bird of very rapid flight, especially on migration,
but on the ground it walks clumsily. It swims with perfect
ease, and obtains most of its food by diving. The food con-
sists of molluscs and aquatic insects, varied with the seeds of
water-plants and other vegetable substances."
Nest. A hollow scooped in the ground, with a few twigs,
dead leaves, and dry grass, but plentifully lined with down.
Eggs. Eight or nine in number, of a light creamy stone-
colour, smooth, and with a slight gloss. Axis, 2*4-27 inches;
diam., I'j-rSs.
Down. Chocolate-brown, with a decidedly large "eye" of
white ; the filamentous tips to the down lighter and more ashy-
brown.
II. THE VELVET SCOTER. CEDEMIA FUSCA.
Anas fused) Linn. S. N. i. p. 196 (1766).
Oidemia fused) Macg. Br. B. v. p. 134 (1852).
(Edemia fusca, Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 657, pi. 448 (1877); B.
O. U. List Br. B. p. 135 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br.
B. iv. p. 476 (1885); id. Man. Br. B. p. 455 (1889);
Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxii. (1892) ; Salvad. Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 406 (189^).
Fuligula fusai) Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 605 (1885).
THE SCOTERS. 47
Adult Male. Velvety-black all over, with a white alar specu-
lum formed by the tips of the greater coverts being white, as
well as the secondary-quills ; eyelids and a small spot under
the eye white ; bill pale orange or apricot-yellow, the base and
edges black, with a diagonal line of black running from each
nostril to the nail of the bill ; feet and toes dull crimson-red or
orange-red, the webs black ; iris chalky-white. Total length,
22 inches ; oilmen, 1*7; wing, 10*4; tail, 27; tarsus, 1*8.
There is some discrepancy between the descriptions of the
soft parts of this Duck. I have given them as described by
Count Salvadori and Mr. Howard Saunders.
Adult Female. Brown, instead of black, with greyish margins
to the feathers of the upper surface ; wing-coverts like the back,
the greater series not tipped with white ; a white wing-speculum
formed by the white secondaries, the outer ones of which are
edged with black at the ends ; a slightly indicated white patch
on the lores and ear-coverts ; under surface of body brown,
with a little whitish on the breast ; bill brown ; feet paler than
in the male; iris brown. Total length, 21 inches; wing, io - 2.
Young Birds. At first resemble the adult female. The young
males in their first spring plumage resemble the adults, but are
not so glossy.
Nestling. May be distinguished from the nestling of the
Common Scoter by being whiter underneath and by having a
white spot on the wings.
Characters. Besides the white alar speculum, the length of
the commissure or gape of the bill is much more than the
length of the inner toe, without its claw. Count Salvadori also
points out that the feathers of the head advance farther for-
ward on the lores than they do on the forehead. On account
of these differences the Velvet Scoter is sometimes generically
separated from the others as Melanonetta fusca.
Kange in Great Britain. A winter visitant, along with the Com-
mon Scoter, being more abundant on our eastern coasts than
on the west, and the same is the case with Scotland and
Ireland. A male bird has been recorded by Mr. Bolam as
having frequented the vicinity of Berwick-on-Tweed all the
summer of 1879, until the middle of September, and Mr. Booth
4 LLOYDS NAttfRAL HtSTORV.
believed that a few pairs bred in the northern parts of the
Highlands of Scotland, but this still requires confirmation.
Range outside the British Islands. An inhabitant of Scandinavia
during the breeding-season, and it is said by Naumann to ne^t
as far south as Mecklenburg. Its breeding-range probably
extends throughout Siberia to the Pacific, and on its southern
migrations it has been known to occur off the coast of North-
ern Spain, and it visits the Adriatic, the Black and Caspian
Seas, as well as Turkes'an, while in the far east it wanders to
the Yangtze River in winter. In America it is replaced by an
allied species, (E. deglandi, which has the swollen base at the
sides of the upper mandible entirely feathered, and the loral
feathers are separated from the nostril by a space about equal
to the length of the nostril itself.
Habits. During the nesting-season the Velvet Scoter ascends
rivers and also breeds on inland lakes, nesting, according to
Mr. Seebohm, on the tund.a at some distance from water ; in
winter it frequents the sea-coasts. Its habits are somewhat less
shy than those of the Common Scoter, and its food consists
principally of molluscs, which it procures by diving. Its note
is, like that of other diving Ducks, a harsh ker-ker.
Nest. According to Mr. Seebohm, a mere depression in the
ground, lined with any suitable material that may be handy,
and with a plentiful supply of down.
Eggs. Eight or nine in number, laid at the end of June
or the beginning of July ; their colour is creamy stone-colour
or buff. Axis, 2'65-3'o inches; diam., i - 85-i'95.
Down. Moderately dark, brown with greyish-brown filament-
ous tips, the white eye-spot very small and indistinct.
III. THE SURF SCOTER. CEDEMIA PERSPICILLATA.
Anas perspicillata, Linn. S. N. i. p. 201 (1766).
Oidemia pesspirillata, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 129 (1852).
ps.rspici'lata, Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 669, pi. 450
(1877) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 136 (1883); Saunders,
ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 481 (1885) ; id. Man. Br. B. p 457,
(1889 ; Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p c 412 (1095).
THE SCOTERS. 49
Fuligula ptrspicillata, Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 607 (1885).
(Plate LXIIL)
Adult Male. Larger than (E.fusca or (E. nigra; velvety-bin civ,
with a large, nearly quadrangular patch of white on the crown,
and another triangular white patch on the nape ; bill reddish
in life, the base swollen and marked on each side with a large
black spot ; feet crimson externally, the inner side of the tarsus
with both sides of the inner toe orange-chrome, deepening in
parts to orange- vermilion ; web black, the joints with blotches
of black; iris white. Total length, 21 inches; culmen, 1*55;
wing, 9-3; tail, 3-1 ; tarsus, r6.
Count Salvador! states that in some birds, apparently quite
adult, the white patch on the crown is absent. A careful de-
scription of the colour of the bill and feet is given by Mr.
Trumbull in the "Auk," Vol. ix. pp. 153-160.
Adult Female. Brown above and below, whiter in the centre
of the breast and abdomen ; feathers of the back with indistinct
ashy-brown edges ; crown of head and nape blackish, as also
the lores and sides of face, with a slight indication of a whitish
patch below the eye, and another, more distinct, above the ear-
coverts. Total length, 18 inches; wing, 8-4.
Young Birds. At first resemble the old female, but the head
has two distinct white patches, one near the lateral base of
the bill, and the other over the ear-coverts, behind and below
the eye ; the crown decidedly blackish ; the upper plumage
also, according to Count Salvador!, is more uniform than in the
adult female. Young males in their first full plumage are also
like the latter, but have traces of white on the nape. Young
females have the breast and abdomen white during the first
autumn. Young males in putting on their black plumage
soon develop the white nape-spot, but the white patch on
the crown comes later.
Characters. In the Surf Scoter there is no white speculum in
the wing, the feathers of the head advance much farther
on the forehead than they do on the lores, and the swollen
portion on the sides of the bill at the base is entirely naked
(Salvador!). The Surf Scoter, on account of these characters,
is sometimes placed in a distinct genus, Pelior.clta.
\ I E
50 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Range in Great Britain. The present species is an inhabitant
of North America, but has occurred many times in our seas,
principally on the western coasts in winter, the most frequent
locality for the species being the Orkney Islands.
Range outside the British Islands. The Surf Scoter is an oc-
casional visitor to the shores of Western Europe, besides the
British Islands, having been obtained off Northern France, as
well as the coast of Swedish Lapland, and near Oland in the
Baltic, as well as in Heligoland waters. In North America it
breeds throughout the high north, from 70 down to about
50 N. lat., visiting the Great Lakes in winter, and extends to
Lower California in the west, and to the Bermudas and to
Jamaica in its eastern winter range. It is recorded only as a
straggler in Greenland.
Habits. Like the Velvet Scoter, the present species follows
many land routes in arriving at its winter quarters, but it also
frequents the sea-coasts, where it associates with other kinds of
Ducks, such as Long-tailed Ducks, and the other species of
Scoter. During the breeding-season the males assemble in
flocks, and separate from the females, and leave to the latter
the task of rearing the young. Mr. E. W. Nelson says that in
Alaska, " during the mating-season, they have a low clear whistle
for a call-note, and may readily be decoyed within gun-shot
by imitating it from a * blind.' They are very curious also at
this time, and I have seen a flock rise and come up within a
few yards of me as I was trying to creep up within gun-shot of
them." He also gives the following interesting note : " On the
23rd of August, 1878, I visited Stewart Island, about ten miles
to the seaward of St. Michael's. As I neared this island in my
kyak, I found the water literally black with the males of this
species, which were united in an enormous flock, forming a
continuous band around the outer end of the island for a dis-
tance of about ten miles in length, and from one half to three-
fourths of a mile in width. As the boat approached them,
those nearest began to rise heavily by aid of wings and feet
from the glassy surface of the gently undulating but calm
water. The first to rise communicated the alarm to those
beyond, until, as far as could be seen, the water was covered
THE SMEWS. 51
with flapping wings, and the air filled with a roar like that of a
cataract. The rapid vibrations produc ed in the air by tens of
thousands of wings cauld be plainly felt."
Nest. Placed in a depression of the ground, or in a tuft of
grass ; made of weeds, or moss, twigs, and water-plants.
Eggs. From five to eight in number. They resemble those
of the Black Scoter and the Velvet Scoter, but are smaller.
Slightly greenish cream-colour. Axis, 2-4 inches; diam., r6.
THE MERGANSERS. SUB-FAMILY MERGING.
The members of this Sub-family constitute a small, but very
natural group of the Diving Ducks. They have the hind-
toe with a very broad lobe, as is usual in this group of the
Family Anatida. They have only an ordinary tail, not the
stiffened tail of their natural allies, the American Torrent-
Ducks (Merganctta\ nor the Old World EHsmatura, but the
bill is remarkable, as the lower mandible shows no trace of
lamellae ; but it has a series of serrations, like teeth, on its upper
edge, and these are also found along the edge of the upper
mandible. These look like teeth, but they are not real teeth,
as in the case of ancient birds like Archceopteryx and
Hesperornis. This is easily proved by an examination of the
skull, for, the sheath of the bill being removed, it is seen that
the margins of both mandibles are perfectly smooth, and bear
no trace of serrations or teeth.
THE SMEWS. GENUS MERGUS.
Mergits, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 207 (1766).
Type, M. albellus, Linn.
The Smews are represented by a single species, which be-
comes, of course, its type. It is easily recognised from the
other Mergansers by its short bill, the culmen, or ridge, of
which is shorter than the tarsus of the bird.
Mergus is a Palaearctic genus, the Smew breeding in the
high north, and wandering south in winter.
E 2
52 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
I. THE SMEW. MERGUS ALBELLUS.
Mergus albelhiS) Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 209 (1766) ; Macg. Br.
B. v. p. 233 (1852) ; Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 699, pis.
454, 455 (i374); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 137 (1883);
Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 449 (1885); Seebohm,
Br. B. iii. p. 636 (1885); Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 463
(1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xiv. (1891) ; Salvad.
Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 464 (1895).
Adult Male. General colour black and white ; the black part .
on the upper surface being the following a patch embracing
the lores n.nd fore-part of cheeks, and extending to behind the
eye. a black crescentic mark round the nape, the centre of the
back, and mantle, to which extend two narrow lines of black,
one on the sides of the fore-neck and another on the sides of
the upper breast ; rump and upper tail-coverts grey, with hoary
margins ; scapulars white, with a black border to the outer
ones, forming a line on each side of the back ; wing-coverts
white, the inner ones and those round the bend of the wing
black; the greater coverts black, with white tips, forming a
wing-band ; quills black, the secondaries tipped with white, the
inner ones grey and slightly narrowed, the outer ones more or
less white ; tail-feathers grey, with hoary tips ; entire under
surface of body white, the flank-feathers more ashy, lanceolate,
and having wavy bars of ashy-brown ; under wing-coverts
dusky-blackish, the central ones and the axillaries white ; bill
bluish lead-colour, the nail lighter; feet bright bluish lead-
colour, the webs darker; iris bluish-white. Total length, 17
inches; culmen, 1-2; wing, 7-6; tail, 2-9; tarsus, 1-25.
Adult Female. Differs from the male in being grey above,
with paler ashy margins to the feathers ; the lower back, rump,
and upper tail-coverts darker and somewhat blackish; wing-
coverts grey, with a patch of white in the middle, the wings
otherwise as in the male ; crown of head and nape dull rufous,
as also the lores and sides of face ; entire under surface of
body white, with an ashy shade on the lower throat and fore-
neck, the sides of the body also ashy-brown. Total length, 16
inches; culmen, i'i ; wing, 6*8; tail, 2-65; tarsus, n.
Young Males. At first resemble the old female, but have the
lores and sides of face rufous, like the head. These are the
THZ SMEWS. 53
first parts to get black, and the white markings on the upper
surface are assumed in their first spring, though a male bird
killed by Consul Swinhoe near Shanghai in February is still
in the female plumage, but has an entirely black loral
patch.
Nestlings. These are described by Count Salvador! as being
dark brown, with a very small white spot below the eye.
There are also white spots an the posterior edge of the wing,
on ih 2 sides of the back, just near the joint of the wing, the
sides of the rump, and on the flanks. The under surface of
the body is white, the throat and upper part of the neck con-
spicuously so ; the crop dusky.
Range in Great Britain. It is rare to find a fully adult male
Smew in collections of British-killed birds, as the old birds are
seldom killed, but young ones are not unfrequently captured.
The species is a winter visitor only, rarer on our western coast.s,
but occurring with more or less frequency in all three kingdoms.
Eange outside the British Islands. The Smew is a thoroughly
Palsearctic species, and breeds in the high north from Finnish
Lapland across Northern Russia and Siberia. In winter it
visits Great Britain and the Atlantic coasts of Western Europe,
and migrates south by the great river-routes till it reaches the
Mediterranean, North-western India, and it extends at this
season of the year to Japan and China. Its reported occur-
rence in Eastern North America requires confirmation, and
it is not known from the Fseroes, Iceland, or Greenland.
Habits. The first recorded instance of the finding of the
eggs of the Smew is to the credit of our enterprising country
man, the late John Wolley, the discoverer of the eggs of so
many rare European birds. They were procured by him in
Finnish Lapland.
Years afterwards the celebrated expedition to the Petchora
by Messrs. Seebohm and Harvie-Brown made us better ac-
quainted with the nesting-habits of the bird. Mr. Seebohm
observes : " A few miles to the south of the Arctic Circle, in
the valley of the Petchora, b'es the small town of Haberiki, con-
taining about a dozen houses. The timber for about a mile
round has been cleared, but beyond the country consists of
alternate lake, swamp, and forest. Grand old pines and larches,
54 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
with stems three or four feet in diameter, conceal charming
little alder- and willow-fringed pools, and fallen trunks, covered
with moss and lichen, provide excellent cover for watching the
Ducks swimming fearlessly in these little paradises. The Smew
is the greatest ornament of these picturesque little spots, but is
not quite so common as Teal, Wigeon, and Pin-tail. We did
not succeed in taking the nest of the Smew, but having com-
missioned some of the villagers to bring us eggs and down of
Ducks, we were delighted to receive a clutch of what looked
like Wigeon's eggs with pale grey down. The man who
brought it knew the bird well, and told us that he had taken
the eggs from a hollow tree."
Describing the habits of the Smew in winter, Mr. Hume
writes: "They are eminently gregarious, and are always to be
seen in flocks of from seven to forty, and rarely in smaller or
larger parties than from about a dozen to about twenty.
Large rivers like the Indus (I have never seen them on the
Jumna or Ganges), or large lakes covering twenty square miles
and upwards of country, are what they chiefly affect ; and on
these, even though shot at repeatedly, they will remain for
months. I have, however, in unfrequented localities, occa-
sionally seen them on ordinary good-sized jhils, covering, per-
haps, barely a single square mile, but these they desert directly
they are at all worried.
"* They swim and dive splendidly, and if only a single boat
is after them they will constantly stick to the water even after
being fired at, rising perhaps at the moment, but dropping within
fifty yards, and instantly diving to re-appear from fifty to a
hundred yards beyond the place at which they vanished. They
come up scattered, but all swim converging on one point, and
in a few minutes they are swimming away in a close lump, just
as before you fired. But if two or three boats hem them in they
generally rise, and if the place is small, disappear if large, circk
round and light again a couple of miles off. They spring out of
the water with ease, and fly with great rapidity, quite as quickly
and easily as the Common Teal, but almost silently, and with
less of a perceptible wing-rustle than any species I know. This
is probably due to their very narrow, pointed, somewhat curved
wings, by which they can be instantly recognised when flying.
They are very active, restless birds, almost always swimming
THE HOODED MERGANSERS. 55
and diving. I have never seen one on land, but I once saw a
number asleep on the water about mid- day in March.
"They feed entirely under water. I have examined many
without ever finding any vegetable matter in their gizzards, or
anything but small fish and water-insects, chiefly a kind of
cricket (?), and these they pursue under water with great
rapidity, as may be guessed by watching in clear water a hard-
pressed, slightly- winged bird : when turning, it dives under the
boat. No Duck can touch them at diving ; even Grebes and
Cormorants, and I have watched both perform the same
manoeuvre, are scarcely so rapid in their movements under
water. They use their wings in diving, though they do not
spread them fully, so that you must not judge of their per-
formance by birds with wings injured above the carpal joint,
but where the injury is merely on the carpus, sufficient to
prevent flight, but not otherwise serious, their diving is a thing
to watch."
Nest. Placed in a hollow tree.
Eggs. Seven or eight in number, and scarcely to be told
from those of the Wigeon. Mr. Seebohm says that they can
be distinguished by their heavier weight, and Wolley also
found that they were of a smoother texture. They are creamy
white in colour. Axis, i -9-2-1 inches ; diam., 1-45-1-55.
Down. Very pale, ashy-white and much mixed with tiny
scraps of wood from the interior of the tree in which the nest
is placed. The filamentous tips to the down are also ashy-
white, and there is an indistinct white " eye "-spot.
THE HOODED MERGANSERS. GENUS LOPHODYTES.
Lophodytes, Reichenb. Av. Syst. Nat. p. ix. (1852).
Type, L. eucullatus (Linn.).
Count Salvador! separates the Hooded Mergansers from the
True Mergansers on account of the form of the serrations in
the bill. In both mandibles these are short and blunt, and
are not distinctly inclined backwards at the tips. The genus
Lophodytts is distinguished from the Smew by having the tar-
sus shorter than the culmen.
56 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
I. THE HOODED MERGANSER. LOPHODYTES CUCULLATUS.
Mergus cucullatus, Linn. S, st. Nat. i. p. 207 (176 5) ; B. O. U.
List Br. B p. 137 (1883); Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 633
(1885); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 509 (1885) ; ed.
Man. Br. B. p. 485 (1889).
Merganser cucullatuS) Macg. Br. B. v. p. 225 (1852).
Lophodyies cucullatus, Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 4^8
Adult Male. General colour above black, with a beautiful
semicircular crest on the head ; the anterior part of this crest
black, the posterior half white, tipped wiih black, the white
overspreading the hinder part of the crown and the ear-
coverts ; scapulars and wing-coverts black, those near the
bend of the wing brown and the outer median coverts drab,
forming a large patch on the wing ; greater coverts black,
tipped with white ; quills dark brown, the secondaries blackish
internally, white externally, forming a speculum; the inner
secondaries black and slightly sickle-shaped, most of them
with a median streak of white down the feather; rump and
upper tail -coverts rather browner than the rest of the back ;
tail ashy ; lores, sides -of face, and throat black ; remainder of
under surface from the fore-neck downwards pure white,
stretching backwards in a half collar on the sides of the
neck, and separated by black on the sides of the chest from
a second crescentic band of white on the sides of the upper
breast, the feathers being tipped with black ; sides of body
and flanks ruddy-brown, inclining to chestnut on the latter,
with numerous fine wavy lines of dusky-blackish ; under tail-
coverts white, freckled with grey ; axillaries and central under
wing-coverts white, those round the edge of the wing dusky-
brown ; bill black ; feet yellowish-brown ; iris bright yellow.
Total length, 18-5 inches; culmen, i'6; wing, 7*5; tail, 3*6;
tarsus, 1*3.
Adult Female. Smaller than the male, but nearly as fully
crested. General colour dark brown, the head and neck
lighter and more ashy-brown, the fore-neck more decidedly
ashy ; lores, upper throat, and a shade across the sides of the
head ashy- whitish ; crown brown, the crest being dull rufous,
whitish ai the ends of the feathers ; wings dark brown, the
THE HOODED MERGANSERS. 57
inner greater coverts with white tips, the inner secondaries
white along their outer webs, forming a small speculum, the
innermost secondaries white down the centre ; under surface
of body white, the sides of the body brown, more ashy on the
sides of the upper breast ; bill and feet as in the male, but not
so bright. Total length, 23 inches ; wing, 7-3.
Young Males. Resemble the old female and have a rufous
crest, but this is smaller and less developed, and has not the
hoary whitish ends to the feathers ; the crown, sides of the
face, and throat are dark brown, interspersed generally with a
few black feathers ; some of the flank-feathers are also rufous,
with black cross-bars, much coarser than in the adult male.
Range in Great Eritaia. Very few authenticated instances of
the occurrence of the Hooded Merganser are on record,
though it is indubitable that this North American species is an
occasional visitant to our coasts. As might have been ex-
pected, the species has chiefly occurred off the shores of Ireland,
where Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey says that he has himself killed
three specimens.
Range outside the British Islands. That the present species is
only an accidental visitor to Europe is proved by the fact that,
beyond the British specimens, not a single instance of the
occurrence of the Hooded Merganser on other coasts of
Europe has been recorded. It is strictly a North American
species, wandering south in winter to Mexico and the Greater
Antilles.
Habits. Like all the Mergansers, the present species is nn
expert diver. In its habits it does not differ from its allies,
being shy daring the breeding-season, and colleciing in flocks
in th^ winter.
ITest. Placed in a hollow tree or hollow r of a fallen log, the
nest consisting merely of a little dry grass, and plentifully
lined with down.
Eggs. Five to eight in number. The first thing that strikes
the observer is their curious roundness. In colour they are
white or ivory-white. Axis, 2'o-2'2$ inches; diam., 1*65-1 8
Down. Very pale grey.
58 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
THE TRUE MERGANSERS. GENUS MERGANSER.
Merganser^ Briss. Orn. vi. p. 230 (1760).
Type, M. merganser (Linn.).
Like the preceding genus, the Mergansers have the culmen,
or ridge of the bill, longer than the tarsus, and, according to
Count Salvadori, the serrations on both mandibles are very
conspicuous and tooth-like, and are strongly directed back-
wards at the tips.
The range of the genus is very peculiar, for while it is princi-
pally a northern form, isolated species occur in the southern
hemisphere, such as M. brasilianus, an inhabitant of South-
eastern Brazil, and M. australis, confined to the Auckland
Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.
I. THE GOOSANDER. MERGANSER MERGANSER.
Mergus merganser. Linn. Syst. Nat, i. p. 208 (1766) ; Dresser,
B. Eur. vi. p. 685, pi. 452 (1875); B. O. U, List Br. B.
p. 136 (1883) ; Seeb. Br. B. iii. p. 625 (1885); Saunders,
ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 488 (1885); id. Man. Br. B. p. 459
(1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxiii. (1893).
Merganser castor, Macg. Br. B. v. p. 207 (1852); Salvad. Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 472 (1895).
Adult Male. General colour above black and white, the sca-
pulars and mantle being black, extending a little on to the hind-
neck ; back dark slaty-grey, as also the rump and upper tail-
coverts ; the sides of the rump ashy-whitish, with fine dusky
frecklings ; wing-coverts pure white, the greater series with
concealed black bases ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and
quills black, the inner primaries with a little whitish near the
end of the inner web, like the primary-coverts; secondaries
white, the inner ones bordered with black, the innermost
somewhat sickle-shaped, and black like the scapulars ; tail
slaty-grey ; head and throat black, \vith a green gloss, not so
distinct on the sides of the face and throat ; neck all round
and the under surface of the body from the lower throat
downwards white, with a delicate tinge of pale salmon-colour,
more distinct in the breeding-season ; bill deep vermilion,
black nlong the culmen and on the nail ; feet vermilion ; his
THE MERGANSERS. 59
reddish-brown. Total length, 2 7 inches; culmen, 2-3; wing,
1 1'2 ; tail, 4-2 ; tarsus, 2'o.
Adult Female. Different from the male. Above slaty-grey,
with dusky-blackish shaft-stripes to the feathers, the grey ex-
tending up the hind-neck, the head, crest, and upper neck
being rufous, rather browner on the crown; the chin and
upper throat white ; the under surface of the body from the
lower throat downwards white, washed with slaty-grey on the
sides of the body, the flank-feathers being mottled with grey
bars; wing-coverts grey, like the back; the greater coverts
tipped with white, before which is a sub-terminal shade of
black ; quills as in the male, but the secondaries white with a
concealed dusky base, the inner secondaries grey, like the
back; tail dark slaty-grey; bill and feet c loured as in the
male, but rather duller. Total length, 24 inches; culmen, 1*9;
wing, 9-4; tail, 3*8; tarsus, 17.
Young Males. Resemble the old females, but may generally
be distinguished by the appearance of a few black feathers on
the white chin or on the lower throat. One specimen in the
British Museum shows distinct traces of wavy vermiculations
on the flank-feathers.
Eange in Great Britain. This species is chiefly a winter visitor
of the coasts of the British Islands. It breeds, however, in the
Highlands of Scotland. In Ireland, as in most parts of England,
it is only noted as a winter visitor.
Eange outside the British Islands. The Goosander is a False-
arctic species, and breeds in the north of Europe through
Siberia to the Pacific, nesting in suitable localities even in
Central Europe and in the Ural and Volga districts, while it
is also found breeding in certain parts of Switzerland. In
winter it visits most of the Atlantic coasts of Europe, the
Mediterranean, and the inland waters of South-eastern Europe
and the Caspian. At the same season it wanders to Japan
and China. In North America it is represented by an allied
species, M. americanus (Cass.), while the Goosander of
Central Asia and the Himalayas is considered by Count
Salvador! to be a distinct species, M. coinahis. This is a
smaller bird, with a prominent crest formed of the long and
60 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
attenuated feathers of the hind-part of the head. The female
is even more distinct than the male, and has the head of a dull
pale rufous-colour, instead of chestnut, with some grey on the
fore-part of the crown.
Hal/its. The Goosander breeds rather early for a northern
bird, the eggs being laid at the end of April in Denmark, but
in some northern localities they are found from the middle of
May to the middle of June.
Of its habits Mr. Seebohn writes : "The backward position
of the legs of the Goosander makes it look something like a
Cormorant on the ground, and causes it to walk clumsily, but en-
ables it to dive with facility and swim with ease, whilst its long
win^s give it great power of flight. It is said that it can remain
for two minutes under water, and it sometimes reappears at a
distance of fifty paces from the place where it plunged below
the surface. It feeds almost entirely on fish, which its serrated
jaws enable it to grasp with certainty, and it has been known
to capture examples nearly six inches long. Water-insects and
molluscs, and sometimes the remains of aquatic vegetation,
are also found in its stomach. The Goosander is less of a
marine Duck than most of the Diving Ducks, and appears to
prefer rivers and small lakes to the sea-coast. It resembles
the Diving Ducks in having a harsh note, not unlike the
syllables karr-karr. The Goosander loves wild country, a
comb'nation of forest, swamp, river, and rock, such as is
usually to be found near the Arctic Circle or near the northern
limit of the pine-regions of lofty mountain-ranges farther
south."
Nest. Mr. Robert Read writes to me: "Near Glasgow, in
winter, 1 have counted over twenty Goosanders on a fresh-water
loch, and have strong reasons for believing that the species
may have bred there. A nest which I found in Perthshire
was in the head of a hollow wych-elm tree in a steep wood
sloping down to a large fresh- water loch. It contained twelve
eggs of a huffish tint, the last laid being much paler than the
others. It consisted simply of a mass of down of a pale
lavender-colour, almost white, with which was mixed up a lot
of chips and fine particles of rotten wood."
Mr. Seebohm further writes : " The pale grey down of the
THE MERGANSERS. 6 I
Goosander points it out at once as one of the few species of
Ducks which breed in holes, those which breed in the open
having always dark down. The favourite nesting-place of the
Goosander is in a hollow tree-trunk, but in localities where
such sites are not plentiful, it shows considerable fertility of re-
source and capability of adaptation to circumstances in choos-
ing the best substitute. On these occasions, however, it often
displays more wit than wisdom. As the House-Martin has
discovered that under the eaves of a roof a better shelter for
its nest is to be found than under an overhanging cliff, so the
Goosander immediately avails itself of the wooden boxes
which the Finns fasten up in the trees to tempt them. These
boxes, or " holkar," are made with a trap door behind, so that
the peasant may daily rob the nest, and thus make the too-
confiding bird lay a score or more eggs before the wary man
thinks it prudent to cease his depredations, and allow the
Goosander to sit upon the rest for fear of spoiling his next
year's harvest. If these boxes be not provided, and no hollow
trees are available, the Goosander finds a hole under a rock or
a. cleft in the cliff, and has been known to utilise the old nest
of a crow or bird of prey in a tree or the top of a pollard-
willow."
Eggs. From eight to twelve in number, of a creamy-buff
colour. Axis, 2-5-2-9 inches ; diam., i -8-1-9.
Down. Pale grey.
II. THE RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. MERGANSER SERRATOR.
Mergus serrator. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 208 (1766); Dresser,
B. Eur. vi. p. 693, pi. 453 (1874); B. O. U. List Br. B.
p. 136 (1883); Seebohm, Br. B. iii. p. 629 (1885);
Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. p. 494 (1885); id. Man. Br.
B. p. 461 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxi.
(1892); Salvad. Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 479 (1895).
Merganser serrator, Macg. Brit. B. v. p. 216 (1852).
(Plate LXIV.)
Adult Male. General colour above black over the mantle,
back, and scapulars, the outer of which are white, forming
a broad longitudinal band down each side of the back ; lower
back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ashy-grey, densely freckled
62 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
with wavy bars of dusky-black ; wing-coverts for the most
part white, those round the edge of the wing black ; greater
coverts black at the base, white for their terminal half; bastard-
wing, primary-coverts, and quills black, the secondaries white
with black bases, the inner ones white, with a narrow external
border of b!ack ; head all round purplish-black, with a crest
of narrow hair-like feathers, the sides of the crown and neck
glossed with green; the neck all round white, forming a collar,
with a narrow line of black from the nape to the mantle ; the
sides of the hind-neck vinous-chestnut, mottled with black
edges to the feathers, this chestnut colour extending across
the fore-neck ; remainder of under surface of body white from
the chest downwards ; sides of the chest black, the feathers
with a large white mark on the inner web, forming an orna-
mental patch ; sides of the body ashy-grey, freckled with
dusky vermiculations and cross-lines; axillaries and under
wing-coverts white, the coverts round the edge of the wing
dusky-brown ; quill-lining ashy ; bill bright vermilion, the nail
black, and the ridge of the upper mandible dusky; feet bright
vermilion; iris bright red. Total length, 22 inches; culmen,
2-4; wing, 9-9; tail, 3-5; tarsus, r6.
Adult Female. Different from the male. Dusky-brown above,
with ashy margins to the feathers ; wing-coverts ashy-brown,
with the greater wing-coverts and secondary quills as in the
male, white with black bases, but the inner secondaries brown
instead of white ; crown of head dingy-brown, as also the
occipital crest plumes ; sides of the face and sides of neck
dull rufous or reddish-brown, slightly paler and more vinous
on the throat ; the chin whitish ; remainder of under surface
of body from the lower throat downwards white; the sides of
the body ashy-brown, with greyish edges to the feathers ; axil-
laries and under wing-coverts white, those near the edge of the
wing dusky-brown ; bill and feet as in the male, but duller in
colour. Total length, 21 inches; wing, 87.
Young Males. At first resemble the female, but have a some-
what shorter crest. In their first spring they appear to develop
the full characters of the adult bird, but retain for some time
the rufous face and neck of the female plumage.
Nestling. Dark brown above, white below, with brown on
THE MERGANSERS. 63
the lower flanks; three twin spots on the back, one pair behind
the wing, another on each side of the lower back, and another
on each side of the rump ; head more reddish-brown ; cheeks
and a streak below the eye white; the ear-coverts and eyebrow
rufous, this colour extending down the sides of the neck ;
from behind the eye a streak of dark brown.
Characters. The Red-breasted Merganser is a smaller bird
than the Goosander, and the male is distinguished by its
rufous fore-neck and by the grey frecklings on the lower back
and the wavy bars on the sides of the body, as well as by the
white markings on the ornamental black patch at the sides of
the upper breast. The females resemble each other more, but
the smaller size of the Red-breasted Merganser and its browner
colour distinguish it. The Goosander is altogether more grey,
especially on the flanks, which are dark brown in the Red-
breasted Merganser. In the female of the latter, moreover,
the black bases to the white secondaries are more prominent,
and the inner secondaries are margined with black.
Range in Great Britain. The present species nests in Scotland
and Ireland, but is only a winter visitor to the coasts of Eng-
land, and is very seldom found inland. In the north and west
of Scotland it breeds on the inland lochs as well as on the
coasts and in the Hebrides, the Orkneys, and Shetlands. In
Ireland, says Mr. R. J. Ussher, "it breeds, often in consider-
able numbers, chiefly on islands in lakes and estuaries, in
Donegal, Down, Fermanagh, Westmeath, Louth, Tipperary,
Kerry, Clare, Galway, Roscommon, Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim.
Next to the Wild Duck and Teal, this is the commonest
breeding Duck in Ireland."
Range outside the British Islands. The Red-breasted Merganser
breeds throughout the northern portions of both hemisphere;
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and wanders south in winter
to the United States and the Bermudas. In the Old World
it is found in winter throughout the Mediterranean, the Black
Sea, and the Caspian, and in the east it visits China and Japan ;
but though it is found on the Persian Gulf in winter, it
appears to visit India but rarely, as it has only been recorded
twice, in each case from Sind.
. Like its relations, the Red-breasted Merganser is a
64 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
<S
good swimmer and diver, and in many of its actions resembles
a Cormorant, especially in the way in which it rises in the
water and " dips " when diving, and also in the habit of bring,
ing the fish to the surface in order to swallow it. Its flight is
strong and powerful, and the rapid motion of the wings pro-
duces a distinct whistling noise. Its food consists chiefly of
fish, but it also eats Crustacea and shell-fish. In winter the
Mergansers assemble in parties, and even in the breeding-
season several nests are found close together.
Nest. Always placed in a sheltered situation and well con-
cealed. Mr. Seebohm truly says that it likes to make its
nest on an island wherever it is possible, and only breeds on
the mainland in secluded districts. It prefers shelter of
some kind, such as that of a large rock, or even rabbit-
burrows or crevices in walls, as observed by Saxby in Shet-
land. The latter also says that a favourite place is in a hollow
at the foot of a dry bank, where it is concealed by the over-
hinging herbage. The nest itself is a hollow in the ground,
lined with a little grass, dead leaves, or heather ; but some-
times the down from the bird's body constitutes the only
lining. Mr. Robert Read sends me the following note : " The
nest of the Red-breasted Merganser is nearly always placed
on a rocky island with heather or wood-rush (L. sylvatica)
growing among the boulders or on the shallow soil. The
nest is usually placed between the boulders, or under a small
tree, but sometimes in the heather in the open. I have twice
found the nest under the overhanging bough of a spruce-fir
close to the water's edge, the nest simply consisting of a
hollow scraped amongst the fallen fir-needles, and lined with
smoky-coloured down. On one nest, containing ten ego;s, the
old bird sat so closely that I was able to focus her with my
camera, though she flew off before the picture was taken.
The eggs in this case were only very slightly incubated.
Eggs. From six to nine in number, but sometimes as many
as ten, or even twelve ; of an olive stone-colour to creamy-buff
Axis, 2-45-2-65 inches; diam., 1*7-1 '8.
Down. Greyish-brown, with an "eye" of dull white and
hoary filamentous tips.
THE HERONS. 65
THE HERONS, STORKS, AND IBISES.
ORDER ARDEIFORMES.
These birds are very closely allied, as any naturalist must
admit. They are all wading birds, and were classed of old
in the Order Grallatores. In all of them the palate is desmog-
riathous, or " bridged," and there are no basipterygoid processes.
The nestlings are downy, and the young are fed in the nest by
the parents for some time after they are hatched.
Four families are represented, the Herons (Ardcida\ the
Shoe-bills (Balcenicipitidce) of the Upper Nile, the Hammer-
heads (Scopida] of Africa generally, and the Storks (Ciamiufa).
The Ibises, which have a schizorhinal nostril, will be treated
of farther on.
THE HERONS. SUB-ORDER ARDEJE.
In these the hind-toe is on the same plane as the other toes,
and is not elevated above their level, as in the Storks.
THE TRUE HERONS. FAMILY ARDEID^.
The Herons constitute one of the most natural families of
birds, and the various genera are well marked. The True
Herons have a long thin bill with a distinct ridge, but no hook
at the end. The outer toe has a distinct web near the base,
but this web is scarcely perceptible at the base of the inner
toe. On the breast are some curious downy patches, called
" powder-downs," and the middle claw is combed, or " pecti-
nated," like the claw of the Barn-Owl (Vol. ii. p. 106) or of the
Night-Jar.
The curiously-shaped bills of the Shoe-bill (Balceniceps) and
the Hammer-head (Scopus) distinguish these from other families
of Herons, in addition to other remarkable characters. The
Shoe-bills have powder-down patches, the Hammer-heads none,
II F
66 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
and there are other distinctive characteristics which do not here
particularly concern us, as the representatives of these families
are purely African.
THE PURPLE HERONS. GENUS PHOYX.
Phoyx, Stejneger, Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. x. p. 311 (1887).
Type, P. purpurea (Linn.).
The Purple Herons are remarkable for their long toes, which
differ from those of all other Herons. They have twelve tail-
feathers, thus differing from the Bitterns, which have only ten,
and the middle toe is very long, in fact equal to the tarsus
in length. The hind-claw is very large and powerful, and is
nearly straight, with a very slight curve.
I. THE PURPLE HERON. PHOYX PURPUREA.
Ardea purpurea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 236 (1766); Macgill.
Brit. B. iv. p. 453 (1852); Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 217, pi.
396 (1875); Seebohm, Brit. B. ii. p. 473 (1885); Saun-
ders, ed. Yarr. Brit. B. iv. p. 172 (1885); id. Man. Brit.
B. p. 357 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xi.
(1889).
Phoyx purpurea, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 60.
(Plate LXV.}
Adult Male. General colour above dark slaty-grey, with the
scapulars and inner secondaries elongated and composed of
rufous and hoary-grey plumes ; wing-coverts light slaty-grey,
the lesser series inclining to maroon-brown ; quills black, the
secondaries externally greyer and glossed with olive-green, the
inner ones almost entirely grey ; tail grey ; head crested, black,
and having two long black feathers depending from the nape ;
sides of face and sides of neck bright chestnut, with a black
line running from the base of the bill across the ear-coverts and
uniting on the nape and extending down half of the hind-neck,
which is slaty-grey ; a second black line starting from the base
of the bill and extending down the sides of the neck, where it
forms a broad band ; cheeks, throat, and fore-neck white, with
some black streaks in the centre of the lower throat, these
streaks becoming larger on the fore-neck ; on each side of the
THE PURPLE HERON. 67
latter a patch of drooping plumes, which are slaty-grey, the
longer ones white at their ends ; on each side of the chest a
patch of maroon-chestnut plumes ; breast and abdomen slaty-
black ; sides of body slaty-grey ; thighs pale cinnamon ; under
wing-coverts chestnut ; axillaries and quill-lining slaty-grey,
with a wash of rufous on the former ; bill brownish-black, the
lower mandible brownish-yellow, the tip yellow ; cere greenish-
yellow ; tarsi and feet black on their exterior face, brownish-
yellow behind ; bare part of thigh yellow ; iris pale yellow.
Total length, 30 inches; culmen, 4*8; wing, 14*3; tail, 5'o;
tarsus, 5*2.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but not so brightly
coloured, with the black ornamental plumes on the nape
shorter. Total length, 30 inches; wing, 13-2.
Winter Plumage. The black nape-plumes are absent, and the
ornamental grey plumes of the back and scapulars and on the
fore-neck are much less developed.
Young Birds. Much browner than the adults, all the feathers
of the upper surface being edged with sandy-buff; the reddish
scapular-plumes very short and feebly developed; the inner
secondaries strongly glossed with oily-green, with sandy-buff mar-
gins ; neck yellowish-buff, with a slight tinge of chestnut ; lower
throat and fore-neck streaked with dusky-brown, the latter
more broadly ; forehead blackish, the hinder crown dull chest-
nut; sides of face uniform yellowish-buff; cheeks and upper
throat white ; sides of breast reddish-buff, mottled with grey
bases to the feathers ; centre of breast and abdomen buffy-
white, streaked with dusky.
Range in Great Britain. Mr. Howard Saunders estimates that
/icarly fifty examples, mostly young birds, of the present
species have been obtained in the British Islands. As might
have been expected, these occurrences have mostly taken place
on our eastern coasts, and less frequently in the south. Only
one example has been obtained in Ireland, a bird having been
killed at Carrickmacross in 1834, and but three Scottish records
are known, namely, from Caithness and Aberdeenshire more
than forty years ago, while a young female specimen, shot near
Prestonpans in October, 1872, is in the collection of Mr.
F 2
68 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
William Evans. Two examples in the National Collection, in
full breeding-plumage, doubtless had a Dutch origin.
Range outside the British Islands. The Purple Heron nests in
suitable localities throughout Central and Southern Europe,
and as far north as Holland. It is likewise a resident in Egypt,
but also passes in winter down the Nile Valley to Abyssinia,
and even to South Africa, where, moreover, it also breeds. Its
eastern range is not known with exactitude, but it is probably
the present species which breeds in Central Asia, as it certainly
winters on the Persian Gulf, having been found at Fao by Mr.
W. D. Gumming. In India, however, it is represented by an
allied species, Phoyx manillensis, which has the fore-part of the
throat and neck uniform rufous, without any black streaks.
This form extends from the Indian Peninsula and Ceylon east-
wards to Burma and Southern China up to the river Yangtze,
and visits the Philippines, Borneo, and Celebes on its winter
migrations.
Habits. The Purple Heron is a frequenter of marshy grounds,
where it loves to skulk among the reed-beds, and it is altogether
less in evidence than the Common Heron. I made its ac-
quaintance in the Hansag marshes in Hungary, and obtained
three clutches of its eggs, but the birds were difficult to flush,
and seemed to hide themselves as much as possible, till the
approach of many boats caused them at last to take wing, but
they did not return to their nests and complain like the Night-
Herons. They feed largely on fish, and are said to be more
active at night-time, resting during the day in the peculiar
way that Herons have, standing perfectly motionless with
their long necks stretched out, in an apparently uncomfortable
position. They also devour frogs and small rodents as well as
water-insects and their larvae.
Nest. In Europe a flimsy structure of reeds, a few of which
are placed upon rushes which are bent down to form a nest.
It is sometimes close to the ground in shallow water, but as
often it is built upon reeds where the water is deep. In
Ceylon, Colonel Legge has found the species nesting in trees
along with the Great White Heron.
Eggs. From three to five in number, of a greenish blue
colour. Axis, 2-1-2-4 inches; diam., 1*45- 1*7
r
THE GREY HERONS. 69
THE GREY HERONS. GENUS ARDEA.
Ardea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 283 (1766).
Type, A. cinerea t Linn.
In the genus Ardea the tail-feathers are twelve in number,
but the middle toe is not so long as in Phoyx, the tarsus being
longer than the middle toe and claw combined. The claw on
the hallux, or hind-toe, is curved and is not half so long as the
hallux itself. The edges of the mandibles are distinctly serrated
and there is a faint trace of a notch just before the tip of the
upper mandible. This notch, however, is often obsolete.
I. THE COMMON HERON. ARDEA CINEREA.
Ardea cinerea^ Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 266 (1766); Macg. Br.
B. iv. p. 440 (1852) ; Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 207, pi. 395
(1875) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 107 (1883) ; Seebohm,
Br. B. ii. p. 468 (1884) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv.
p. 162 (1884); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part viii. (1888);
Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 355 (1889): Sharpe, Cat B.
Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 76.
(Plate LX VI.}
Adult Male. General colour above light ashy-grey, the sca-
pulars and innermost secondaries elongated and drooping,
forming ornamental plumes of pearly-grey or white ; wing-
coverts grey, the outer ones lighter and inclining to pearly-grey
or white; quills black, the secondaries externally grey, the
inner ones like the back ; tail grey ; crown of head crested,
white in the centre, with a broad band of purplish-black on
each side ending in a crest on the occiput, from which de-
pend two long drooping black plumes ; sides of face, neck,
and under surface of body white, with a shade of creamy-
lilac on each side of the fore-neck and chest, which have
drooping plumes of narrow elongated white feathers; throat
and fore neck streaked with black; on each side of the crop
a large patch of purplish-black, continued along the sides of
the body as far as the sides of the vent ; the sides of the
body otherwise light ashy-grey ; thighs and under tail-coverts
white ; under wing-coverts ashy-grey ; bill yellow, with the
ridge of the upper mandible brown towards the end ; feet dull
70 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
green ; tibia yellow ; claws black , bare loral space green; iris
yellow. Total length, 30 inches; culmen, 5*1; wing, 18*0; tail,
7-2 ; tarsus, 6 '8.
Adult Female. Similar to the male and having the same
ornamental plumes, but the nape-plumes are not so long as in
the male, and the black on the side of the chest is not quite
so pronounced.
Young Birds. Differ from the adults in being duller and not
so pure grey ; the head dark slate-colour, with a small crest of
purplish-black ; neck, as well as the sides of the face and ear-
coverts, ashy-grey ; cheeks and throat white ; neck dark slaty-
grey, as also the sides of the body, under wing-coverts, and
axillaries; lower throat, fore-neck, and chest very broadly
streaked with black, especially on the throat, less markedly
so on the fore-neck, and represented on the sides of the body
by a few black streaks ; the black patch on the sides of the
chest in the adults represented by a patch of dusky feathers,
streaked with white ; a tinge of rust-colour on the bend of the
wing, as well as on the black-streaked feathers of the throat
and fore-neck.
Nestling. A curious little creature, covered with greyish
down, with very long and erect filamentous plumes of ashy-
grey on the head.
Range in Great Britain The Heron is found everywhere
throughout the British Islands, and, owing to the protection
afforded to it in those places where heronries still exist, it is
able to hold its own, though the number of breeding-birds is
less than in former times. In Ireland Mr. Ussher says that
it breeds in every county, " sometimes in solitary nests, some-
times in large heronries in trees, sometimes on the sea-cliffs,
and where there are neither trees nor cliffs it has been known
to breed in scrub or on the ground in islands in several lakes
in Connemara." He has records of more than three hundred
places in Ireland which are supposed to contain upwards of
four or more nests.
Range outside the British Islands. The Common Heron is an
Old World species, and is almost universally distributed, but
becomes much rarer in the east of its winter range, as it is not
THE COMMON HERON. 7 1
known from the Malay Peninsula, though it has occurred in
Australia, and the British Museum has a Bornean specimen,
procured at Baram Fort in Sarawak. It breeds throughout
Europe and Asia south of about 60 N. lat., and migrates
south in winter, visiting the Mediterranean countries and the
African continent, though even in this southern habitat it also
breeds in suitable localities. In India and China it likewise
nests.
Habits. Although a very shy bird as a rule, the habits of
the Heron may be easily watched during the breeding-season,
as will be seen from the interesting note given to me by Mr.
Barrett-Hamilton. Young birds are more often procured than
old ones, which are wary enough, but the young ones betake
themselves to ponds and the edges of inland lakes, and on the
sea-coast to the deep mud-gullies of our harbours, where it is
often easy to stalk them. I have sometimes shot them under
the latter circumstances with remains of down still adhering to
the feathers of the crest. They are not uncommonly seen in the
west of London, and sometimes pass quite low over my garden
in Chiswick, on their way to a pond not two hundred yards
from a road, though the birds are not allowed to alight without
a severe mobbing from a pair of Jackdaws which nest in an
elm-tree hard by.
Mr. Barrett-Hamilton sends me the following note: "When
protected, the Heron is not at all shy during the breeding-
season, and I know of two or three heronries which are quite
close to houses. Two of the nests in County Wexford are
so close to a house that one can watch the birds with the
greatest ease, and almost see into the nests. Occasionally the
Herons are annoyed by the visits of Hooded Crows, and at
such times the indignant Herons make a great clatter. I have
seen a 'Hoody' sitting on the top of a spruce-tree watching
the Herons, one of which would every now and then leave its
perch and swoop round, when 'caa-caa-caa' would say the Crow,
and start off in pursuit, and the ponderous Heron, being no
match for his adversary in the air, would have to alight again
to avoid his stoops. But when once he had done so, the Crow
dare not touch him. Rooks, too, often annoy Herons at their
breeding-places, and cause them to desert the latter. It is
7*
very interesting to watch a pair of Herons building their nest.
One bird (presumably the female) stands on the nest, while
the other goes away and collects sticks. These he brings in
his mouth, and gives to his mate. The sticks are gathered on
the ground, sometimes close to the tree in which is the nest,
sometimes several hundred yards away. All sorts of sticks
are collected. On approaching the nest the male, who is
evidently very proud of his home and his mate, usually utters
some loud croaks, at the same time straightening himself out in
the air, and on alighting he sticks his crest bolt upright, all of
which is no doubt for the delectation of the hen-bird. She
gets up on her legs, which have been tucked in under her on
the nest, takes the stick from him and arranges it. Then after
a few minutes spent in preening his feathers, the cock goes off
again, and the same routine is gone through. Apparently the
male continues to bring sticks after incubation has commenced.
Herons seem to make love to each other on their nesting-
trees, and I have seen the male caressing the female on the nest.
The nests are far from conspicuous for such large structures,
even when the hen-bird is sitting, unless she shows the white
part of her head. During incubation I have seen the birds
change places on the eggs very neatly. One bird approached
the nest, and just before it arrived the other, who was sitting
on the eggs, glided off and left; the whole thing was done so
quietly that it was almost as inconspicuous as if one bird had
merely flown over the necr. Herons return to their nests early
in January, but those pairs which have to build new nests
naturally get their eggs laid later than those which have nests
already built. The last young ones left on July 28th, 1891,
and about the same time in 1892, but, after leaving the nest,
they seemed to return for a few days to it every evening, prob-
ably for the night."
Nest. This is a large structure, usually built on trees, but
where these are not available it is sometimes placed on cliffs
or shrub-covered crags and ruins. Mr. Robert Read writes :
" In an island off the west coast of Scotland I have found a
colony of Herons nesting on low hawthorn-bushes. The bushes
were very thick, and the nests about four feet in diameter,
made externally of large sticks and lined internally with fine
birch-twigs. The structure seemed to entirely cover the tops
THE GREAT WHITE HERONS. 73
of the bushes, so that it was exceedingly difficult to get up
and look into them. The three eggs which nearly every nest
contained looked almost lost in the middle of such a big plat-
form. There was a considerable mess on the ground beneath
each nest, from the birds dropping their excrement over the
edge of the nest. In only one nest did I find as many as four
eggs."
Eggs. Three or four in number, of a greenish-blue colour.
Axis, 2'i5-2'45 ; diam., r65-i*75. They vary somewhat in
dimensions, and some are slightly paler blue than others. They
are often laid in March in England, but a little later in Scotland,
and in parts of Europe not till May and June.
THE GREAT WHITE HERONS. GENUS HERODIAS.
Herodias, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 559.
Type, H. egretta (Wilson).
Though very much resembling the True Herons in structure,
the Great White Herons may be distinguished by their snowy-
white plumage and by having the edges of the mandibles not
serrated, but a distinct sub-terminal notch is evident near the
tip of the bill. The latter is long, as in most Herons, but the
oilmen does not exceed the length of the middle toe and claw.
There are no crest plumes, but all the species carry an enor-
mous dorsal train during the breeding-season.
It is extremely difficult to say how many species of Herodias
exist. I have recently devoted much study to the Herons,
which are very difficult birds to understand, and none are
more so than the Egrets ; but I have come to the conclusion
that there are three species of Great White Heron, of which the
European species (H. alba) has a black bill in summer, while
the American bird (PI, egretta} and the Chinese bird (If. timo-
riensis) have yellow bills in summer. As, however, our own
H. alba has a yellow bill in winter like the other two species,
it is extremely difficult to recognise them apart at that season
of the year, but the colour of the bare tibise may ultimately be
found to be a character of worth. H. egretta has the tibia black
like the tarsus, while //. alba and H. timoriensis have them
light-coloured.
74 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
I. THE GREAT WHITE HERON. HERODIAS ALBA.
Ardea alba. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 239 (1766) ; Dresser, B. Eur.
vi. p. 231, pi. 398 (1880); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 108
(1883) ; Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 477 (1884) ; Saunders, ed.
Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 177 (1884); id. Man. Br. B. p. 359
(1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xx. (1891).
Egretta alba, Macgill. Br. B. iv. p. 466 (1882).
Herodias alba^ Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvii. p. 90.
Adult Male Sno \v-white all over, with a dense dorsal train
of elongated feathery plumes ; the feathers on the fore-neck and
on the sides of the upper breast also largely developed, and
forming a kind of pectoral shield ; bill black ; lores and orbits
pale green ; tarsi and feet black, the tibia flesh-colour ; iris
pale yellow or buffy-yellow. Total length, 44 inches ; culmen,
5-5; wing, 15-8; tail, 6-5; tarsus, 7-75.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but the ornamental plumes
not so dense or so long.
Winter Plumage. Differs from the summer plumage in want-
ing the ornamental plumes, and in having the bill yellow instead
of black.
Kange in Great Britain. About eight occurrences of the Great
White Heron were admitted by Mr. Howard Saunders in 1889
as being British. Of these, three were said to have been ob-
tained in Yorkshire, one in Nottinghamshire, one in Oxford-
shire, and another in Thorney Fen, in Cambridgeshire ; but
the number is reduced by Mr. J. H. Gurney. In Scotland two
examples have been noted : one in the Firth of Forth and one
at Loch Katrine. Several of the above were killed in summer.
Range outside the British Islands. According to my present
conclusions, this species is only found from Southern Europe
to Central Asia, wintering in Africa and in North India and
Burma. Some of the specimens from the last-named provinces
may, however, turn out to be H. timoriensis, which inhabits
Japan and Northern China, and migrates to Australia through
the Malayan Archipelago.
Habits. I saw a pair of this beautiful Heron standing on the
shores of the Danube on my journey from Vienna to Budapest,
but I did not meet with it during my expeditions to the Hansag
THE GREAT WHITE HERONS. 75
marshes or to the Neusiedler Lake. Mr. Seebohm gives the
following account of the species : " The habits of this graceful
bird resemble those of the Common Heron in many respects.
It delights to frequent the. outskirts of extensive swamps, the
margins of rivers, and shallow weed-grown lakes, together with
willow-thickets and other wooded country when it is flooded.
It may frequently be seen in small parties of perhaps half a
dozen individuals, walking sedately about mud-flats and low
islands, or standing preening its brilliantly white plumage. It
is a very conspicuous bird, and may be observed for half a mile
or more ; consequently it is very wary, and seldom allows the
observer to come near. It looks remarkably graceful as it walks
slowly up and down the marshy banks of a stream or stands
motionless, sometimes on one leg, in the water, patiently wait-
ing for food. Its flight is moderately slow, performed by a
series of regular flappings of the wings. It seems more buoyant
in the air than the Common Heron, and looks more graceful.
Its flight is often prolonged for a considerable distance, and the
bird is very conspicuous as it flaps slowly over the dense waving
reeds. The Great White Heron may be seen in little parties all
through the breeding-season, and in winter it congregates into
much larger flocks. It also mingles freely with other species
of Herons, but its large size is always enough to distinguish it
from its congeners. It does not appear to frequent the most
secluded and almost impenetrable reeds like the Bittern, but
haunts the little open spaces and the borders of the swamps,
and is very fond of the tangled herbage on the banks of a
stream. It often wades for some distance in the water, and
seems as partial to running streams as to still lakes and
ponds.
"The food of the Great White Heron is principally composed
of small fish, but great quantities of water-insects and their
larvae, frogs, and small mammals are captured. The bird ap-
pears to obtain the greater part, if not all, of its food in the
day-time, but it may seek for it at night when the moon is at
or near the full. The note is a harsh and deep bark, but it is
only occasionally heard. The note of the young birds is de-
scribed by Homeyer as kek, rapidly repeated."
Lord Lilford says that in captivity it exhibits a spiteful and
unfriendly spirit to companions of its own species and to other
Herons, and in Epirus and the Ionian Islands, where he has
procured the species, he found it much less wary than the
Common Heron, nor did it show the skulking habits of the
Purple Heron and some other members of the Family. As
usual with Herons, the present species lives chiefly on fish,
but also devours water-insects and small mice and rats. Lord
Lilford says that during the heavy snowstorm of the i8th of
May, 1891, one of his birds was observed " to devour several of
the perishing Swallows and House-Martins, which incautiously
fluttered within reach, in their vain search for their usual
insect-food,"
Nest. A somewhat large structure, made of sticks, the lining
consisting of smaller twigs. It is composed of dead rushes
when it is built in swamps, and becomes trampled quite flat by
the time the young have left the nest. This is repaired year
after year.
Eggs. These are four in number, of a greenish-blue colour,
and not to be told from those of the Common or Purple
Heron. Axis, 2*35-27 inches; diam., 1-7-175.
THE LITTLE EGRETS. GENUS GARZETTA.
Garzettdi Kaup, Natiirl. Syst p. 76 (1829).
Type, G. garzetta (L.).
The Little Egrets, while possessing the snowy plumage of
the preceding genus, have a much longer and more slender
bill in proportion to their size, and the culmen exceeds the
length of the middle toe and claw. The tarsus is longer
than the bill, and the dorsal train is very dense, and the long
feathers are gracefully recurved. The head shows no absolute
crest, but on the nape are some drooping white feathers, and on
the chest there are also some lanceolate white plumes. Lord
Lilford remarks that the Little Egrets erect their dorsal train
when animated, which the species of Herodias never seem to
do.
There are only two species of the genus Garzetta, the Little
Egret of Europe and Africa (G. garzetta\ which also extends
PLATE LXYI1.
LITTLE EGRET.
THE LITTLE EGRETS. 77
through Asia to China and Japan, and south to the Malay
Peninsula and the Philippines. From Java, throughout the
Moluccas to Australia, its place is taken by an allied species,
G. nigripeS) which has the toes perfectly black.
I. THE LITTLE EGRET. GARZETTA GARZETTA.
Ardea garzetta, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 237 (1766); Dresser, B.
Eur. vi. p. 239, pi. 399 (1880) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 109
(1883); Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 481 (1884); Saunders, ed.
Yarr. 'Br. B. iv. p. 182 (1884); id. Man. Br. B. p. 361
(1889); Liiford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxi. (1892).
E^retta garzettii) Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 471 (1852).
Garzetta garzetta, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 119.
(Plate LXVIL)
Adult Male. Snowy-white above and below, with two elon-
gated plumes drooping from the nape ; a dense dorsal train,
consisting of beautiful elongated feathers of decomposed tex-
ture, the long ones slightly recurved upwards at the ends ;
from the fore-neck depend some elongated lanceolate plumes ;
bill black ; the bare skin about the eye and the base of the
bill whitish-buff; tibia and tarsus black, the feet greenish
yellow, the joints of the toes above spotted with black ; iris
pale ashy-yellow, with an outer circle of brownish-red. Total
length, about 20 inches; culmen, 3*3; wing, 10*5; tail, 2*75;
tarsus, 37.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but with the ornamental
plumes somewhat less developed. Total length, 22*5 inches;
culmen, 3-45; wing, 11-3; tail, 3-9; tarsus, 375.
; Winter Plumage. White, as in summer, but lacking the orna-
mental plumes on the nape and chest, as well as the dorsal
train.
Young Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the adults.
Range in Great Britain. Only one specimen seems authentic-
ally to have been established as having occurred in England,
an adult bird killed at Countess Weir on the Exe on the 3rd of
June, 1870; though Mr. Howard Saunders thinks that a second
7 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
bird said to have been procured in Sussex may also be an
authentic instance. In any case, the Little Egret is one of
our very rarest visitors.
Range outside the British Islands. Rare in Holland, Germany,
and the north of France, and not wandering beyond the Baltic.
In the Mediterranean countries it is more abundant, and ex-
tends into central Europe to Sclavonia and Hungary, while it
breeds pretty commonly along the Lower Danube, From the
Black Sea and the Caspian its range extends to India and
Ceylon, the Burmese countries, China, and Japan. It seems
to be found in most parts of Africa suitable to its habits, and
it breeds as far south as the Cape Colony.
Habits. Mr. Seebohm, who has had special opportunities for
observing this bird on the Lower Danube, says that though it
breeds principally in the densest willow-thickets, it frequents
open marshes, sand-banks, and shallows in the river, and the
margins of the streams, where its snow-white plumage makes
it an extremely conspicuous bird. In its flight it resembles
the other species of Herons, proceeding with steady flaps of
its broad wings, having the head drawn up between the
shoulders, and the legs extended so as to make a straight
line with the back. Upon the ground it walks about with the
sedate and easy action of the other Herons. It can scarcely
be called a shy bird ; but is, nevertheless, very difficult to
shoot, except at its breeding-colony. It may often be seen
standing in the water, but does not show any partiality for
perching, except in the vicinity of its nest. The food of the
Little Egret consists principally of fish and water-plants, but it
also eats aquatic insects, frogs, and worms.
Nest. The same author, in his " History of British Birds,"
gives a graphic account of a birds'-nesting expedition made
by himself and Mr. John Young in the Lower Danube. He
says that the breeding-place of the Little Egret was most
difficult to find, as it was entirely hidden far in the forests of
pollard-willows, where the water was often very deep. He at
last found a colony of Night-Herons, Squacco Herons, and
Little Egrets, and my own experiences in Hungary exactly agree
with Mr. Seebohm's in this respect, that one may travel for a
long distance in a marsh before discovering the actual breed-
THE LITTLE EGRETS. 79
ing-place of any species of Heron. " In the forest," he says,
" the water was about four feet deep ; but on its outskirts it
rose as high as the tops of the pollard-willows, which presented
a dense mass of boughs through which it was impossible to
force the boat. We succeeded, however, in entering it from
behind, and by dint of pushing and squeezing, and a liberal
use of the axe, we reached the outskirts of the colony, and
having put on our wading-trousers proceeded to investigate it.
The water was so deep that it was impossible for us to stoop,
and it was with great difficulty that we selected places where
the branches allowed us to squeeze through them. Before we
reached the nests we could hear birds getting up with great
flutter of wings, and our invasion of the colony was heralded
by incessant cries. The trees were full of nests, some of
them so near the water that we could see the eggs without
climbing. Few nests were more than from ten to twelve feet
above the surface of the water, and some trees contained as
many as ten nests with eggs belonging to three species : the
Night-Heron, the Little Egret, and the Squacco Heron, those
of the Little Egret being the most numerous."
Lord Lilford writes : " In habits it is by far the most con-
fiding and fearless of man of any of the non-skulking Ardeida
of my acquaintance. 1 have frequently approached en horse-
back or in a boat, without any sort of concealment, to within
a few yards of a party of these Egrets, who took very little
notice of us. It is probable, however, that the poor birds, or
those that may be left of them, have learned that feminine
fashion has cast its eye upon them for personal decoration, and
that the lust of gain by this cruel folly has rendered the animal
Man, as a rule, a very dangerous neighbour.
" The Little Egret spends its days in fishing, frogging, and
insect-catching, with intervals for repose and digestion, on a
bough, a post, or the back of some ruminant ; this latter site,
however, is, in my experience, much less frequented by this
bird than by the Buff-backed Egret. I find the Little Egret
somewhat delicate in confinement, but very tame and careless
of observation. It is spiteful in disposition."
Nest. The bird, according to Lord Lilford, forms an artless
nest of a few sticks and broken reeds, placed in low trees or
8o LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
bushes in large swamps or marshes. Many pairs nest in close
proximity, and very often in association with other tree-loving
waders, such as the Night-Heron, Buff-backed Egret, Spoon-
bill, and Glossy Ibis. The uproar made by a breeding-colony
of these birds, when disturbed and floating in the air over their
nurseries, must be heard to be believed.
Eggs. From three to six in number, of a greenish-blu/
colour. Axis, i'65-i'Q inch ; i'2-i'35.
THE NIGHT-HERONS. GENUS NYCTICORAX.
Nycticorax^ Rafin. Analyse, p. 71 (1815).
Type, N. nycticorax (L.).
The Night-Herons and their allied genera have twelve tail-
feathers, but the tibia is not so bare as in the True Herons,
the naked portion of the tibio-tarsus being less than the length
of the inner toe. The bill is stout and of moderate length,
without any serrations in either mandible, but showing a dis-
tinct notch just before the tip of the upper one ; the culmen is
about equal to the tarsus in length, and the tarsus is of about
the same length as the middle toe and claw. There are gener-
ally two, sometimes three, drooping ornamental plumes on the
nape.
The Night-Herons are found nearly all over the world, but
do not range far to the northward, where the climate is un-
suited to their habits. Ten species are known, of which the
Common Night-Heron is the most widely distiibuted.
I. THE COMMON NIGHT-HERON. NYCTICORAX NYCTICORAX.
Ardea nycticorax^ Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 235 (1766).
Nycticorax gar deni, Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 433 (1852).
Nycticorax griseus. Dresser, B. Eur. iv. p. 269, pi. 402 (1879) ;
B. O. U. List Br. B. p. no (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr.
Br. B. iv. p. 195 (1884); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part
vii. (1888) ; Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 367 (1889).
Nycticorax nycticorax^ Seeb. Br. B. iv. p. 496 (1884) ; Sharpe,
Cat. B. Brit- Mus. xxvi. p. 146.
HE NIGHT-HERON. 8 1
Adult Male. Black, glossed with dark green, with a slight
shade of grey on the mantle ; upper scapulars like the back,
the lower ones light ashy-grey ; wings entirely light ashy-grey
or dove-colour, with a slight shade of oily-green on the second-
aries ; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail clear grey
or dove-colour ; head crested, black, with a dark green gloss,
And having two long white nuchal plumes ; base of forehead
white, extending above the eye to behind the latter ; feathers
below the eye, cheeks, throat, and under-parts pure white ;
ear-coverts and sides of neck delicate isabelline-grey, extend-
ing in a collar round the hind-neck, and also to the sides
of the body : thighs and under tail-coverts white ; under wing-
coverts and axillaries very pale ashy ; bill slaty-black, with a
whitish streak near the edges, the central portion of the lower
mandible flesh- colour, greenish towards the base; skin round the
eye pale green ; tarsi and feet pale yellow ; iris, crimson. Total
length, 1 8 inches; oilmen, 3/0; wing, 13*5; tail, 4*0; tarsus, 2 '8.
Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour, and having also
ornamental plumes on the nape. Total length, 18 inches;
wing, 14-0.
Winter Plumage. Much greener than in the breeding-season,
and having no white nape-plumes.
Young Birds. Much browner than the adults, with longitu-
dinal triangular centres of rufous or buff on the feathers on the
back and wing-coverts ; the quills and tail-feathers tipped with
white ; the head blackish, with the crest-feathers centred with
rufous ; sides of face and under surface of body fulvescent,
streaked with dusky-black, with which the feathers are mar-
gined ; thighs streaked like the sides of the body, as also the
under wing-coverts and axillaries ; throat whitish.
Range in Great Britain. The Night-Heron has occurred in all
three kingdoms, and specimens are shot nearly every spring
and autumn, the records being chiefly from the southern
counties of England. As Mr. Howard Saunders remarks,
this interesting bird might even have bred in England, for a
Mr. C. J. Bulteel records the destruction of eight birds in
Devonshire four males and four females between the 23rd
of May and the 22nd of June, 1849. This gentleman was, I
believe, a " Reverend " one, and he will doubtless remain
II G
82 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
reverend in every respect excepting as regards the protection
of rare birds in England.
Eange outside the British Islands From Southern and Central
Europe the Night-Heron extends across Asia to China and
Japan, and again throughout Africa, always, of course, in
localities suited to its habits. In North America it is also
found in the temperate portions, ranging south through Central
America to the West Indies, and to Colombia and Ecuador in
South America. In Brazil its place is taken by an allied
species, N. tayazu-guira, which ranges to Peru and south to
Chili, Patagonia, and the Falkland Islands, while a third
species, N. cyanocephalus^ is found from Chili south to the
Straits of Magellan.
Habits. The Night-Heron is one of the skulking Herons,
and, except at the breeding-places, is not easily observed. " It
is," says Mr. Seebohm, "almost exclusively a swamp-feeding
bird, and the stomachs of those I examined contained fresh-
water crustaceans and the tender shoots of water-plants. It
also feeds on small fish, small frogs and tadpoles, water-beetles,
the larvae of dragon-flies and other insects, worms and snails.
My acquaintance with the Night-Heron was made in the
Hansag marshes in Hungary towards the end of May, 1891.
On a very hot morning we had been pursuring a tortuous
course through the reed-beds, a cavalcade of nineteen boats in
all, listening to the varied calls of the marsh-birds, Terns, Geese,
Wood-Sandpipers, Grasshopper- Warblers, Great Sedge- Warblers,
&c., when the word was passed for silence, as we were approach-
ing the nesting-place of the Night-Herons. As we drew near
we could hear a croaking, but so silently had we come along
that but few birds could be seen, until a shot from one of the
leading boats startled the whole colony of Night-Herons into
life, and the air became full of them. Their eggs were freshly
laid, there were no young in the nests to awaken parental
feelings, but their anxiety manifested itself in the way in which
they flew round and round, hovering over their nests, and
many victims fell before the colony elected to move farther
off. The water was nearly up to one's waist, but my boatman
volunteered to wade it, and soon returned with several birds
and a hatful of eggs. All attempts to make him understand
that I wanted the nests separately with the clutches of egga
THE SQUACCO HERON. 83
in each failed, and it was only through some of my friends
that I obtained clutches. While the birds hovered round
their nests, they kept up a continuous clamour, and the general
noise was deafening. While we were having lunch half an
hour later I left my Night-Herons in the shade to be prepared
later on, and was not best pleased to find that our host's
keepers had amused themselves by plucking out the white
breeding-plumes and sticking them in their hats. It was
therefore with great difficulty that I ultimately secured some
perfect specimens.
Nest. This is a curious cradle-like structure of sticks, placed
in the fork of a tree between three thin branches, and it is of
so slight a structure that it is wonderful how the eggs can be
retained in it. Such were all the nests in the colony we raided
in Hungary, and no nests on reeds were discovered, though it
is said that the Night-Heron occasionally makes such a nest.
Eggs. Three to five in number, of a pale greenish-blue.
Axis, i -6-2- 1 inches; diam., 1-25-1-5.
THE SQUACCO HERONS. GENUS ARDEOLA.
Ardeota, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 559.
Type, A. ralloides (Scop.).
The Squacco Herons form a small group of four, or pos-
sibly five, species, confined to the Old World. Although
approaching the Little Bitterns in size and general appear-
ance, the Squaccos really belong to the group of True Herons.
They have twelve tail-feathers, and the bill shows distinct
serrations near the end of the upper mandible; the culmen is
equal in length to the middle toe and claw. There is a well-
developed dorsal train, and on the nape are some long orna-
mental plumes, depending over the neck.
I. THE SQUACCO HERON. ARDEOLA RALLOIDES.
Ardea ralloides^ Scop. Ann. I. Hist. Nat. p. 88 (1769);
Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 251, pi. 400, fig. 2 (1879);
B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 109 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr.
Br. B. iv. p. 191 (1884) ; id. Man. Br. B. p. 365 (1889) ;
Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxiv. (1893).
G 2
84 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Botaurus comatus^ Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 428 (1852).
Ardea comata, Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 486 (1884).
Ardeola ralloides, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 202.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage, General colour of the back
pale vinous, including the ornamental plumes ; the wings and
tail white, the coverts with a slight yellowish shade, the inner
secondaries also tinged with ochreous-yellow ; entire head and
neck pale straw-colour, inclining to golden- buff on the lower
hind-neck, as well as on the throat, fore-neck, and plumes on
the sides of the neck and those on the sides of the chest ;
the feathers on the head and hind-neck narrowly edged
with black lines, these lines being sub-marginal on the elon-
gated nuchal plumes, the longest of which are white at the
ends; chin white; on the throat and fore-neck some scanty
lines of dusky-blackish, which are sub-marginal, as on the
nuchal plumes; bill, according to Mr. Howard Saunders,
cobalt-blue at the base, black at the point; feet yellowish-
pink, the soles yellow; bare loral skin green; iris yellow.
Total length, 21*0 inches; culmen, 2'6; wing, 9-2; tail, 3-2;
tarsus, 27 ; middle toe and claw, 2 '8.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but smaller, with a some-
what shorter crest and the dorsal train not so fully developed.
Total length, 19 inches; wing, 8'i. Specimens in the British
Museum show that the breeding-plumage is sometimes not
assumed by the end of April. Mr. Howard Saunders says
that this is usually the case in dry seasons, and it is evident
that the birds return to Europe still in their winter dress.
Adults in Winter Plumage. Earthy-brown on the back and
scapulars, with some yellowish shaft-stripes on the latter ; the
lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white like the tail ;
wings white, the coverts washed with ochreous-buff, the inner
secondaries earthy-brown like the back; head, neck, and under-
parts as in the summer plumage, but the crest plumes not so
developed, and of the same colour as the crown ; the long
nape-plumes not developed ; bill dark sap-green, feet darker ;
claws black ; iris yellow ; loral space green.
Young Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the adult, but
are at once distinguished by the black shafts to the primaries,
which are washed or dusted with ashy-brown on the outer
THE SQUACCO HERON. 85
webs or at the tips. In very young birds the tail is also
washed with brown near the end.
Range in Great Britain. A rare visitor, generally in immature
or winter plumage, seldom in full dress. As, however, the
occurrences have mostly taken place in spring or summer, the
arrival of the specimens in winter plumage, as may be deduced
from Mr. Howard Saunders' remarks in the " Manual," tends
to prove the truth of my surmise that Squacco Herons come
mostly in their winter plumage, and that they assume their
breeding-plumage after they have arrived. Over forty examples
of this Heron are said to have been obtained in the British
Islands, most of them having occurred in the southern and
eastern counties of England. Scotland provides two instances
and Ireland three.
Range outside the British Islands. The Squacco only visits
Northern Germany and Northern France as a straggler, but in
Central Europe and the Mediterranean countries it breeds in
suitable localities. Its westward range extends to Mesopo-
tamia and the Persian Gulf in winter, but it is found through-
out Africa, partly as a breeding-species, partly as a winter
visitant. In Madagascar, A. idse appears to take its place.
Habits. In Spain, the Squacco Heron, according to Colonel
Irby, is entirely migratory, and arrives during the month of
April. He has never seen them following cattle, like the next
species.
The food of the Squacco is decidedly varied, and consists
of fish, mice, shrews, &c., as well as frogs, water-insects,
molluscs, and small Crustacea. Mr. Eagle Clarke gives a
most interesting account of a visit to the marshes of Slavonia,
where he found this species breeding in company with other
Herons, Spoonbills, and Ibises; and it will give some idea of
the extent of these breeding-colonies when he estimates one
of them at 30,000 individuals. No wonder that, when they
were in the air, they produced a " deafening sound " with
their wings. The difficulty which Mr. Clarke, an accredited
zoologist, found in getting a "permit" to collect, encourages
a hope that these last resorts of Herons in Europe have not
become available to the "plume" hunter, and that the orna-
mental feathers of the small Herons will still be safe on the
86 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
backs of some of the unfortunate birds, instead of decorating
the bonnets of women, who are responsible for the wanton
massacre of these pretty birds at their nests, as they are also
responsible for the sufferings and miserable death of the starv-
ing nestlings, deprived of the support of their parents !
Nest, This is described by Mr. Eagle Clarke as like that of
the Night-Heron, " composed entirely of sticks. The nests of
the Little Egret and the Squacco were seldom to be seen in
juxtaposition, probably on account of the pugnacious tempera-
ment of the latter."
Eggs. From four to six in number, and of a greenish-blue
colour. Axis, 17-1 '85 ; diam., 1*3-1 '4.
THE BUFF-BACKED CATTLE-EGRETS. GENUS BUBULCUS.
BubulcuS) Bp. Ann. Sci. Nat (4) i. p. 141 (1854).
Type, B. lucidus (Rafin.).
I. THE BUFF-BACKED EGRET. BUBULCUS LUCIDUS.
Ardea lucida, Rafin. Caratteri, p. 3 (1810).
Ardea bvbulcus, Audouin, Expl. Somm. PL Ois. de PEgypte, i.
p. 298 (1825); Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 245, pi. 400, fig. i
(1879); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 109 (1883); Seebohm,
Br. B. ii. p. 492 (1884) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p.
187 (1884) ; id. Man. Br. B. p. 363 (1889) ; Lilford, Col.
Fig. Br. B. part xiii. (1890).
Egrctta russata^ Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 474 (1852).
Bubulcus lucidus, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 213.
Adult Male. General colour above and below pure white, the
crest, which is very plainly developed, being of a vinous isabel-
line colour, the ornamental dorsal train being of the same
colour ; the fore-neck with some similarly coloured vinous
plumes ; bill chrome-yellow, paler towards the gape ; tarsi and
feet dusky-sooty ; iris very pale chrome-yellow, darker towards
the outer edge, the eyelids also pale chrome.* Total length, 19
inches; culmen, 2*2; wing, 9^8; tail, 3*25; tarsus, 3*2.
* The colours of the bill and feet are taken from some notes made by Mr
Thomas Ayrcs, in the Transvaal.
THE BUFF-BACKED CATTLE-EGRET. 87
Adult Female. Similar to the male but with the ornamental
plumes not so fully developed ; bill and bare skin about the
eye bright chrome-yellow ; tibiae and tarsi pale yellow ; feet
dusky-yellow. Total length, 18-5 inches; oilmen, 2-3; wing,
9-3; tail, 3-1; tarsus, 3-3.
Winter Plumage. Entirely pure white, with none of the orna-
mental dorsal train-feathers or of the vinous colour on the
crown or fore-neck.
tfoung Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the adults and
have no ornamental plumes. There is a slight tinge of rufous
on the back.
Eange in Great Britain. Only one authentic occurrence of the
Buff-backed Heron within our limits is known, shot as long
ago as October, 1805, as recorded by Montagu. It is now in
the Gallery of the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) at South Ken-
sington.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species is a bird of
Southern Europe, or rather of the Mediterranean countries, and
seldom reaches Central Europe, though it has been recorded
from the South of France, Hungary, the Danube, Poland, and
Southern Russia. It is distributed in suitable localities through-
out Africa, and its eastern range extends to Fao in the Persian
Gulf, where it has been found by Mr. W. D. Gumming, whose
specimens are in the British Museum. In the southern part
of the Caspian Sea its place is said to be taken by the Indian
Buff-backed Heron (Bubukus coromandus\ a species which is
found throughout the Indian Peninsula and Ceylon, and ex-
tends as far north as Corea and Japan, and as far south as
Celebes and Timor in the Moluccas. The birds of the
Caspian I should have expected to belong to the European
and not the Asiatic species.
Habits. Mr. Howard Saunders, who knows the species well
from personal observation, says that it is very common in the
marshes of Andalucia in Southern Spain, where thousands of
individuals may be seen amongst, or on the backs of cattle,
picking off ticks ; whence the name " Purgabueyes," meaning
" cattle-cleaners." Lord Lilford also states that he has found
the species " in great abundance in the great marshes of the
Guadalquivir below Seville coring the summer. It breeds in
88 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
that district in large colonies among the high reeds and bushes
and is constantly to be seen amongst the herds of half-wild
cattle, very often perched on the backs of the beasts, searching
for ticks, which seem to constitute, if not the principal, at
least a very favourite diet of the bird." The food of the Buff-
backed Heron seems to consist more of insects than of fish,
and beetles, grasshoppers, and locusts are its favourite food,
though it also devours frogs.
Nest. Composed of sticks, and built in the reed-forests, or,
as Mr. J. H. Gurney found them in the Fayoom district in
Egypt, " in a large bed of dead tamarisks, from two to five
feet above the water." The species is a late breeder, and even
in June Mr. Gurney found no young in the nests, while some
of the latter where still being built.
Eggs. From three to five in number, of a very pale greenish-
white. Axis, 1*75-1*85 inch; diam., 1*4.
THE LITTLE BITTERNS. GENUS ARDETTA.
Ardetta, Gray, List Gen. B. 1842, App. p. 13.
Type, A. minuta (Linn ).
In the Bitterns, with which we commence the second
section of the Herons, the tail-feathers are only ten in number,
and the bill is always serrated. In the Little Bitterns the
middle toe and claw are short, and only about the same
length as the tarsus. In the True Bitterns (B of aunts) the
tarsus is shorter and by no means equal to the middle toe and
claw in length.
The Little Bitterns, too, have the sexes quite different in
colour. They are distributed nearly over the entire globe.
I. THE LITTLE BITTERN. ARDETTA MINUTA.
Ardea minuta, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 240 (1766).
Botaurus minutus, Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 423 (1852); Seeb. Brit.
B. ii. p. 510 (1884).
Ardetta minuta, Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 259 (1880); B. O. U.
List Br. B. p. no (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br. B.
iv. p. 200 (1884); id. Man. Br. B. p. 369 (1889); Lil-
ford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xix. (1891); Sharpe, Cat. B r
Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 222.
PLATE LXV1II
LTTTLE BITTERK.
THE LITTLE BITTERN. 89
Ardeola minutci, Dresser, B. Eur. vi. pi. 401 (iSSo).
(Plate LX VI I I.")
Adult Male. General colour above black with a greenish gloss,
including the scapulars, lower back, rump, and upper tail-
coverts; lesser wing-coverts ochreous-buff, the median series
lavender-grey ; the greater coverts whitish ; the bastard-wing,
primary-coverts, and quills black ; tail black ; crown of head
and crest greenish-black ; hind-neck bare, but hidden by
ruddy isabelline feathers ; sides of face washed with vinous,
the sides of the hinder crown decidedly more ashy ; under
surface of body ochreous-buff, the sides of the throat, abdo-
men, and under tail-coverts buff; the feathers of the chest
elongated, some of the feathers white, buff towards their
ends, the long feathers on the sides of the breast blackish
with buff margins ; the sides of the body with narrow mesial
shaft-lines of brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white ;
bill purplish-yellow ; feet greenish-yellow, soles light yellow ;
iris orange-yellow. Total length, 1 1 inches ; culmen, i '9 ;
wing, 57 ; tail, rS; tarsus, 175.
Adult Female. Different from the male. General colour
above chestnut-brown, including the scapulars and inner
secondaries, all the feathers edged with ochreous-buff, pro-
ducing a streaked appearance ; wings and tail as in male ;
sides >of face and the frill concealing the neck rather more
rufous than in the male, the neck-feathers strongly inclining to
chestnut ; under surface of body distinctly streaked, with dusky
centres to the feathers of the throat and fore-neck ; the flanks
and breast also streaked with blackish centres to the feathers.
Total length, 12 inches; culmen, 1-9; wing, 5-8; tail, i'8;
tarsus, i '8.
Range in Great Britain. The Little Bittern, which visits the
neighbouring countries of Europe every summer, has occurred
on many occasions all over the United Kingdom, though
naturally its presence has been more plentifully noted in the
southern and eastern counties of England. That it formerly
bred with us is undoubted, and, according to Mr. Howard
Saunders, recent instances of its doing so are not unknown.
Eange outside the British Islands. The Little Bittern is generally
90 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
distributed throughout Europe south of 60 N. lat., but is only
a summer visitor, and leaves even the Mediterranean countries
in winter. It is, however, resident in Northern Africa, Madeira,
and the Azores. It visits Egypt and North-eastern Africa in
winter, and that it goes still farther south, I firmly believe,
though it is difficult to prove its African range. A specimen
from Benguela, however, collected by the late Mr. Monteiro,
appears to me to be the true Ardetta minuta, but Africa gener-
ally is inhabited by an allied species, Ardetta podicipes> which
differs from the European form in having the wing-coverts
orange-buff, and the greater series lavender-grey, while the
neck-frill is bright chestnut instead of ochreous or ashy-fulvous
A further distinction in the African bird is the chestnut, in-
stead of dusky, patch on the lesser wing-coverts.
To the eastward our Little Bittern extends to Cashmere and
the Eastern Narra district in Sind, in both of which localities it
breeds. It is also found, but rarely, in North-western India
in the winter, as the Hume collection contains examples of
the species from Delhi and Etawah.
Habits. The Little Bittern is a skulking species, and is,
moreover, a night-feeder as a rule. In many of its ways it re-
sembles a Rail, as it threads its way through the reed-beds
with great swiftness. It will also sometimes be found in trees,
generally sitting quite still, with its bill pointing up in the air,
but it can move from branch to branch with great ease and
rapidity, and does the same in the reeds, to which it manages
to cling without difficulty when making its way from one to
another.
Lord Lilford, who met with this species in Corfu and the
opposite mainland of Turkey during the first fortnight in April,
writes as follows : " For a few days after its arrival it may be
met with amongst the currant-vines, in the young green corn,
in gardens, among the rocks of the sea-shore, and often perched
in olive- or orange-trees at a considerable height from the
ground : from the actions cf my dogs I believe that when
these birds are disturbed in covert, they often sneak off in a
crouching attitude with long strides, after the manner of a
Rail, but quite as often, when closely approached, they behave
in the same way as the Common Bittern under the circum-
THE TRUE BITTERNS. 91
stances, drawing themselves out to their full length, with
every feather tightly compressed, and beaks pointing straight
to the sky, so as to present as narrow a front view as possible,
with the object of attempting to escape observation from the
similarity of the plumage of their necks and breasts to the
brown and yellow tints of the reeds, flags, and other aquatic
vegetation amongst which they are very often to be found.
The food of the Little Bittern consists of small fishes, reptiles,
and insects of all sorts. A friend informs me that one of these
birds in his possession supported itself to a great extent by
catching the mice and lizards that came into the aviary in
which it was kept in the island of Teneriffe. . . . The
only note that I ever heard uttered by this species is, to my
ear, best rendered by ' woogh, woogh ' a sort of deep gut-
teral cough." The female is said to have a note like gate or
gett, and Naumann says that that of the male resembles the
syllable pumm several times repeated, then a long pause, and
again uttered.
Nest. According to Lord Lilford, the nest of the Little
Bittern is usually, but not invariably, built amongst growing
reeds, and he describes one as built entirely of dry flag-leaves.
It is sometimes found on the heads of pollard-willows, and it
has been also known to adapt the old nest of a Magpie in a
tree near to a swamp.
Eggs. From five to nine in number ; white with a very faint
tinge of green. Axis, i*3-i'5 inch; diam, ro-n.
THE TRUE BITTERNS. GENUS BOTAURUS.
Botaurus, Stephens, in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. p. 592 (1819).
Type, B. stellaris (L.).
The Bitterns have ten tail feathers and the bill serrated.
The latter is moderately long, with the culmen about equal to
the inner toe and claw. The middle toe and claw are very
long, and far exceed the length of the tarsus. The hind-claw
is also very long, and is nearly equal to the hind-toe in length.
The plumage is wavy in character, and there is an immense
frill on the neck,
92
The True Bitterns are nearly cosmopolitan, our European
species being found throughout the Paloearctic Region, and
being replaced in Africa by an allied form, J3. capensis, which
is a smaller bird, mottled, rather than barred, with rufous. In
Australia and New Zealand occurs B. ptzrilopterus, with brown
quills, and in South America a peculiar barred Bittern, B.
pinnatits. In North America the representative species is
B. lentiginosus, described below.
I. THE COMMON BITTERN. BOTAURUS STELLARIS
Ardea stellaris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 239 (1766).
Botaurus stellaris, Macg. Br. Br. iv. p. 410 (1852); Dresser,
B. Eur. vi. p. 281, pi. 403 (1875); B. O. U. List Br. B.
p. in (1883); Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 593 (1884) ; Saun-
ders, ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 206 (1884) ; Lilford, Col. Fig.
Br. B. part vii. (1888); Saunders, Man. Br. B. p. 371
(1889).
(Plate LXIX.)
Adult Male. General colour above tawny-yellow and black,
this latter colour predominating and occupying the centre of
the feathers, the sides of which are tawny-buff, freckled and
irregularly barred with black ; lower back, rump, and upper
tail-coverts pale tawny-buff, mottled with bars or cross-lines
of dusky-brown ; marginal wing-coverts rufous, regularly barred
across with black ; median and greater coverts ta \vny-buff, with
irregular bars or arrow-shaped markings of blackish-brown,
much less pronounced on the greater coverts, all of which
have a rufescent tinge near the base ; bastard-wing, primary-
coverts, and quilis blackish, barred with rufous, the bars some-
what broken up on the inner webs of the quills, which are also
paler, the inner secondaries, like the scapulars, being tawny-
buff on their edges, and mottled in a similar manner ; the tail-
feathers tawny-buff, irregularly mottled with black bars or cross-
markings, more pronounced on the centre of the feathers ;
crown of head uniform black, with a frill of erectile plumes on
the nape, these being tipped with tawny-buff, and the pale tips
crossed with lines of black ; eyebrow, sides of face, and sides
of neck tawny-buff, the eyebrow uniform, except on the upper
edge, where the feathers are barred with black the ear-coverts
THE COMMON BITTERN. 93
almost uniform, but the plumes on the sides of the neck
narrowly barred with black, and widened into a frill which
covers the hind-neck, the latter being clothed with dense
down of a tawny-buff colour ; the feathers below the eye, and
a streak along the cheeks, and down the sides of the neck,
black ; a malar line of feathers and the throat creamy-white,
with a central line of reddish-buff feathers, slightly mottled
with black bases ; the lower throat also creamy-white, with
four or five tolerably defined broad lines of tawny-buff and
black mottled feathers ; the lower part of the ruff on the fore-
neck with narrow wavy lines of black ; the breast covered with
tawny-buff down, concealed by a large patch of loose plumes
on each side of the chest, these being mostly black with tawny-
buff margins ; remainder of under surface creamy-white,
streaked with black centres to the feathers, the black mark-
ings slightly broken up with tawny-buff mottlings, the thighs
and under tail-coverts scarcely marked at all ; under wing-
coverts and axillaries tawny-buff, the former narrowly lined
with blackish, the axillaries more distinctly barred with dusky-
blackish ; bill greenish-yellow ; bare loral space yellowish-
green ; feet yellowish-green, the claws dark brown ; iris yellow.
Total length, 24 inches; culmen, 275; wing, 13-0; tail, 4-4;
tarsus, 3 '8.
Adult Female. Similar to the male.
Young. Does not differ from the adults, except that the
primary-coverts and quills are nearly uniform, with only a
certain amount of rufous mottlings on the inner webs.
Nestling. Covered with down of a yellowish-buff colour.
Range in Great Britain, The Bittern used to be one of our
native birds, but the gradual draining of the meres and
swamps has resulted in the extinction of the species as a
breeding-bird in Great Britain. Even now, however, a little
protection afforded to the Bitterns which visit us in spring
would doubtless re-establish the species in England, and then,
as Mr. Howard Saunders remarks, " the 'boom ' of the Bittern
might again be heard in our land." It occurs at intervals in
winter and spring in different parts of the three kingdoms,
and within recent years I have seen specimens shot in the
Thames Valley.
94 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Range outside the British Islands. The Bittern is generally dis-
tributed throughout Europe and Asia, but does not extend
very far north, and in many of the southern countries it is
known chiefly as a migrant, and breeds sparingly. It has not
been found in Norway, but visits Southern Sweden up to
about 60 N. lat. In Russia it is found up to about 62 N.
lat, but in Eastern Russia and Western Siberia its range does
not extend beyond 57 and 68 N. lat, respectively. In winter
it visits North-eastern Africa, India, Burma, and China.
Habits. The Bittern is such a shy and retiring bird that
very little is known of its way of life, as it is an inhabitant of
the great reed-swamps, where its haunts are difficult to pene-
trate. Thus it is seldom seen on the wing, and when flushed,
it flies but a little distance, with a slow and steady flight, its
head drawn in on its shoulders, and its feet stretched out
behind in a line with the body. As a rule, it is a solitary bird,
and is only found in pairs at its breeding-places, but on migra-
tion it has baen noticed in larger numbers, forty or fifty
being seen on the wing at once.
Mr. Seebohm writes on the note of this bird, which is so
often spoken of as " booming " : " It is far more nocturnal
than any of the Herons, and the ' boom,' or love-song, of the
male is heard at all hours of the night during the breeding-
season, and never in the day. It is a weird, unearthly noise,
not to be dignified with the name of a note, and may be
heard at a considerable distance. The bird is so shy that
the noise is instantly stopped on the slightest alarm. Some
writers have likened it to the bellowing of a bull, others
think it resembles the neighing of a horse, while more imagi-
native ornithologists trace in it a resemblance to their ideal
conception of demoniac laughter. It consists of two notes,
one supposed to be produced as the bird inhales, and the
other as it exhales its breath. Naumann attempts to express it
on paper by the syllabus ii-prumb t repeated slowly several
times. The call-note, which is common to both sexes, is a
hoarse croak, like the ca-wak of a Night-Heron, or the cry of a
Raven, and is sometimes heard when the birds are on migra-
tion ; but the ' boom ' is only heard from the reeds, and as
it is uttered the bird is said to stand with it" neck stretched
out, and its beak pointing upwards. The Bittern rarely
PLATE LXIX
COMMON BITTERN.
THE AMERICAN BITTERN. 95
perches in a tree, but on its first arrival at its breeding-
grounds it is said to roost on a sheltered branch until the reeds
have grown high enough to conceal it. It is a voracious
eater, fish six inches long, eels twice that length, and even a
water-rat, have been found in its stomach, but its principal
food consists of small fishes, frogs, and water-insects of all
kinds, occasionally varied with the tender shoots of water-
plants."
Nest. Composed of dry rushes, placed on the ground in a
dense reed-swamp.
Eggs. From three to five in number, of a brownish-olive
colour, with a faint greenish tint when fresh. Mr. Seebohm
says that, when held up to the light, they are yellowish-brown
inside, not green like the eggs of the Heron. Axis, 2 '0-2 '25
inches; diam., i '45-1 '55.
II. THE AMERICAN BITTERN. BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS.
Ardea lentiginosa, Montagu, Suppl. Orn. Diet. (1813).
Botaurus lentigtiiosus, Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 417 (1852) ; Dresser,
B. Eur. vi. p. 289, pi. 404 (1878) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p.
in (1883); Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 506 (1884); Saunders,
ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 213 (1884); id. Man. Br. B. p. 373
(1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxiv. (1893).
Characters. The wavy plumage of the Bitterns involves such
long descriptions that it is not necessary to do more, in the
case of an accidental visitor like the present bird, than to state
that the American Bittern can always be distinguished by its
uniform brown head, and by the rufous tips to the primary-
coverts and quills, which are uniform slaty-grey or slaty-black.
Total length, 28 inches; culmen, 3-1; wing, n'a; tail, 3*6;
tarsus, 3-75.
Range in Great Britain. It is a curious fact that a common
North American bird like this Bittern should have been first
described by Colonel Montagu from an English specimen which
occurred in Dorsetshire in 1804. It is an accidental visitor to
Great Britain, and has occurred many times. A specimen from
Cornwall was shown to me at the British Museum by the
96 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
gentleman who shot it about thirteen years ago, and it has oeen
met with in nearly all our southern and western counties, as
well as in Scotland and Ireland.
Range outside the British Islands. The American Bittern breeds
over the greater part of North America from Canada to Texas,
and has even been found as far north as the Arctic Ocean
and on the Mackenzie River. It winters in Central America
and the West Indies. It has never occurred on the Conti-
nent of Europe, but one example was procured in Guernsey
in October, 1870.
HaMts. These are very similar to those of our Common
Bittern, and in the breeding-season it has a peculiar note, like
pomp-au-gor. It is also called "Stake" or "Post-driver," from
its note resembling the noise made by driving a stake in
boggy soil. Another rendering by Mr. Samuels is chunk-a-
lunk-chunk, quank-chunk-a-li ink-chunk. Dr. Coues writes :
" When the Bittern is disturbed at his meditations, he gives
a vigorous spring, croaks at the moment in a manner highly
expressive of his disgust, and flies off as fast as he can, though
in a rather loose, lumbering way. For some distance he flaps
heavily with dangling legs and outstretched neck ; but when
settled on his course he proceeds more smoothly, with regular
measured wing-beats, the head drawn in closely, and the legs
stretched straight out behind together, like a rudder. He is
very easily shot on the wing easily hit, and drops at a touch
even of fine dust-shot. When winged, he croaks painfully as
he drops, and no sooner does he touch the ground than he
gathers himself in defensive attitude to resist aggression as best
he can.
" The food of this bird consists of various kinds of small
aquatic animals. In its stomach may be found various mol-
luscs, crawfish, frogs, lizards, small snakes and fishes, as well as
insects. Such prey is caught with great address by spearing,
as the bird walks or wades stealthily along. The thrust of the
bill is marvellously quick and skilful more action is displayed
on such occasions than probably under any other circum-
stances."
Nest. Of dead rushes, on the ground or in trees at a slight
elevation.
PLATE LXX
WHITE STORK
STORKS. 97
Eggs. From four to seven in number ; uniform brownish-
olive. Axis, 1-85-2-0 inches : diam., 1-45-1-5.
THE STORKS. SUB-ORDER CICONII.
The Storks are very closely allied to the Heron, and have a
bridged, or " desmognathous," palate. They differ, however, in
several important particulars from the foregoing birds, as they
have no powder-down patches, and no pectination, or " comb-"
like process, on the middle toe. Both toes are webbed at the
base, the outer one especially, but the chief difference is found
in the position of the hind-toe, or hallux, which is elevated
above the plane of the other toes, and is not on the same level
with them.
THE TRUE STORKS. GENUS CICONIA.
Ciconia, Briss. Orn. v. p. 361 (1760).
Type, C. ciconia (I,.).
As regards the British species, the characters given above
are sufficient to distinguish the Storks from the Herons and
Ibises.
I. THE WHITE STORK. CICONIA CICONIA.
Ardea ciconia. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 235 (1766).
Ciconia alba, Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl. iii. p. 45 (1793);
Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 481 (1852) ; Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p.
297, pi. 405 (1873); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 112 (1883);
Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 525 (1884) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr. Br.
B. iv. p. 219 (1884); id. Man. Br. B. p. 375 (1889);
Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxiii. (1893).
(Plate LXX.)
Adult Male. General colour white above and below ; the
s apulars, greater wing-coverts, and the quills black, with a
grey powdering on the outer web of the secondaries ; bill dull
vermilion ; feet a little lighter vermilion, more of a salmon -
red ; bare skin of face round the eye black ; iris black. Total
length, 36 inches; culmen, 8-3; wing, 23-5 ; tail, 9*8 ; tarsus,
S.o
O.
II II
9& LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Adult Female. Similar in colour to the male. Total length,
36 inches ; culmen, S'i ; wing, 23*0 ; tail, 9*8 ; tarsus, 9-0.
Young Birds. White like the adults, but the quills browner.
Range in Great Britain. As might have been expected from
their proximity to the Continent, the southern and eastern
counties of England are those in which the Stork most fre-
quently occurs, and there can be little doubt that, if unmolested,
the species would establish itself in England as a regular visitor,
for our country offers every condition under which the species
flourishes in other countries of Europe. Its visits to Scotland
are rare, and in Ireland it is only known to have occurred
twice, each time in Co. Cork.
Range outside the British Islands. -Throughout Central Europe
the Stork breeds regularly, but is less common in the Medi-
terranean countries, where it is chiefly known as a regular
migrant, except in Spain, where it breeds plentifully. Its
northern range extends to Scandinavia, and it is found east-
wards to Central Asia, though in Eastern Siberia, Corea, and
Japan its place is taken by Ciconia boyciana, which has a black
bill and red lores. The White Stork visits India in winter,
and also extends its range to South Africa, where it sometimes
remains to breed, especially when locusts are abundant.
Habits. To see the Storks in life it is not necessary to go
farther than Holland, and in May, as the steamer goes up the
Maas, a bird may often be seen in the early morning, flying
from shore to shore, with a heavy flapping flight, its great
wings expanded, so as to show the black quills in contrast to
its snowy-white plumage. It is also impossible to take a
country walk in Holland without seeing a Stork's nest in some
of the gardens or fields, where some accommodation in the
shape of a post and a cradle is put up for the birds to build
their nests on. Occasionally an old cart-wheel is thus erected,
which is immediately appropriated by a pair of Storks, so bent
are the Dutch on encouraging these birds, which are supposed
to bring good luck with them. In many places the Stork
nests on the roof of a house, and sometimes many nests are
found together, but it will also build in trees and even on
cliffs.
Colonel Irby writes : "The White Stork, owing to the pro-
THE STORKS. QQ
tection it everywhere receives, is much more abundant in
Marocco than in Andalucia, although plentiful in some level
districts in the latter country, being most common in the
marismas and the vicinity of Seville, nesting on some of the
churches in that city. On the African side of the Straits, in
many situations they breed on trees, generally in colonies, as
well as on houses, but usually near villages ; and almost every
Moorish hovel has a Stork's nest on the top, a pile of sticks,
lined with grass and palmetto-fibre. It usually contains four
white eggs, which are very rarely marked with pink blotches.
These are sometimes laid as early as the 25th of March, and
are very good eating, either hot or cold. When boiled hard,
they have the white clear, as with Peewits' or Plovers' eggs,
the yolk being of a very rich reddish-yellow.
" The White Stork is rather irregular as to the time of nesting,
for we found in Marocco on the same day (the 25th of April)
young birds, eggs, and unfinished nests ; and, to show how
varied is the time of migration, we saw on that day a flight
of about a hundred flying northward at an immense height.
As they passed over the " storkery, " which was in a large grove
of high trees, they lowered themselves to within a hundred
yards or so of the nests, and after wheeling round for a few
minutes, as if to see how affairs were going on, they worked
up in a gyrating flight to their original elevation, and continued
their northerly journey, doubtless to the great delight of the
resident Storks, who were in a great state of perturbation and
disturbance at the appearance of their brethren. I may here
remark that Storks usually migrate in large flocks at a great
height, with a gyrating flight. The earliest date of their arrival
that I noticed near Gibraltar was on the nth of January, and
they nearly all leave by the end of September. They are most
useful birds, feeding on insects of all kinds, mice, snakes, and
other reptiles, and certainly deserve all the protection and
encouragement which they receive in Marocco, where they are,
in consequence, excessively tame. Their grotesque actions
when nesting, and their habit of continually clacking their bills
together, making a noise like a rattle, render them very amus-
ing to watch." (Orn. Gibr. 2nd ed. p. 209.) It appears that the
Storks have no note beyond the clacking noise made by their
bill.
H 2
loo LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
. Of considerable size, built of large and small sticks
mixed, as Mr. Seebohm informs us, " with lumps of earth and
masses of decayed reeds ; it is very shallow, and is lined with
softer materials of all kinds dry grass, moss, hair, feathers,
rags, bits of paper, wool, or anything it can pick up." Incu-
bation lasts about a month, and the young when newly
hatched are clothed with down of an ashy-whitish colour, the
bare spaces being at first very clearly marked.
Eggs. Three to five in number ; dull white and rather rough,
with little gloss. Axis, 2-55-2-95 inches; diam., 2-0-2-15.
II. THE BLACK STORK. CICONIA KIGRA.
Ardea nigra, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 235 (1760).
Ciconia nigra, Macg. Brit. B. iv. p. 485 (1852); Dresser, B.
Eur. vi. p. 309, pi. 406 (1873); B. O. U. List Br. B. p.
112 (1883); Seebohm, Br. B. iv. p. 529 (1884); Saunders,
ed. Yarr. Br. B. iv. p. 225 (1884); id. Man.Br. B. p. 377
(1889); Liiford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xx. (1891).
Adult Male in Breeding- Plumage. General colour above glossy,
for the most part metallic-purple with green margins to the
feathers, the green predominating on the neck and mantle and
the lesser wing-coverts, the median and greater coverts more
distinctly purplish but with bronzy reflections ; primaries black.
with a greenish gloss ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts
dusky-brown, with purplish edgings, becoming green on the
latter ; tail-feathers glossy purplish-bronze ; crown of head
dusky-blackish, glossed with green, especially towards the nape ;
the neck all round green, with a strong gloss of purple on
the hinder neck, and again on the lower throat; sides of
face and upper throat brilliant purple, with golden-bronze re-
flections ; fore-neck and chest greenish, with a slight purple
gloss ; remainder of under surface, from the chest downwards,
pure white, including the axillaries ; under wing-coverts dusky
slate-colour, with a slight gloss of green or purple ; " bill,
orbital space, and pouch coral-red ; legs and feet coral-red,
blackish on front of tarsi ; iris brown " (A. O. Hiinie]. Total
length, 38 inches; culmen, 77 ; wing, 21-5 ; tail, 8'o; tarsus,,
8-2.
THE BLACK STORK. 1OI
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but not quite so glossy;
"bill and feet red, the former lighter at the tip; orbital skin
lead-colour " (J. Scully). Total length, about 36 inches ; cul-
men, 7 - o; wing, 21*0; tail, 8'5; tarsus, 7*6.
Young Birds. Browner than the adults, with very little green
or purplish reflections ; the head and neck paler brown, with
whitish spots at the ends of the feathers, the feathers of the
chest also margined with whity-brown.
Range in Great Britain. About thirteen records exist of the
occurrence of the Black Stork within our limits. They are
all from England, from the southern and eastern counties.
Range outside the British Islands. The Black Stork breeds
throughout the greater part of Europe. In Scandinavia it
nests sparingly in Southern Sweden, being only known as a
straggler to Norway. In the Mediterranean countries, with
the exception of Spain, it is chiefly known as a migrant. It
nests also in Palestine and Central Asia to Mongolia and
Northern China, and visits the Indian Peninsula in winter, at
which season it is also found in Africa, even down to the Cape
Colony, where, however, it is not known to breed.
Habits. Instead of being a friendly bird, like the White
Stork, and frequenting the homes of man, the present species
seeks the shelter of the forests. Mr. Seebohm says : "It is
not at all gregarious, except on migration, and is very silent, its
* klapper ' being rarely heard. From all these circumstances
we may infer that the Black Stork is a much more cautious bird
than the White Stork, though its extreme caution does not
appear to have been of much advantage to it, as it is, on the
whole, a much rarer bird than its bolder relative." If one
might judge from the habits of the Black Stork in confinement,
its love of solitude may be induced by its contemplative nature,
for I remember, a few years ago, when I visited the Zoological
Gardens in Rotterdam, seeing a Black Stork perched on its
nest, standing on one leg, with its beak buried in its breast,
and absolutely immovable. Returning two hours later, the
bird was still there, like a statue, and utterly regardless of the
busy movements of the other Herons which were flying about
in the big aviary, of which one of the most curious features is
io2 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
that, attracted by the presence of their relatives within the
wires, some wild Herons have sought their proximity, and have
constituted a heronry on the adjacent trees ! Mr. Seebohm
thus describes the taking of the eggs of this species in Pome-
rania : " We found the nest of the Black Stork on a large oak,
but there was no sign of a bird. Our guide assured us that
it was occupied, so we concluded that the noise we had made
at the Goshawk's empty nest had frightened the bird away.
The tree was an old oak at least five feet in diameter for some
distance from the ground, and thirty feet without a branch.
Gottlieb accordingly ascended a tree close by to reconnoitre ;
and just as he got up to the level of the nest, to our great
astonishment, off flew a Black Stork, and began to wheel round
and round above the tree. She was soon joined by another,
so Gottlieb descended and at once began making preparations
for the ascent. We had some difficulty in throwing the line
over the lowermost branch, which was dead, but very thick ;
at last we succeeded, and, having hauled up the rope-ladder,
Gottlieb was soon on the branch. The distance to the next
branch was too far to reach by sheer climbing, so the rope-
ladder had to be got up another stage, and the nest was then
soon reached. It was about fifty feet from the ground, on the
fork of a large horizontal branch about half-way up the tree.
Nest. "It measured from five to six feet in diameter, and
was in some places two feet high, and was composed of old
dead twigs, black with many years exposure. The top of the
nest was almost flat, covered over with a thick layer of green
moss, and in a slight depression in the middle lay three young
birds, not long hatched, and one egg chipped." The Black
Stork, however, does not always breed in trees, for often, in
other countries, it nests in clefts or ledges of rocks and on
cliffs.
3. Three to five in number; dull white, with scarcely
any gloss, coarse in texture and pitted. According to Mr.
Seebohm, they are smaller than those of the While Stork,
though sometimes difficult to distinguish. On being held to
the light, however, the colour inside is found to be green,
while those of the White Stork are yellowish-white inside,
Axis, 2-45-275 inches; diam., 1-85-2-0.
THE GLOSSY IBISES. 103
THE IBISES AND SPOON-BILLS.
SUB-ORDER PLATALE^.
These birds have the bridged, or " desmognathous," palate of
the Herons, but they have schizorhinal nostrils, not holorhinal,
as in the last named birds. Basipterygoid processes are ab-
sent, and the sternum has four notches, or clefts, in its poste-
rior end.
The Sub-order contains two families, the PlatakidcR^ or
Spoon-bills, and the Ibises (Ibidid<z\ which are both almost
cosmopolitan in their range.
THE IBISES. FAMILY IBIDID^E.
The Ibises are found all over the world and comprise some
eighteen genera, with only one of which are we concerned in
the present volume, viz., the genus Plegadis. In the Family
Ibidida are included some remarkable forms, of which the
Sacred Ibis (Ibis czthiopica) is perhaps the best known, from its
connection with ancient Egyptian lore. It is now very rarely
met with in that country, but is by no means yet extinct there,
as the British Museum contains specimens from Egypt. In
other parts of Africa, however, it is far more plentiful, and
but rarely visits Egypt in modern days, though Captain Shelley
not long ago received a specimen from Damietta, and Mr. W.
D. Gumming has met with the species at Fao in the Persian
Gulf in October. In Madagascar occurs a distinct form, with
a white eye (/. bernieri], and in India and China the Sacred
Ibis is replaced by an allied species, I. melanocephala.
THE GLOSSY IBISES. GENUS PLEGADIS,
Plegadis, Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 82 (1829).
Type, P. falcinellus (Linn.).
The Ibises are divided into two sections, one with the tarsus
reticulated in front, and having numerous octagonal scales, the
other with the tarsus plated in front. To this latter section
belongs the genus Plegadis^ which is further distinguished
IO4 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
by a very moderate crest, and a somewhat short tail, beyond
which the feet extend, when at full length, while the toes are
strong, with sharp and pointed claws, that of the middle toe
being nearly straight.
Three species of Glossy Ibis are known, P. falcinellu s, found
nearly over the whole of the Old World, P. guarauna, mostly
a South American species, which extends to the Southern
United States, and P. ridgivayi of Peru and Bolivia.
I. THE GLOSSY IBIS. PLEGADIS FALCINELLUS.
Tantalus falcinellus. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 241 (1766).
Ibis falcinellus, Macg. Br. B. iv. p. 493 (1852) ; Seebohm, Br.
B. ii. p. 520 (1884).
Pkgadis fakimllus. Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 335, pi. 409 (1878);
B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 113 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr.
Br. B. iv. p. 231 (1884); id. Man. Br. B. p. 379 (r88g);
Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. part xxvii. (1893); Sharpe, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 29.
(Plate LXXI.)
Adult Male. General colour above black, with glossy reflec-
tions of various shades of green or bronzy-purple ; upper
mantle deep maroon-chestnut, as also the lesser wing-coverts
and scapulars, the latter having bronzy tips ; median and
greater coverts duller and more oily-green, with bronze or
steel-green reflections ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and
quills entirely glossy green, the secondaries with purplish
reflections ; lower back, rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail
black, with varying reflections of purple and oily- or bronzy-
green ; head and neck all round, as well as the under surface
of the body, deep maroon-chestnut, somewhat lighter on the
chest and breast ; forehead and fore-part of crown glossy
green, as also the base of the cheeks and a slight shade below
the eye ; under tail-coverts and under wing-coverts and axil-
laries black, with metallic reflections of green and purple, the
quill-lining similarly glossed ; bill and feet dark brownish-
olive; iris brown. Total length, 22 inches ; culmen, 5-2 ; wing,
11-2; tail, 3-9 ; tarsus, 4-2.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but a little smaller, ancj
with a shorter bill.
THE GLOSSY IBIS. 105
Winter Plumage. Differs from the summer plumage in losing
the rufous of the head, back, and scapulars ; rest of the plum-
age metallic as in the summer dress, but the wings rather more
bronzy and the wing-coverts brighter metallic-green. The head
and neck are streaked with black and whitish.
Young Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the adults, but
are more of a metallic oil-green, without the beautiful reflections
shown by the adult birds at all seasons. Head dusky-brown,
with a certain amount of white striping on the head and throat,
but not so much as in the winter plumage of the adults.
Range in Great Britain. An accidental visitor in autumn or
early winter, but occasionally occurring in the spring. It has
been observed in Scotland and Ireland, and in England it has
been met with chiefly on the eastern coasts, where it appears to
have been more frequent towards the end of the last century,
when it was known to the gunners of Lynn in Norfolk as the
"Black Curlew." (Cf. Saunders, Man. p. 379.)
Range outside the British Islands. Common in Southern Europe
but rarer in the countries north of the Alps, and only straggling
to Iceland or the Faeroes, as it does to Great Britain; the
same may be said of Northern Europe, where it has occurred
but seldom, and only as a straggler. Its eastern range extends
to Persia and Central Asia, India and China, whence it is
found all over the Malayan Archipelago and Australia. It also
occurs throughout Africa in localities suited to its habits,
and re-occurs in the Eastern United States to Florida, but in
the Southern United States, and throughout Central and the
greater part of South America, it is replaced by the closely
allied P. guarauna.
Habits. The Ibis is a gregarious and sociable bird, feeding,
nesting, and migrating in company, and sharing the breeding-
haunts of the Herons, Egrets, and Pigmy Cormorants in the
vast reed-swamps which are found in Slavonia and the region
cf the Lower Danube. " The Ibis," says Mr. Seebohm, " is a
thorough Heron in its habits, and frequents the same districts,
but, like the Night-Heron, it prefers the swamps and marshes
to the rivers and streams. Its flight resembles that of a Heron,
or perhaps more that of a Stork, for the legs droop at a slight
io6 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
angle from the body, and complete the curved line of the beak
and extended neck. The flight is more rapid than that of
either of these birds, and is performed by quicker beats of the
wings, and every now and then it skims along with outspread
pinions. The Ibis is very gregarious, and solitary birds or
even pairs are seldom seen. Half a dozen or more birds fly
in company and keep together in a wedge or string, like
Cranes or Geese. On the ground the Ibis walks sedately, like
a Heron. It is a very silent bird, but, when alarmed, it is said
to utter a harsh croak like that of a Heron. Its food consists
of worms, Crustacea, small shells, aquatic insects, and frogs,
for which it may often be seen searching on the low-lying coasts
and on the shores of lakes and rivers, walking about something
like a Curlew."
Nest. Again I quote Mr. Seebohm : " The Ibis builds in
willows which are half under water, and makes its nest at
various heights from the surface in the same trees as Common
Herons, Night-Herons, Squacco Herons, Little Egrets, and
Pigmy Cormorants. Sometimes one tree will contain nests of
all the six species. The Great Cormorant and the Spoon-bill
are not so sociable ; they each occupy a part of the forest re-
served for themselves, but in the immediate neighbourhood,
sometimes surrounded by the nests of the other species a
colony within a colony. The nests are made of sticks and
reeds."
Eggs. Three or four in number ; pitted and of a dark green-
ish-blue a beautiful egg. Axis, 1-9-2-2; diam., 1-3-1-5.
THE SPOON-BILLS. FAMILY PLATALEID.E.
The members of this Family are easily distinguished by
possessing, in addition to the osteological characters of the
Ibises, a very curious development of the bill, which is long,
flat, narrowed in the middle, and then widened out into a
spoon-shaped, or spatulate, end. The Spoon-bills are found
nearly over the entire globe, and there are three genera which
are clearly recognisable. In the genera Platalea and Platibis,
the head is only partially bare and the orifice of the ear is
THE SPOON-BILLS. 1 07
covered with plumes, whereas in the American Spoon-bill,
Ajaja ajaja, the head is entirely bare and the orifice of the ear
exposed.
Platibis, which is confined to Australia, has no crest, but
has ornamental breeding-plumes on the fore-neck, while the
nostrils are differently placed to those of Platalea, which has a
crest, but no ornamental feathers on the fore-neck.
THE TRUE SPOON-BILLS. GENUS PLATALEA.
Platalea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 231 (1766).
Type, P. leuccrodia, Linn.
A bare head and the auricular orifice covered with plumes,
are the main characters of this genus, but the position of the
nostrils is also peculiar, the nasal opening being an elongated
oval, situated in a narrow depression, which loses itself about
the commencement of the narrowest part of the bill, and is
continued in a narrow sub-marginal line, which runs to the tip
of the bill. In the breeding-plumage a full crest is developed,
but there are no ornamental plumes on the fore-neck or breast.
Four species of Spoon-bill are known, all peculiar to the Old
World. Our P. leucerodia of Europe is replaced in Australia
and the Moluccas by P. regia and in Eastern Asia by P.
minor, while in Africa a totally distinct species, P. alba, takes
the place of the black-billed forms. P. alba has a red bill and
legs, and is found in Africa and Madagascar.
I. THE SPOON-BILL. PLATALEA LEUCERODIA.
Platalea kucorodia, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 231 (1766); Macg.
Brit. B. iv. p. 503 (1852); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 113
(1883) ; Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 514 (1884) ; Saunders, ed.
Yarr. Brit. B. iv. p. 237 (1884) ; id. Man. Br. B. p. 381
(1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part. xii. (1890).
Platea kucorodia, Dresser, B. Eur. vi. p. 319, pi. 407 (1873).
Platalea leucerodia, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 44.
(Plate LXXII.)
Adult Male, Pure white above and below, including the quills
io8 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
and tail-fen thers ; a large nuchal crest of pointed and droop-
ing plumes ; on the crown and fore-neck a tinge of tawny or
cinnamon-buff; bill deep slate-colour, irregularly barred with
black, and having a yellow patch on the under-part ; feet black ;
iris crimson. Total length, 38 inches; culmen, S'i ; wing,
14-9; tail, 47; tarsus, 57.
Adult Female, Similar to the male.
Winter Plumage. White as in the breeding-plumage, but want-
ing the crest of drooping plumes. Bare space before the eye
flesh-colour or greenish-yellow ; eyelid yellow.
Young Birds. White all over as in the winter plumage of the
adults, and equally devoid of crest-plumes ; the primary-
coverts and quills with black shafts, the outer primaries also
blackish along the outer webs and at the tips ; bill yellow^ or,
as the spring advances, pale inky-black, mottled with yellow
at the tip ; the bare skin of the chin yellow ; feet and claws
black ; iris red.
Nestling, Covered with white down, the throat and loral
region bare as in old birds ; bill yellow.
Range in Great Britain. To the east and south of England and
the south of Ireland the Spoon-bill is still an occasional visitor,
but north of Yorkshire and in Scotland its occurrences have
been less numerous. A Devonshire specimen from Colonel
Montagu's collection is in the British Museum, as well as the
bill of one which I shot in the Hoy near New Romney several
years ago when collecting in company with Dr. Gordon Hogg.
We were shooting some Terns, as the tide swept in, just as
darkness was coming on, when a great bird hove in sight which
I took to be a Gull at the time. In the failing light v/e could
not find the place where it dropped, and the tide compelled
us to retreat. A week later I found its body washed up into
some reeds, and past all preserving.
In olden times, the Spoon-bill, or " Shoveler " and " Shovs-
lard," as it was called, bred in England, not only in Norfolk
and Suffolk, but, as Mr. Harting has shown, near Goodwood,
and at Fulham near London. It has long been extinguished as
a breeding-species with us.
Jlange outside the British Islands. The Spoon-bill is everywhere
1HE SPOON-BILL. 169
a local bird, requiring certain conditions of life not to be found
in every country, and in the portions of Northern France
where it used to nest, it no longer breeds, though it still does
so, in a limited way, in Holland, where it is protected. It nests
in Europe generally south of 56 N. lat., and especially in Spain
and on the Danube, extending thence to Central Asia, India,
and even to Japan, but its place in China is taken by P. minor.
In Africa our Spoon-bill extends its range to North-eastern
Africa as far as Socotra.
Habits. To learn the ways of the Spoon-bill, a visit must be
paid to the marshes which it frequents, and as the drainage of
the fen lands and meres proceeds in Holland, as it has done
in the bird's haunts in England, the species is becoming more
and more rare, and the opportunities of observing it more
difficult. It arrives in Europe in April, the earliest seen by
Colonel Irby at Gibraltar being on the Qth of that month,
and eggs are taken in Southern Spain early in May. Birds
have been seen, however, by Major Verner in the same coun-
try as early as the 2oth of February, and they leave Northern
Europe in September and migrate in the south during October.
Mr. Seebohm says that the Spoon-bill frequents open swamps
and low-lying ground near the sea, rather than the centre of
dense reed-beds and rush-covered marshes. It may sometimes
be seen in swampy meadows, in similar localities to those
which the White Stork loves to frequent. It walks about
slowly and sedately, and, when alarmed, it often flies to a tall
tree, where, perched perhaps on the topmost bough, it is a very
conspicuous object for a great distance. It is very fond of
frequenting mud-flats, searching them with its peculiar bill for
food. It is rather shy, and seldom allows the observer to ap-
proach it very closely. The food of the Spoon-bill is largely
composed of crustaceans, molluscs, and small insects, which
it catches with its broad bill, using it in the same manner that
a Duck does. To this fare is added small fish, frogs, and
quantities of vegetable matter, such as the buds and leaves of
water-plants, and probably grass. The Spoon-bill does not
appear ever to utter any note, beyond making a sharp snapping
sound with its bill.
Nest. In India the Spoon-bill breeds in trees in company
no LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
with other Herons, just as it used to do in England in days
gone by, but in Europe its nests are usually found on the
ground or on low trees, such as willows or alders. A visit to the
Horster Meer, near Amsterdam, where the birds are protected,
is described by Dr. Sclater and the late Mr. W. A. Forbes in
the "Ibis" for 1877 (pp. 412-416), who recount the finding
of the eggs : " The nests were not situated so near together
as those of the Cormorants, but scattered about two or three
yards from each other, with thin patches of reeds growing be-
tween them. There was, however, a clear open space in the
neighbourhood, formed of broken-down reeds, in which the
birds were said to congregate. The Spoon-bill's nest, in the
Horster Meer at least, is a mere flattened surface of broken
reed, not elevated more than two or three inches above the
general level of the swamp ; and no other substance but reed
appears to be used in its construction."
Eggs. Four or five in number, of a dull chalky-white,
with spots or streaks of reddish-brown, sometimes blotches.
In some instances, too, there are only purplish underlying
spots to be seen, with scarcely any overlying red blotches,
while in others the underlying spots are scarcely to be distin-
guished. They vary considerably in size, some being long and
some round. Axis, 2'55-2'95 inches; diam., i'65-i'86.
THE CRANE-LIKE BIRDS. ORDER GRUIFORME3.
The characters for the definition of this Order are chiefly
anatomical. The dorsal vertebrae are " heterocselous " and
the spinal feather-tract is not defined on the neck. The oil-
gland is tufted and the young are able to move about soon
after they are hatched. There are generally no notches on the
posterior margin of the breast-bone, and there are no powder-
down patches as in the Herons. The True Cranes are a well
marked Family, but some of the allied ones, such as the
Sun-Bitterns (Eurypyges\ the Kagus (Rhinochetcs\&&& the Mas-
carene Mesiiides, though allied to the Cranes, show several
$t?ological differences.
THE CRANES. 1 1 1
THE TRUE CRANES. SUB-ORDER GRUES.
In these birds the anterior part of the breast-bone is per-
forated to receive the convolutions of the trachea, as in some of
the Swans. The palate is schizognathous and the nostrils are
holorhinal. The tail-feathers are twelve in number. The bill
is stout and of about the same length as the head itself, the
lower mandible being slightly grooved. The nasal depression
extends for more than half the length of the upper mandible,
and the nostril is shut in by a membrane behind. The inner
secondaries are rather longer than the primaries, and they
are generally composed of drooping plumes, with the feathers
rather loose and ornamental.
THE TRUE CRANES. GENUS GRUS.
Grus, Pall. Misc. Zool. lasc. iv. pp. i 9 (1767).
Type, Grus gtus (L.).
I. THE COMMON CRANE. GRUS GRUS.
Ardea grits. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 234 (1766).
Grus cinerea, Meyer and Wolf, Taschenb. ii. p. 350(1810);
Macg. Brit. B. iv. p. 20 (1852); Seeb. Brit. B. ii. p. 570
(1884).
Grus communtSy Bechst. ; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 337, pi. 505
(1873) ; B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 152 (1883) ; Saunders,
ed. Yarr. Brit. B. iii. p. 178 (1883) ; id. Man. Brit. B. p.
507 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xii. (1890).
Grits grus, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 250 (1894).
(Plate LXXHf.)
Adult Male General colour above dark ashy-grey ; wing-
coverts like the back, the greater series clearer grey and some-
what blackish towards their ends ; bastard-wing black, preceded
by a row of grey-coverts, preceding the primary-coverts, which
are black like the primaries, and somewhat shaded with grey
near the base ; secondaries for the most part dark grey, more
or less blackish on the outer webs and tips, the inner web
lighter grey ; the innermost secondaries lanceolate, slaty-grey
with black tips ; upper tail-coverts grey, as also the tail-feathers,
the latter blackish towards the ends ; crown of head and lores
bare, only covered by blackish hair-like bristles ; nape with a
triangular patch of dark s^te-colour ; hind-neck white, as well
112 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
as the sides of the neck, the sides of the head, and the ear-
coverts as far as the eye ; feathers below the eye, sides of face
and throat, dark slate-colour ; remainder of under surface from
the lower throat downwards ashy-grey, including the under
wing-cove.rts ; bill greyish-green, inclining to red near the base ;
feet blackish-grey ; iris reddish ; eyelid reddish-brown. Total
length, 36 inches; culmen, 47 ; wing, 22-0; tail, 8'o ; tarsus,
9'5-
Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour, but the orna-
mental secondaries not so fully developed.
Young Birds. Similar to the adults, but having a rust-coloured
head, and all the feathers edged with fulvous.
Nestling. Covered with down of a yellowish-buff colour, of a
very dense texture.
Range in Great Britain. That the Crane formerly bred in the
British Islands is undoubted, and, as Mr. Howard Saunders says,
"there is evidence that until the year 1590 the species used to
breed in fens and swamps of the eastern counties, whilst its
visits in winter continued with regularity to a later period,
though they gradually diminished." In Ireland fossil remains of
the Crane have been found, and this would seem to indicate
that when that country was still more 'distressful ' than it is now,
the Crane bred there also, in times gone by, in the swamps
which its soul loves. Now it is only an accidental visitor, oc-
curring more frequently than in other parts of Great Britain
in the Orkneys and Shetland Islands. A few specimens have
also been obtained in Ireland.
Range outside the British Islands. -The Crane is found in suit-
able localities over the greater part of Europe, where it breeds
in the marshes, from Spain to Norway and Scandinavia gener-
ally, as well as in Central Europe and Russia, wherever it can
find the retired morasses which it affects. In 1894 I separated
the Siberian and Indian Crane as a distinct species, Grits
lilfordi, a paler form of our Common Crane, with the orna-
mental secondaries light ashy-grey, instead of dark slate-colour.
Mr. Blaauw, who has made these birds a special study, informs
me that equally light-coloured individuals occur in Europe,
and several of my friends believe that there is really no differ-
THE COMMON CRANE. 113
ence between European and Indian examples. The series in
the British Museum, however, teaches a different conclusion,
and I am as yet quite unconvinced that the two species are the
same, because there is a great gap in the geographical distribu-
tion of the two forms, as has been illustrated by Radakorf in
his "Hand-Atlas."
Habits. The Crane is a migratory bird to Europe, arriving in
February in the south and reaching its northern breeding-home
in April and May. Colonel Irby writes: "On the nth of
March, 1874, Mr. Stark and myself had the pleasure of seeing
them on passage, and a grand and extraordinary sight it was,
as flock after flock passed over at a height of about two hun-
dred yards, some in single line, and some in a V-shape, others in
a Y-formation, all from time to time trumpeting loudly. We
watched them for about an hour as they passed, during which
time we calculated that at least four thousand must have flown
by. This was early in the morning, and we were obliged to
continue our journey ; but when we lost sight of the Vega of
Casas Viejas, over which the Cranes were passing in a due
northerly direction, there appeared to be no diminution in their
numbers, and, as my friend remarked, ' one would not have
believed that there were so many Cranes in the whole of
Europe. ' "
" Unlike the Herons and the Storks," writes Mr. Seebohm,
" the Crane has a loud and not unmusical voice, which can be
heard at an immense distance. The keel of the sternum is
hollow, and the wind-pipe is convoluted between the plates
on either side ; and from this long pipe, as from a trombone,
proceed loud, clear, trumpet-like notes, so rapidly trilled as
almost to split the ear with their vibrations. These notes can
be variously modulated to express the different feelings of
the bird. The Crane feeds more on vegetable than on animal
food. It eats all sorts of corn, seeds, buck-wheat, peas, the
tender shoots of aquatic plants, and even grass ; but it often
devours worms, insects of various kinds, and even lizards and
small frogs, but it is not known to eat fish."
Nest. To again quote Colonel Irby, the " nests vary much
in size, some being quite five feet across, others perhaps not
more than eighteen inches ; some are deep, and stand high
ii4 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
up ; others are almost level with the water, in which they are
always built. The nest is always placed among sedges or
rushes, sufficiently short for the bird, when standing up, to be
able to see around, and is never built in tall reeds. It is very
easy to find, as the old birds never fly direct to the nest, but
alight some twenty or thirty yards away, and, walking up to it,
form regular tracks like a cattle-path, so, by following one of
these tracks, one may be sure of finding the nest ; nor do the
old birds fly straight away from it, but walk off quietly to the
end of one of these paths and then take wing. When ap-
proached while sitting on the nest, the bird slips off, crouches
down, and runs away for some yards."
Egg S . Two in number, very rarely three ; of a coffee-brown
to a stony-grey as regards the ground-colour. The eggs are
double-spotted, the underlying spots being dull purplish-grey,
while the overlying ones take the form of brown or reddish
smudges and spots, generally distributed over the egg, but
more often collected round the thicker end. Axis, 3'55-4'3 j
diam., 2-3-2-5.
THE DEMOISELLE CRANES. GENUS ANTHROPOIDES.
AnthropoideS) Vieill. Analyse, p. 50 (1816).
Type, A. virgo (Linn.).
Unlike the True Cranes, the Demoiselle has a feathered head,
with a long tuft of silky plumes on the ear-coverts, and the
plumes of the lower throat are ornamental, elongated, and lan-
ceolate.
Only one species of the genus, A. virgo, is known, extend-
ing from Southern Europe to Central Asia, and thence to
Northern China, and wintering in Northern and North-eastern
Africa as well as in North-western India. It has been observed
once only in Great Britain, when one of a pair was shot in the
Orkneys in May, 1863. As, however, the species is one which
is constantly kept in menageries, these may have been escaped
individuals. The same must have been actually the case with
the Crowned Crane (Balearica pavonina), which was shot in
Ayrshire on Sunday, September lyth, 1871. This species is
also one which is often kept in confinement.
THE BUSTARDS. 1 15
THE BUSTARDS AND PLOVERS.
ORDER CHARADRIIFORMES.
In this Order are found the Plovers, Sheath-bills (Chionis\
Seed-Snipes (Attagis), Jacanas (Parr<z\ Bustards, and Thick-
knees. The palate is throughout schizognathous, but the nos-
trils differ, being mostly schizorhinal, except in a few forms,
where they are holorhinal. Next in order to the Cranes come
the Bustards and the Thick-knees, the latter being Bustard-like
Plovers, and forming the connecting link with the True Plovers.
THE BUSTARDS. SUB-ORDER OTIDES.
Besides the schizognathous palate, which is found in the
whole Order Charadriiformes^ the Bustards differ from the
bulk of the Plover-like birds in having holorhinal nostrils.
The dorsal vertebras are heterocselous, and there are other
osteological characters which are detailed in various works on
the classification of birds, but on these I need not dilate
further, as they are not necessary to an understanding of
what a Bustard is. In form, in plumage, and in external
character the birds are so peculiar as to be easily recognisable,
if, indeed, anyone is so fortunate as to shoot a Bustard in
the present day, for the Great Bustard has become extinct with
us, and the other two species on the British List, the Little
Bustard and Macqueen's Bustard, are only rare visitants.
The Bustards are birds of the Old World only, and are dis-
tributed over the whole of it in localities suited to their habits.
They do not extend, however, very far to the north. Some
dozen genera are admitted by zoologists, and of these three
find place among our British birds.
THE TRUE BUSTARDS. GENUS OTIS.
Of is, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 264 (1766).
Type, O. tarda, Linn.
In former times there were probably many more species
of Bustards in Europe than exist at the present moment, for
remains of an extinct species have been described by Mr.
I 2
n6 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Lydekker from the Miocene of Bavaria. At present only
two representatives of the genus Otis are known, one being
the Otis tarda of Europe and Western Asia, which is
replaced by O. dybowskii in Eastern Siberia and China.
All the Bustards have a wavy or freckled plumage, and
some of them have a largely developed shield of feathers
over the crop, composed of the elongated plumes of the
lower throat and fore-neck. To this section belongs Mac-
queen's Bustard, mentioned later. The True Bustards, how-
ever, have no such appendage, though the crop is of a bright
chestnut-colour, and is capable of being distended to an enor-
mous extent, when the bird "shows off" during the breeding
season. The " Great " Bustard is so called in contrast to the
"Little" Bustard (Tetrax tetrax\\^\\1 it is by no means the
largest of the Family, as there are several species which ex-
ceed Otis tarda in size. In the genus Otis there is no crest
on the nape or hind-neck, but no other genus possesses the
curious whisker-like plumes on the cheeks, which are so promi-
nent an ornament in O. tarda and its Asiatic ally.
I. THE GREAT BUSTARD. OTIS TARDA.
Otis tarda, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 264 (1766); Macg. Brit. B.
iv. p. 30 (1852); Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 369, pi. 508
(1872); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 153 (1883); Saunders,
ed. Yarr. Brit. B. iii. p. 193 (1884); Seebohm, Brit B. ii.
p. 581 (1884); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 509 (1889);
Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxi. (1892); Sharpe, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxxiii. p. 285 (1894).
(Plate LXXIV.)
Adult Male. General colour above sandy-rufous, with broad
transverse bands of black, especially on the back and scapu-
lars ; the upper tail-coverts and tail similarly banded, but of
a lighter and more vinous-chestnut tint; tail-feathers tipped
with white, the outer ones white at the base, and the three
outermost almost entirely white, with a broad sub-terminal
band of black ; lesser wing-coverts like the back, with some-
what wider black bars ; median and greater coverts, bastard-
wing, and primary-coverts white, powdered with grey towards
their ends ; quills brown, with white bases ; the primaries white-
shafted, and blackish at the tip and on the outer web ; second-
THE TRUE BUSTARDS. 117
aries blackish, the Vases white, this increasing in extent to-
wards the inner secondaries, on which the black tip gradually
disappears, so that the inner ones are quite white, the inner-
most ones being like the back; crown light grey, tinged with
rufous towards the hind-neck, which is barred across with
black ; sides of face, ear-coverts, cheeks, and throat light grey,
with elongated bristle-like feathers on each side of the chin ;
lower throat and fore-neck orange-chestnut, forming a band
across the fore-neck, which is washed with light grey, the sides
of the neck with numerous small bars of black ; sides of upper
breast sandy-rufous, barred with black ; rest of under surface
of body pure white ; bill leaden-grey, the tip horn-black ; feet
earthy-brown, the nails horny-black ; iris dark brown ; eyelid
white. Total length, 42 inches; culmen, 2*1 ; wing, 23*5 ; tail,
io'o ; tarsus, 6*0.
Adult Female. Coloured like the male, but much smaller.
The grey on the throat extends farther down, the sides of the
neck being rufous with a few black bands, the rufous-colour
descending on to the sides of the fore-neck. There are no
ornamental bristly plumes on the cheeks. Total length, 30
inches; culmen, 2'i ; wing, 19-5 ; tail, 8*5 ; tarsus, 5-3.
Young Birds. Resemble the old female, but are paler and
more freckled with dusky-brown bars on the wing-coverts, as
well as on the white secondaries, which have a large dark sub-
terminal bar. The crown is like the back, being blackish,
blotched with sandy-buff markings, and the hind-neck is grey-
ish ; the sides of the face and throat greyish-white, as also a
broad eyebrow ; lower throat and fore-neck sandy-buff, freckled
with dusky cross-markings ; sides of fore-neck sandy-rufous,
with distinct black cross-bars.
Range in Great Britain. According to Mr. Howard Saunders
(Man. p. 509), "until the year 1526 the Great Bustard used
to breed, sparingly, as far north as the flat portion of the Low-
lands, on the Scottish side of the Border ; and southward it
was common on the moors, extensive downs and plains of
England, to the Channel. Enclosure, the planting of trees,
and the increase of population contributed to the gradual
diminution of its numbers, and it passed away, unrecorded,
from Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, the wolds of
n8 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY
Lincolnshire, and the downs of Sussex, while the first ten years
of this century saw the extinction of the birds indigenous to
Salisbury Plain. On the eastern wolds of Yorkshire the sur-
vivor of former droves was trapped in 1832-33; and in Nor-
folk and Suffolk the last fertile eggs were taken about 1838,
though a few birds lingered to a somewhat later date." Such
is the epitome of the history of the extinction of this interest-
ing bird, and now only an occasional visitor comes over to
Britain, though sometimes several individuals are noticed, as
was the case in 1870-71, when it is supposed that the Franco-
German War and the consequent cannonading drove the birds
from their usually quiet haunts. Again an influx took place in
1879-80, when the species invaded Central and Northern France.
Eange outside the British Islands. The Great Bustard is now
rare in Denmark and Southern Sweden, where it used to
breed, but is at present confined to Central and Southern
Europe, being found in Hungary, certain parts of Germany
and Poland, while it is by no means a rare bird in Spain.
Eastwards it extends to Turkestan and Northern Afghanistan,
and it occasionally wanders into the extreme north-west of
the Indian Peninsula. In Siberia and China, O. tarda is re-
placed by 0. dy bow skit.
Habits. When I was in Hungary, I was very anxious to see
the Great Bustard, but, though we passed through country in-
habited by the birds, I was told that they were then difficult to
observe, as they hid themselves in the fields of waving corn
and were not to be seen flying. As this was in May, when
Mr. Howard Saunders says that they moult their quills and
are unable to fly, there is little wonder that I did not suc-
ceed in seeing one on the wing.
The food of the Great Bustard consists, besides occasional
worms, lizards, and small rodents, of green food, such as corn
and peas, and Dr. Aitchison records his finding in the crop of
an old male bird shot in Northern Afghanistan a ball of grass,
while the odour of the bird was such that it was with great
difficulty he could be prevailed upon to preserve it. The flesh
of the females and young birds is, however, highly esteemed.
The males make a great show in the breeding-season, and
fight for the possession of the hens. A cock Bustard, at all
THE LESSER BUSTARDS, 119
times a fine-looking bird, becomes an extraordinary object
when in love, and betrays one of the most remarkable
figures to be met with in nature. His " show-off " is some-
what as follows : Standing before the female, he beats his
feet on the ground, and begins by shaking his wings. He
then turns his tail flat upon his back, crosses his long primary-
quills, so that the ends protrude cross-wise over it, shakes
up his scapulars and covers the quills so that nothing of
them remains in sight. The white under tail-coverts are then
brought up, so as to form a frill behind him. Then his
wing-coverts are gradually turned forwards, and the four white
inner secondaries are erected on each side of the back, while
he buries his head in his neck, thereby causing his whiskers to
stand erect on each side ; and then by means of the air-pouch
under his tongue, he inflates his neck and throat to a pro-
digious extent, his chestnut crop being in full evidence. The
long parapteral feathers, which are really wing-coverts, share
in the everting process of the latter, and are thrown forward,
so as to show the elegant white plumes raised over each side
of the back. That white is evidently a considerable attraction
to the female, is shown by the fact that the bird constantly
varies the display by springing suddenly round and exhibiting
his other side to the female, where there are the white under
tail-coverts for her to admire. In the Natural History Museum
is an admirably mounted group of Bustards, executed by Mr.
Pickhardt, and showing the results of his studies of the species
in the Zoological Gardens, where this year (1895) the female
Bustard laid eggs.
Nest. None ; a mere hollow scraped in the ground.
Eggs. Two or three in number. Generally olive-brown,
double spotted, the underlying spots and blotches being faint
purplish-grey, with similar overlying markings of light olive or
brown. Axis, 27-3*25 inches; diam., 2*i-2'35.
THE LESSER BUSTARDS. GENUS TETRAX.
Tetrax, Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. &c. Brit. Mus. p. 28 (1816),
Type, T. tetrax (Linn.).
In this genus, which consists of one small species, there are
120 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
no ornamental whisker-like plumes, but on the nape is a full
crest of elongated feathers. The tarsus is very short.
I. THE LITTLE BUSTARD. TETRAX TETRAX.
Of is tetrax, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 264 (1766) ; Macg. Brit. B.
i y - P- 35 ( l8 5 2 ); Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 382, pi. 509
(1872); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 154 (1883); Seebohm,
Brit. B. iii. p. 587 (1884); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Brit. B.
iii. p. 216 (1883); id. Man. Brit. B. p. 511 (1889); Lil-
ford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxiv. (1893).
Tetrax tetrax, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 289 (1894).
(Plate LXXV.}
Adult Male. Sandy-buff, vermiculated and blotched with
black ; quills white, blackish towards their ends, and white at
the tips ; the outer primaries blackish, with white bases, the
white gradually increasing towards the secondaries, which are
almost entirely white with an occasional spot of black, the
innermost secondaries like the back ; tail with four black bars,
the basal half white, the outer feathers broadly tipped with
creamy-white ; crown of head, nape, and hind-neck brown,
mottled with streaks and edges of sandy-buff, with which a few
blue-grey feathers are intermixed ; lores and sides of crown
pale sandy-buff, streaked with dark brown ; feathers above and
round the eye uniform creamy-buff; sides efface, ear-coverts,
cheeks, and throat light bluish-grey, bordered by a broad band
of black, which extends from the sides of the hind-neck
diagonally across the latter, and unites in a broad band which
runs down the centre of the lower throat ; round the hind-
neck, and occupying the sides of the latter, is a broad patch of
black, uniting on the upper fore-neck ; this is bordered above
by a broad band of white which encircles the hind-neck, sepa-
rates the black on the sides of the neck, and descending on
the latter to the lower throat, unites there in a point ; across
the lower fore-neck is a broad band of black which is separated
from the lower throat by a band of white, which traverses the
fore-neck also ; remainder of under surface of body pure
white ; bill horn-grey, black at the tip, dull yellowish at the
base of the lower mandible ; feet dull ochre-yellow ; iris yellow-
ish. Total length, 17 inches; culmen, 1*5; wing, 9-4; tail,
37; tarsus, 2-4.
\
THE LESSER BUSTARDS. 121
Adult Female. Without the varied markings of the male, but
scarcely differing in size. Rather lighter and more coarsely
mottled with black than the male ; the hind-neck and mantle,
as well as parts of the scapulars and back, spangled with ovate
drops of sandy-buff, most of these drops having a twin-spot of
black in the centre ; sides of face sandy-rufous, streaked with
black ; throat white ; lower throat, fore-neck, and upper breast
sandy-buff, the former streaked with black, and the fore-neck
and chest with circular bars and spots of black ; remainder of
under surface pure white, as also the under wing-coverts ; the
lower primary-coverts with cross-bars of black ; wings as in the
male, but the exterior coverts and the , greater series barred
with black. Total length, 17 inches; culmen, I'l ; wing, 97 ;
tail, 4*0 ; tarsus, 2*4.
Young Birds. These can generally be distinguished from the
adult female by the greater amount of barring on the chest, by
the more profuse barring of the white upper tail-coverts, and
by the sandy frecklings of the primary-coverts ; iris brownish-
yellow.
Eange in Great Britain. Although a few instances of the oc-
currence of the Little Bustard in full breeding- dress have been
recorded from our islands, the greater number of specimens
have been captured in autumn and winter, chiefly in the
southern and eastern counties. Four have been recorded
from Scotland and two from Ireland.
Range outside the British Islands. The Little Bustard is a mi-
gratory bird in most parts of Europe, and breeds only in the
open country suited to its habits. Thus it is plentiful in
certain parts of France, Spain, and Russia, but it does not go
very far north, though known as a straggler to Scandinavia, the
Baltic Provinces, and the neighbourhood of St. Petersburg.
Eastward it ranges to Turkestan, whence it visits North-western
India in the cold season, at which time it is also found in
North-eastern Africa.
Habits. As a rule, the present species is a very shy bird
and one difficult to procure, though it is often seen in flocks of
a hundred or more at certain seasons. Colonel Irby writes :
" I found the Little Bustard equally common in Marocco and
Andalucia on all open, low, cultivated ground. On the dead
122 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
level, or vega, of the Barbate near Casas Viejas at times, in
early autumn, they positively swarmed in flocks sometimes of
as many, or more, than a hundred together, frequenting this
flat ground till it was swamped by the rains. They then re-
sorted to higher and more undulating ground, and these large
flocks dispersed and broke up into lots of from five to six or
twenty in number. . . . Unlike the Great Bustard, they
usually rose high up at once, and their power and rapidity of
flight is astonishing for their size and weight. They were often
seen flying somewhat like Golden Plover, twirling and twist-
ing about at a great elevation ; and sometimes I watched them
rise and go to such a height that it would have been difficult
to tell what birds they were unless I had seen them fly up from
the ground, . . . The Moorish names (Saf-saf or Sirt-sirt)
are significant of the rattling noise which the Little Bustard
makes in rising, and, when the flock is large, this can be
heard a long way off. There is none of this sound of the
wings in the rising of the slow-flying Great Bustard. . . . The
male Little Bustard in the breeding-season has a most peculiar
call, which can be easily imitated by pouting out the lips tight
together and then blowing through them. The birds, when
thus calling, seem to be close to one, but are often in reality
half a mile off. They must possess powers of ventriloquism,
as I have often imagined that they were quite near to me, but
upon hunting the spot with a dog I found no signs of them
anywhere near. Indeed, at that season, it is sometimes as
difficult to make them rise as a Land-Rail." Mr. Howard Saun-
ders says that the male assumes his breeding-plumage in April,
at which time he selects a spot about three feet in diameter,
on which he passes several hours each day, with head and neck
thrown back, wings somewhat extended, and tail erect, pouring
forth his peculiar cry of prut, prut, jumping up at the con-
clusion of each call, and striking the ground in a peculiar
manner on his descent. At this season, Mr. Abel Chapman
found that the throat was much dilated (Man. p. 512). The
food of the species is varied, and while chiefly consisting of
grass and grain, also comprises frogs, small rodents, and
insects.
Nest On the ground, a small depression being lined with
dry grass.
THE RUFFED BUSTARDS. 123
Egg S . Three or four in number; olive-brown to olive-green,
or stone-colour in tint, the markings being very inconspicuous,
so that the general aspect of the egg is uniform. The under-
lying markings are dusky and scarcely distinguishable, while
the overlying ones are obscure olive or reddish-brown. Axis,
i'95~2'25; diam., 1*5-1 '6.
THE RUFFED BUSTARDS. GENUS HOUBARA.
Honiara, Bp. Saggio Met. Ucc. Europ. p. 144 (1831).
Type, H, undulata (Jacq.).
The Ruffed Bustards belong to the section of the Family
which have an overhanging shield of feathers on the crop. In
the genus Honiara the crown has an erectile crest of narrow
feathers, and on the sides of the neck is a large ruff of soft
feathery plumes. The tarsus is very short.
Two species of Ruffed Bustard are known, Macqueen's Bus-
tard of the British list, and the Mediterranean Ruffed Bustard
(H. undulata)) the ranges of which are given below.
i. MACQUEEN'S BUSTARD. HOUBARA MACQUEENII.
Otis macqueeni) J. E. Gray ; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 395, pi.
511 (1876); Seebohm, Brit. B. ii. p. 591 (1884); Saun-
ders, ed. Yarr. Brit. B. iii. p. 221 (1884); id. Man. Brit.
B. p. 153 (1889).
Houbara macqueenii, B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 154 (1883);
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiii. p. 318 (1894).
Adult Mala. Freckled above with sandy and blackish, like
other Bustards, but easily distinguished by its facial characters
and ruff. The crown of the head is sandy-brown in colour,
minutely freckled with blackish, and ornamented in the centre
with a crest of a few elongated feathers, which are white tipped
with black ; the occiput and nape greyish-white, with dusky
frecklings ; the hind-neck covered with down of a sandy-buff
colour ; on the sides of the crown a lateral crest of white, slightly
freckled on the feathers over the eye ; lores and feathers round
the eye white, with elongated black hair-like shafts to the
feathers ; the sides of the face and ear-coverts pale sandy-buff,
124 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
with the same blackish shafts ; cheeks white, the fore-part
streaked with black shafts ; chin and upper throat white ; sides
of neck black, commencing in a streak close behind the ear-
coverts and extending into a ruff of stiffened feathers, the basal
plumes black, the succeeding ones white, with broad black
tips, succeeded by a tuft of feathery white plumes; lower
throat and fore neck bluish-grey, the former obscured by
sandy-buff, slightly freckled with black; the plumes of the fore-
neck elongated and bluish-grey, with white tips ; remainder of
under surface of body white, with some freckled feathers on
the sides of the upper breast, and some black cross-bars on
the under tail-coverts, all of the latter plumes with a concealed
tinge of pink at the base; under wing-coverts and axillaries
pure white ; bill bluish or dusky above, paler, usually greenish
or yellowish, on the gape and lower mandible ; feet pale yellow,
never clean and bright, mostly with a dingy greenish or plum-
beous tinge, at times creamy ; iris varying from pale to bright
yellow. Total length, 28 inches; culmen, i'8; wing, 157;
tail, 9'5 ; tarsus, 4'g.
Adult Female. Smaller than the male, with the crest and ruff
less developed, the freckling on the lower throat and fore-neck
rather coarser. Total length, 23 inches ; culmen, 1*65; wing,
i6'o; tail, 7*0; tarsus, 3*7.
Young Birds. Resemble the old female, but always to be dis-
tinguished by the arrow-head markings of sandy-buff on the
upper surface. The grey on the fore-neck is obscured by
sandy frecklings, and the white primaries are deeply tinged
with sandy-buff. The frill is always much smaller, and only a
few elongated feathers represent the crest of the adults, these
plumes being coarsely freckled with black.
Range in Great Britain. One of our rarest visitors, only two
examples being known to have occurred within our limits, one
having been killed near Kirton-in-Lindsey in Lincolnshire in
October, 1847, and another near Redcar in October, 1892.
Range outside tlie British Islands. The breeding-place of Mac-
queen's Bustard appears to be the steppes of Central Asia as
far east as the Altai Mountains and the Baikal district. In
winter it is found in great abundance in North-western India
and Sind, and it also winters in Persia and Baluchistan, as far as
THE RUFFED BUSTARDS. 125
the Caspian Sea. It has been killed in many parts of Cen-
tral Europe, but rarely reaches the countries of Northern
Europe. Its ally, the Arabian Ruffed Bustard (Houbara undii-
latd], occurs in the countries of the Mediterranean, eastwards to
Armenia and westwards to the Canaries, the Bustards of Fuer-
teventura having been lately considered to be a distinct species,
which has been described as O. fuerteventura by the Hon.
Walter Rothschild and Mr. E. Hartert
H. undulata has a white crest, and the fore-neck a/nd chest
are white like the rest of the under surface of the body.
Habits. The best account of the habits of the present species
is that published by Mr. A. O. Hume in the " Game Birds of
India," from which I make the following extracts : " I have
never heard this bird utter any sound, either when feeding un-
disturbed, or when suddenly flushed, or when wounded and
seized, or about to be seized, by man or dog. Possibly during
the breeding-season the males have some call.
" By preference, the Houbara affects the nearly level, though
slightly undulating, sandy semi-desert plains, which constitute
so important a feature in the physical geography of Western
India. Plains, semi-desert indeed, but yet affording in places
thin patches, in places a continuous area, of low scrubby cover,
in which the dwarf Zizyphus (the Ber), the Lana {Anabasis
multiflora), the Booee (Jrna booii\ various Salsolas, stunted
acacia-bushes, and odorous tufts of lemon-grass are conspicuous.
"Here the Houbara trots about early and late, squatting
under the shade of some bush, during the sunniest hours of
the day, feeding very largely on the small fruit of the Ber, or
the berries of the Grewia, or the young shoots of the lemon-
grass, and other herbs ; now picking up an ant or two, now a
grasshopper or beetle, and now a tiny land-shell or stone, but
living chiefly as a vegetarian, and never with us, to judge from
the hundreds I have examined, feeding on lizards, snakes, and
the like, as the Great Bustard certainly does, and the African
Houbara is said to do.
" The Houbara greatly prefers running to flying, and when
the weather is not too hot, will make its way through the laby-
rinth of little bushes which constitute its home at a really sur-
prising pace. So long as the cover is low, its neck and body
are held as low as possible, but as soon as it gets where it
126 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
thinks it cannot be seen, it pulls up, and, raising its head as
high as possible, takes a good look at its pursuers. Not un-
frequently it then concludes to squat, and though you may
have been, unobserved, watching it carefully, whilst it was only
watching others of the party coming from an opposite direction,
it becomes absolutely invisible the moment it settles down at
the foot of a bush or stone. Once it has thus settled, especially
if it is hot and about noon, you may walk past it within ten
yards without flushing it, if you walk carelessly and keep look-
ing in another direction.
11 But it is weary work trudging on foot, under an Indian
sun, after birds that run as these can and will, and in the dis-
tricts where they are plentiful, people always either hawk them
or shoot them from camels.
" Off a camel, a large bag is easily made, and as, whilst
after these Bustards, you get from time to time shots at Ante-
lope or Ravine-Deer, Quail, Partridges, and, on rare occasions,
a Great Bustard also, it is not bad fun, though rather monoto-
nous, like the scenery that surrounds one.
" In some parts of the country, the Houbara greatly affect
fields of mustard and other crops yielding the oil-seeds of com-
merce, of which there is a vast variety, known by half a dozen
different names, in almost every province.
" I have occasionally seen them in wheat, barley, and other
grain fields, but only when these were young and tender."
Nest. None.
Eggs. Two or three in number ; clay-brown or olive-brown
in colour, with faint underlying spots and blotches of purplish-
grey, the overlying spots being dark brown and generally some-
what longitudinal in shape. Axis, 2-2-2-55 inches; diam.,
i -6-1 8.
THE THICK-KNEES. SUB-ORDER (EDICNEMI.
The Thick-knees, or Stone-Curlews, form an intermediate
group between the Bustards and the Plovers, and they have
been called before now Thick-kneed Bustards, as well as
Norfolk " Plovers." Stone-" Curlew " is not a good name for
these birds, as they have little to do with the True Curlews
*
THE THICK-KNEES. 127
(Numenius), but they are generally known by this title, and so
I retain it.
Like the Bustards, the Thick-knees have a schizorhinal palate
and holorhinal nostril, and share with them another point, viz.,
the absence of the hind-toe, or hallux. There are, however,
many anatomical characters in which the two groups differ,
and in many of these the Thick-knees show relationship with
the Plovers. In habits they are Bustard-like in many respects,
but their eggs are more like those of the Plovers, and they
never make any nest.
There are four genera of Thick -knees, of which Bttrhinus^
Esacus, and Orthorhamphus are Indian and Australian, while
the genus (Edicnemus is found all over the temperate parts of
the Palaearctic Region, and extends throughout Africa, India,
and the Burmese countries. It is also found in America from
Mexico to Amazonia and Peru.
THE TRUE THICK-KNEES. GENUS CEDICNEMUS.
(Edicnemus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 321 (1815).
Type, (E. cedicnemus (Linn.).
I. THE STONE-CURLEW. CEDICNEMUS CEDICNEMUS.
Charadrius adicnemus, Linn. Syst, Nat. i. p. 255 (1766).
(Edicnemus crepitans, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 77 (1852); Seeb.
Br. B. ii. p. 696, pi. xxi. figs. 6, 7 (1884).
(Edicnemus scolopax, Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 401, pi. 512
(1876); B. O. U. List Br. B. p. 155 (1883); Saunders,
ed. Yarr. Br. B. iii. p. 225 (1884) ; Saunders, Man. Brit. B.
p. 515 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxxi. (1895).
(Edicnemus cedicnemus, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 6.
(Plate LXXVI.}
Adult Male. General colour above sandy-buff, with blackish
centres to the feathers ; lesser wing-coverts a little more tawny,
with broad black streaks ; median coverts greyish, mesially
streaked with black, tipped also with black, before which is a
broad sub-terminal bar of white ; greater coverts white, ashy at
the base, and with a broad sub-terminal bar of black ; primary-
coverts and quills blackish, with white spots on the middle of
the latter, the inner secondaries elongated and tinged with
123
tawny ; crown of head like the back, hut with narrower black
stripes ; lores, eyebrow, and a band below the eye white, ex-
tending across the ear-coverts, the upper margin of which is
blackish-brown continued into a black line underneath the eye
and ending in front of the latter ; cheeks and throat white ;
lower throat and fore-neck tawny-buff, streaked with black,
these streaks becoming narrower on the breast and sides of the
body, which are paler tawny-buff; breast, abdomen, and thighs
white; under tail-coverts tawny; under wing-coverts and axii-
laries white; bill greenish-yellow, black at the point; feet
yellow; iris very large and golden-yellow. Total length, 16
inches; oilmen, r6; wing, 9*35; tail, 4*7; tarsus, 3-1.
Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length,
16 inches; culmen, 1*65; wing, 9*5; tail, 4/9; tarsus, 275.
Young Birds. Very similar to the adults, but distinguished by
the colour of the wing-coverts, which are dusky-blackish at the
base, with broad white ends. In the old birds the bases of
these coverts are white, and the tips are white with a broad
sub-terminal bar of black. The general colour of the young
birds is more tawny than the adults.
Nestling. Entirely clothed in sandy-coloured down, paler on
the throat and abdomen, and streaked with bands and lines of
black, distributed over the body in regular patterns.
Range in Great Britain. To most parts of England the Stone-
Curlew is only a summer visitor, arriving in April and leaving
in October, but a certain number pass the winter in the south
of Devonshire and Cornwall. It has been found breeding in
the southern and eastern counties, as well as in the midlands,
but becomes rare to the north of Yorkshire, and only one in-
stance of its occurrence in Scotland is known, while Ireland
has received but a few visits. In Wales, also, it is almost un-
known.
Range outside the British Islands. An inhabitant of the tem-
perate portion of Europe, visiting Northern Germany in sum-
mer, and straggling occasionally into Denmark. In the Medi-
terranean countries it is mostly resident, but an immigration
takes place in the winter, when the Thick-knee visits North-
eastern Africa down to the latitude of Aden. Eastwards the
THE THICK-KNEES. 129
species extends to Central Asia and the Altai district, win-
tering in India and the Burmese provinces. The Indian birds
have been separated as a distinct race, as the generality of
specimens are smaller, while the third primary has a white spot.
This is a character which is found in some European speci-
mens, and no line of difference can be drawn between European
and Asiatic examples. f
Habits. Open spaces, heaths, and wolds are the natural
habitat of the Thick-knee, which is a particularly shy and timid
bird. The bare parts of the eastern counties and our southern
downs, the wilds of Salisbury Plain, and the wide extent of
shingly beach on the coast of Kent all these are favourite
resorts of the species in England, and it is in these localities it
breeds. Sometimes a single pair will be found inhabiting a
wide extent of the Hampshire Downs, while on Salisbury Plain
several pairs will be encountered in the space of a single day.
I have kept several of these birds in confinement, and allowed
them the run of a garden, but they are always timid, and
never become very tame. When pursued, they have the
curious habit of running along for some distance with their
necks outstretched, and then lying down with extended neck,
evidently trusting to the similarity of their plumage to their
barren surroundings for concealment. They will lie thus and
allow themselves to be taken by the hand. The note is
musical when the bird is flying in the air, calling to his mate,
but changes to a note of terror when a Peregrine comes in
sight, and I have seen several captured by trained Hawks.
Thick-knees are, as a rule, more active in the evening, and
are rather silent birds during the day. They will eat almost
anything, from a field-mouse or a frog to a worm or an
insect, though beetles constitute a large proportion of their
food. I have known a young one to be brought up largely on
meat, and slices off the breast of a freshly-killed Sparrow were
swallowed with avidity.
Nest. None, the eggs being deposited on the bare earth in
a shallow depression. They so closely resemble their sur-
roundings that they can easily be mistaken for the stones,
of which there are generally plenty on the fallow ground
selected by the bird for the deposition of its eggs. They are
II K
130 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
thus extremely difficult to find, the more so as the female
generally runs away from the eggs for a considerable distance
before taking wing.
Mr. Robert Read writes to me : " A few pairs of the Stone-
Curlew still nest on the vast stretches of shingle along the
shores of our south-eastern counties, where the eggs are exceed-
ingly hard to find. Before the eggs are incubated, the old
birds keep away from the nest all day, returning at night, when
their shrill cries give rise to the local name of ' Night-Hawk.' "
Eggs. Two in number, laid on the pebbles, without any
sign of a nest. Mr. Read says: "Sometimes they closely
resemble each other, but sometimes they are widely different
in colour and markings. I have seen the eggs lying side by
side, with a couple of stones in close proximity, which so
closely resembled the eggs, that the latter might easily have
been passed by unnoticed." The eggs are of a dark or light
stone-colour, and are covered indiscriminately with brown
spots or blotches, the latter being sometimes nearly black.
The underlying markings are faint grey, and are generally
obscure, but in one or two pale eggs they actually predominate
and the dark markings are in a minority. Axis, i '9-2-4 inches ;
diam., 1-45-1-6.
THE COURSERS. SUB-ORDER CURSORII.
The Coursers are entirely birds of the Old World. Like all
Plovers they have a schizognathous palate, but, with the ex-
ception of the Black-and-grey Courser (Pluvianus cegyptius}^
the nostrils are schizorhinal. The tarsus is transversely scaled
in front. The Sub-order contains many different forms, such
as the Crab-Plover (Dramas ardeola), which lays a white egg
in a tunnel in the sand, and the Pratincoles, to which I shall
refer later on.
THE TRUE COURSERS. GENUS CURSORIUS.
Cursorius, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 751 (1790).
Type, C. gallicus (Gm.).
The True Coursers have a curious pectination on the middle
claw, which is notched on its inner side. Five species of the
THE COURSERS. 131
genus Cursorius are known, of which three are peculiar to
Africa, one to the desert portions of the Mediterranean Sub-
region and Central Asia, while one, C. coromandelicus^ is only
found in India.
I. THE CREAM-COLOURED COURSER. CURSORIUS GALLICUS.
Charadrius gallicus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 692
Cursorius europceus, Macg. Brit. B, iv. p. 42 (1852); Saunders,
ed. Yarr. Brit. B. iii. p. 238 (1883).
Cursorius galliots ) Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 425, pi. 544 (1875);
B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 156 (1883) ; Secbohm, Brit. B.
iii. p. 63 (1885); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 519 (1889);
Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxviii. (1894); Sharpe, Cat.
B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 34.
Adult Male. General colour isabelline-buff or pale-tawny on
the back ; wing-coverts like the back ; primary-quills black,
the secondaries also black, but with sandy-coloured edges and
white fringes at the ends ; tail-feathers sandy-rufous, tipped
with white, before which is a black sub-terminal band ; fore-
part of crown sandy-rufous ; hinder crown and nape pale bluish-
grey, concealing a black patch on the nape ; lores isabelline-
white ; a broad white band above the eye, joining on the nape,
followed by a black band from behind the eye, above the
ear-coverts to the nape ; feathers below the eye whitish ; ear-
coverts sandy-rufous; fore-part of cheeks and upper throat
white ; lower throat and under surface of body sandy-isabelline,
becoming whiter on the abdomen and under tail-coverts ;
under wing-coverts, axillaries, and quill-lining black; the lesser
lower wing-coverts sandy-rufous ; bill dusky-black ; the angle
of the mouth and base of the lower mandible white ; feet
china-white ; iris umber-brown. Total length, 9 inches ; cul-
men, ro; wing, 6-35; tail, 2-35; tarsus, 2-25.
Adult Female. Similar in colour to the male. Total length,
9 inches ; oilmen, 0-95; wing, 6*2; tail, 2-3; tarsus, 2-1.
Young Birds. Similarly coloured to the adults, but with wavy
bands of dusky-grey all over the upper surface.
Range in Great Britain. An accidental wanderer to our islands,
not yet noticed in Ireland, and only once in Scotland. About
twenty examples have, however, been recorded from various
K 2
132 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
counties of England, mostly from the south, but the species
has also been met with in Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, North-
umberland, and Cumberland.
Kange outside the British Islands. The Cream-coloured Courser
is a bird of the deserts of the Mediterranean Sub-region,
and the Canary Islands, on one of which, Fuerteventura, it
is so plentiful that hundreds of its eggs have been collected
there during recent years. It is found as far south as Kordo-
fan in Africa, and thence extends through Arabia to Persia
and Central Asia and North-western India.
HaMts. In Colonel Irby's " Ornithology of the Straits of
Gibraltar," one of the most interesting notes is that on the
Cream-coloured Courser, as recorded by the French naturalist
Favier, whose MSS. Colonel Irby saved from oblivion. The
latter writes : " Their food is entirely insects or larvae, parti-
cularly Pentatoma torquata, and different kinds of grasshoppers.
They are met with in small parties, usually frequenting dry
arid plains, where they spread out in all directions, running
after insects, and are very wary and difficult to get a shot at.
Their cry of alarm is much like that of the Plover. They rest
and sleep in a sitting position, with their legs doubled under
them. Should they not fly away when approached, they run
off with astonishing swiftness, manoeuvring to get out of
sight behind stones and clods of earth, there, kneeling down
and stretching the body and head flat on the ground, they
endeavour to make themselves invisible, though all the time
their eyes are fixed on the object which disturbs them, and
they keep on the alert ready to rush off again if one continues
to approach them." Favier kept more than one in confine-
ment, and obtained thirty-six eggs, which, until the recent in-
flux of specimens from Fuerteventura, were almost the only
genuine ones in collections. The only note which he heard
the species utter he renders by the word "rererer" It will
be noticed that the method of concealment adopted by the
Courser is not unlike that practised by the Thick-knee.
N es t. None, the eggs being laid in a little depression
among stones, which closely resemble them.
Eggs. Two in number, stone-colour in general appearance,
thickly mottled all over with brown dots and scribblings, some
THE PRATINCOLES. 133
of the spots being larger and taking the form of blotches. The
underlying grey spots are equally distributed and mixed up with
the darker ones. Axis, i'35-i'4 inch; diam., i'o-i'i.
THE PRATINCOLES. GENUS GLAREOLA.
Glareola,) Brisson, Orn. v. p. 141 (1760).
These curious birds were placed even by so great a naturalist
as Sundevall among the Night-Jars, principally on account
of their pectinated middle claw, which is a Caprimulgine
character. We have, however, already seen that this peculiarity
is also shared by the Coursers, from which the Pratincoles
differ in their extraordinarily long wings, the primaries being
pointed and reaching to the tip of the tail, or even beyond it.
There are three genera of the Pratincoles, the genus Stiltia of
Australia, with very long legs, like those of the Coursers, the
True Pratincoles (Glartola) and the Dwarf Pratincoles (Galac-
tochrysea), all of which have very short legs.
THE TRUE PRATINCOLES. GENUS GLAREOLA.
Glareold) Brisson, Orn. v. p. 141 (1760).
Type, G. pratincola (Linn.).
From its long wings this Pratincole was actually placed by
Linnaeus among the Swallows, and we have already seen that
so recently as 1872 Sundevall classed it with the Night- Jars.
Besides the short tarsus, the genus Glareola is distinguished by
its strongly forked tail, the outer feather exceeding the others
in length.
I. THE PRATINCOLE. GLAREOLA PRATINCOLA.
Hirundo pratincola. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 345 (1766).
Glareola pratincola^ Macg. Brit. B. iv. p. 49 (1852); Dresser,
B. Eur. vii. p. 411, pi. 513, fig. i (1874); B. O. U. List
Brit. B. p. 155 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarr. Brit. B. iii. p.
231(1883); Seebohm, Brit. B. iii. p. 69(1885); Saunders,
Man. Brit. B. p. 517 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B.
part xxviii. (1894) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 55.
(Plate LXXVIL)
134 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Adult Male. General colour above olive-brown, slightly
glossed with green ; wing coverts and long inner secondaries
like the back ; quills greenish-black, the secondaries externally
olive-brown, inclining to ashy- whitish at their ends ; upper
tail-coverts white; tail greatly forked, the feathers blackish,
with a green gloss and paler brown tips, the base white, this
gradually increasing in extent towards the outer feathers, while
on the outermost one the white occupies the basal two-thirds ;
head like the back, the feathers below the eye whitish ; the
fore-part of the cheeks and throat sandy-buff, surrounded by a
white line, followed by a black line, which runs from the front
part of the eye, and is followed by a whitish shade ; ear-coverts,
hinder cheeks, sides of neck, fore-neck, and breast dark ashy-
brown ; lower breast, abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts
white ; axillaries and inner under wing-coverts chestnut, the
former with black bases ; rest of wing-coverts blackish, with a
little patch of white near the lower primary-coverts ; bill dark
brown, red at the base behind the nostril ; feet black ; iris
brown. Total length, 8'8 inches; oilmen, o'8; wing, 7-5;
tail, 3-8 ; tarsus, 1*25.
Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length,
9-2 inches; culmen, 07 ; wing, 7-15 ; tail, 4-2 ; tarsus, 1-2.
Young Birds. Recognisable by the whitish edgings to the
feathers of the upper surface, all the light markings having a
sub-terminal bar of black; quills and tail-feathers similarly
fringed and tipped with black; cheeks and throat creamy-
white, with narrow blackish shaft-lines ; fore-neck and lower
throat ashy-grey, edged with white and mottled with sub-
terminal bars of black ; chest creamy-buff ; remainder of
under surface of body white.
Range in Great Britain. An occasional visitor in spring and
autumn, appearing during the season of migration. It has
occurred in most of our southern and eastern counties, but
also in Lancashire and Cumberland, and even in Unst, the
most northern of the Shetland Isles. One example has been
recorded from Co. Cork in Ireland.
Range outside the British Islands. In localities suited to its
habits, the Pratincole is found breeding in most of the
Mediteiranean countries, whence, according to Mr. Howard
THE PRATINCOLES. 135
Saunders, it extends its course to the Camargue in the south
of France, where again it finds suitable breeding-ground, a
few ascending the valley of the Rhone to Savoy, and spreading
out over the central and northern districts of France as far
west as the mouth of the Somme. The Pratincole also inhabits
Hungary, but is rare in Poland. Eastwards its range extends
to Central Asia, where it is found along with Nordmann's
Pratincole (G. melanoptera}, the species of Southern Russia,
which is easily distinguished from the Common Pratincole
by its black under wing-coverts and axillaries. In winter,
G. pratincola extends to India, where G. melanoptera is, as
yet, unknown, but both Pratincoles winter in Africa.
Habits. The ways of the Pratincole are very different in
many respects from those of other Plovers. Although its legs
are very short, it is able to run with great swiftness, and its
flight is very powerful, resembling that of a Swallow, and,
like the latter bird, the Pratincole captures much of its prey
on the wing. Mr. Seebohm relates that the bird has a very
peculiar habit of feigning lameness. " Before the breeding-
season has fairly commenced," he says, " you may stand on a
piece of fallow ground and watch a dozen birds, each within
pistol-shot, lying on their sides and making apparently constant
efforts to expand a wing, as if in the last death-struggle, and
yet you may search in vain for an egg." Mr. Osbert Salvin,
who found the species breeding in the district of the Eastern
Atlas, writes : " The Pratincole was found on the table-lands of
the interior, frequenting the salt lakes and fresh-water marshes.
Its fearless manner and familiar habits cause it to rank high
among the interesting birds of the country ; and I remember
few that I have watched with greater pleasure. When in
proximity to their nests, the whole flock come wheeling and
screaming round, while some dart passionately down to with-
in a few feet of the intruder's head, retiring again to make
another descent. When the first transports of excitement are
over, they all alight one by one on the ground. Some stand
quite still, watching with enquiring gaze ; while others stretch
themselves out, first expanding one wing, then the other, and
sitting down, extend both legs. In this position they remain
for some seconds, as if dead, when, suddenly springing up,
i 3 6
they make another circuit overhead, and the whole flock passes
quietly away."
Colonel Irby writes : " We found this bird in April, on the
dried mud at the lakes of Meshree el Haddar, south of
Laroche in Marocco, in countless thousands. They had not
then begun to lay ; so possibly some of these swarms would
pass on northwards. We there witnessed a number of these birds
mobbing a Marsh-Harrier which had intruded on their ground,
buffeting and bullying him just as Peewits will do when a
Hawk passes near their breeding-ground. At times at least
one hundred Pratincoles were dashing at once about the
Harrier, which soon made its best way out of their district.
Pratincoles are very crepuscular in their habits, flitting up and
down over the surface of a river or pool much after the manner
of the Indian Skimmer (Rhynchops albicollis) very late in the
evening as late, indeed, as they can be distinguished. They
are then silent, but by day especially when disturbed, their cry
is ceaseless, and the Moorish name of ' Gharrak ' is doubtless
derived from, as it is suggestive of, their note. They are birds
of powerful flight, reminding one much of the Terns in this
respect." In Greece, Mr. Seebohm found the Pratincoles less
gregarious, and on the islands of the lagoon of Missolonghi he
often met with single pairs nesting, and on none of them
more than half a dozen pairs.
Nest. None, the eggs being laid in a depression in the
ground, though, as often as not, there is no perceptible hole.
Eggs. Three in number, varying remarkably in colour and
markings, which are sometimes so thickly distributed as to
hide the ground-colour of the egg itself. This varies from
a stony-buff to grey, creamy-buff, or clay-brown, and the black
marks take the form of small or large spots or irregular
blotches, and they are, as a rule, universally distributed over
the egg. The underlying spots are faint purplish-grey, and
are also spread indiscriminately over the egg. Axis, ri-i'4
inch ; diam., O'Q-O^.
THE WADERS. SUB-ORDER CHARADRII.
In this Sub-order are comprised all the Plovers, Sand-
pipers, and Snipes, generally known as Waders. They all have
THE PLOVERS. 137
a schizognathous palate, opisthocoelous dorsal vertebrae, and no
basipterygoid processes. The nostrils are schizorhinal, the
spinal-feather tract is forked on the upper back, and occipital
fontanelles are present. Most of the species have young
covered with golden or buff down variegated with black, and
they are able to run and pick up food for themselves soon after
they are hatched.
The Charadrii are found in every portion of the globe, and
are amongst the most migratory of birds, breeding in the ex-
treme north, and many of them reaching the southernmost points
of America, Africa, and Asia on their winter migrations.
THE PLOVERS AND SNIPES. FAMILY
CHARADRIID.E.
There is but one Family in the Sub-order Charadrii, and its
characters are, of course, synonymous with those of the Sub-
order. In this volume I have followed the arrangement
adopted by Mr. Howard Saunders in his excellent " Manual,"
but in the " Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum," I have
adopted the following sequence of the Sub-families of the
Charadriidcc : I. ArenariincR (Turn-stones); II. Hcematopo-
dince (Oyster-catchers) ; III. Lobivanellince (Wattled Plovers) ;
IV. Charadriincc (True Plovers), Himantopodince (Stilts and
Avocets), TotanintK (Sandpipers), Scolopacina (Snipes), and
Phalaropince. (Phalaropes).
In my present arrangement I begin with
THE TRUE PLOVERS. SUB-FAMILY
CHARADRIIN^E.
All the True Plovers have the tarsus reticulated both in front
and behind, the reticulations being generally well-marked and
in the form of hexagonal scales, but not transverse plates, as in
many Plovers. There is also a "dertrum," or swelling of the
end of the bill, which is more prominent than the basal por-
tion.
Among the Charadriincz are contained a few genera of
138 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Wattled and Spurred Plovers, the former having a lappet of
bright coloured skin on the face, while the spur, in those
genera which possess it, like the Nile Plover (Hoplopterus
spetiosus), is often quite a formidable weapon. In England,
however, none of these forms have as yet made their appearance
in a wild state, and all our species are unarmed and un-
decorated.
THE GREY PLOVERS. GENUS SQUATAROLA.
Squatarola^ Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. & Birds, Brit. Mus.
p. 29 (1816).
Type, S. helvetica (Linn.).
In the first group of Plovers, to which the genus Squatarola
belongs, the inner secondaries are always very long and pointed.
They are all birds of rapid flight, and very different in the
latter respect from the slower and more flapping Lapwings.
The Grey Plover, which is the only species of the genus
Squatarola^ puts on a black breast in summer, like the Golden
Plovers (Charadrius), but it is easily distinguished from the
latter by ti\e presence of a small hind-toe.
I. THE GREY PLOVER. SQUATAROLA HELVETICA.
Tringa helvetica. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 250 (1766).
Pluvialis squatarola^ Macg. Brit. B. iv. p. 86 (1852).
Squatarola helvetica^ Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 455, pis. 515, fig.
2, 517, fig. 2, 518, fig. 2 (1871) ; B. O. U. List Br. B. p.
158 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr. Brit B. iii. p. 278 (1883) ;
id. Man. Brit. B. p. 535 (1889) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit.
Mus. xxiv. p. 182.
Charadrius helveticus^ Seebohm, Brit. B. iii. p. 44 (1886).
Squatarola cinerea, Lilford. Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xviii. (1891).
Adult Male. General colour above mottled with bars of black
and ashy-white, the latter in the form of notches and tips on
the feathers ; scapulars and wing-coverts like the back, the
greater series edged with white, and the inner ones notched ;
quills black, with the middle of the shaft white, and with white
on the inner webs, extending on the inner primaries to the
THE GREY PLOVER. 139
outer web also ; the secondaries brown, edged and tipped with
white, the bases of the inner webs also white ; the innermost
secondaries like the back ; lower back and rump dusky-brown,
with white spots and fringes on the feathers ; upper tail-coverts
and tail feathers white, barred with black or blackish-brown,
the bars decreasing towards the outer feathers, being broken
up into spots on the outer web ; crown of head like the back,
but more hoary-white and less spotted with black ; forehead
and a broad eyebrow white, extending down the sides of the
neck, and forming a large patch on the sides of the uppei
breast ; lores, side of face, ear-coverts, and under surface of
body black, excepting the abdomen and under tail-coverts,
which are pure white ; under wing-coverts white ; axillaries
black ; quills below dusky, white on the inner webs ; lower
primary-coverts pale ashy ; bill, feet, and claws black ; iris
dark hazel. Total length, 10*5 inches; culmen, 1*3; wing,
8'i ; tail, 2*9; tarsus, i'8.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but never quite so much
spangled with black on the upper surface, so that the general
appearance is somewhat browner ; the black on the face and
under parts is never so much developed, and consequently
these parts are never so uniform black, but are more mottled
with black than the male. Total length, 1 1 inches ; culmen,
1-3; wing, 8'o ; tail, 2^9; tarsus, r8.
Winter Plumage. The chief difference between the summer
and winter dress of the Grey Plover lies in the absence of
black on the face and breast during the latter season. The
whole upper surface is more uniform ashy-brown, the feathers
edged with whitish, and having a sub-terminal blackish shade ;
lores and an indistinct eyebrow white ; ear-coverts dingy-
black ; sides of face white, streaked with dusky ; throat and
under-parts white, the lower throat and fore-neck pale ashy-
brown, slightly mottled with dusky markings ; under wing-
coverts white ; axillaries black,
Young Birds. Resemble the adults in winter plumage, but are
spangled with golden-buff above, so that they resemble the
Golden Plover, from which, however, the Grey Plover can
always be distinguished, at any age, by its black axillaries.
Eange outside the British Islands. Although a certain number
140 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
of Grey Plover remain with us during the winter, the species is
much better known as a spring and autumn migrant, and is
especially noticed at the latter season of the year, when young
birds are often procurable. Black-breasted examples are to be
found up to the end of May in the British Islands, while some
have been shot in June and July. These were probably non-
breeding birds. It is never so common in Ireland as in
England and Scotland, and is always more abundant on the
east than on the west, so that in the Outer Hebrides it is con-
sidered a rare bird.
Range outside the British Islands. The Grey Plover breeds in
the high north of both hemispheres, and may thus be considered
a typical circum-polar bird. Until recent years its egg was one
of the chief desiderata for every collector, and even now but
few collections contain genuine examples. It has been found
nesting on Kolguev Island, as well as in the valley of the Pet-
chora, and on the Taimyr Peninsula in Siberia, while in the New
World the only known places are Alaska, the Anderson River,
and the Melville Peninsula. In winter, however, it wanders
far southward and occurs in nearly every country of the Old
World, visiting South Africa, the Indian Peninsula, and Aus-
tralia. In the New World it does not range so far to the
southward, and appears not to extend beyond Brazil or Peru,
though it probably goes to the extreme of the South American
continent.
Habits. The Grey Plover is seldom met with inland, like
the Golden Plover, but is decidedly more a bird of the sea-
shore and the mud-flats. It is also of a shyer disposition, and
is much more difficult than the Golden Plover to call within
gun-shot, partly because its call-note is much harder to imitate.
In general appearance it is a stout and hardy bird, and may
often be seen in great parties on the sand left by the receding
tide, picking up its food, which consists of marine insects,
small shells, worms, and seaweed. Sometimes flocks of forty
or fifty individuals may be seen together, but I have myself
only observed it either singly or in small parties of six or seven.
Like most Waders, it is active when the receding tide leaves
the sand-banks and mud-flats exposed, but at all times appears
to be more lively as evening approaches.
THE GREY PLOVER. 141
The romance attaching to the capture of the Grey Plover's
eggs is fast being dispelled, but for many years it was con-
sidered to be the aim and object of every traveller to the
Arctic Regions to discover the nesting habits of the bird. The
first authentic eggs were taken by Von Middendorf in the
Taimyr Peninsula (N. lat. 7i-74), and afterwards eggs were
also obtained in Arctic America by Mr. MacFarlane, but for our
best information as to the breeding of the species, science is
indebted to the expedition of Mr. Henry Seebohm and Mr. J.
A. Harvie-Brown, who found eleven nests on the tundras of
the Petchora River. Since then Mr. Trevor-Battye has ob-
tained eggs on Kolguev, and on the same island Mr. H. J. Pear-
son and his brother, Mr. E. C. Pearson, found many nests in
the summer of 1895.
The account given by Mr. Seebohm of the search for the
nests is worthy of full quotation, did space but permit. It is
told with all the fulness of detail and careful observation with
which I have seen him write down the record of the day's
work on the expeditions on which it has been my good for-
tune to accompany him. He tells of the watching of each
female bird on to the nest, and continues as follows : " The
female generally comes first to the nest, but she comes less
conspicuously than the male, generally making her appearance
at a considerable distance, on some ridge of mossy land.
When she has looked round, she runs quickly to the next
ridge and looks round again, generally calling to the male with
a single note. The male seldom replies ; but when he does
so, it is generally with a double note. When the female has
stopped and looked round many times, then the male thinks
it worth while to move, but, more often than not, he joins the
female by flying up to her. The female very seldom takes
wing. She is very cautious, and, if she is not satisfied that all
is safe, she will pass and repass the nest several times before
she finally settles upon it. She rarely remains upon one post
of observation long, but the male often remains for ten minutes
or more, upon one tussock of a ridge, watching the movements
of the female." Another pair of birds was watched by the two
Er glish naturalists for two hours, but the birds flew about,
without any nest being discovered, and Mr. Seebohm con-
tinues : " At last the mosquitoes tired us out, and we gave
142 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
up the watching game and commenced a search. At last we
found out the secret of the birds' behaviour. We picked up
some broken egg-shells, and concluded at once that the bird
had young. We tried to find them, but in vain. The two
hours, however, were not wasted. The birds came nearer to
me than they had ever done before. I often watched them at
a distance of not more than ten yards, and was able to hear
their notes more distinctly. The note most frequently used
is a single plaintive whistle, 'kop,' long drawn out, the 6 pro-
nounced as in German, and the consonants scarcely sounded.
This, I am almost sure, is the alarm-note; it is principally
uttered by the female when she stops and looks round, and sees
something of which she disapproves. If the male shows any
anxiety about the nest, which he seems to do more and more
as incubation progresses, he also utters the same note. The
double note kl-ee or kleep, the kl dwelt upon so as to make
it a separate syllable, is also uttered by both birds. It is
evidently their call-note. I have seen the female, when she
has been running away from the male, turn sharp round and
look towards him when he has uttered this note, exactly as
anyone might do who heard his name called. Whilst we were
watching this pair of birds, a couple of other Grey Plovers
came up and called as they flew past. The male answered the
call and flew towards them. On the wing this whistle is
lengthened out to three notes. I had some difficulty in catch-
ing this note exactly. It is not so often uttered as the two
others I have mentioned, and is generally heard when you
least expect it ; but I am almost sure that it is a combination
of the alarm-note with the call-note kl-ee-kop"
Then he relates how the tenth nest was procured, and a
very good idea is conveyed of the discomforts attending even
the discovery of a much desired egg. " By this time we were
pretty well tired with tramping the tundra. The ceaseless
persecution of the mosquitoes, and the stifling feeling caused
by our having to wear a veil with the thermometer above
summer heat, had taxed our powers of endurance almost to
the utmost, and we turned our faces resolutely towards our
boat, but a most anxious pair of Grey Plovers proved too
great an attraction for us to resist," c. (cf. Seebohm, Hist.
Brit. B. iii. p. 53), and to this book one must turn if we want
THE GOLDEN PLOVER. 143
to read the story of the re-discovery of the eggs of the Squa*
tarola helvetica.
Nest. Practically none. A hollow, round and deep, with a
few broken slender twigs and reindeer-moss.
Eggs. Four in number, and double-spotted. Mr. Seebohm
describes them as follows : " Intermediate in colour between
those of the Lapwing and the Golden Plover, and subject to
variation, some being much browner, and others more olive,
none quite as olive as typical Lapwing's eggs or as buff as
typical ones of the Golden Plover, but the blotching is in
every respect the same. The underlying spots are equally
indistinct, the surface spots are generally large, especially at
the larger end, but occasionally very small and scattered, and
sometimes taking the form of thin streaks. They vary in
length from 1*9 to 2*2 inches, and in breadth from 1*35 inch
to i '4. Only one brood is reared in the year."
THE GOLDEN PLOVERS. GENUS CHARADRIUS.
CharadrhiS) Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 253 (1766).
Type, C. pluvialis (Linn.).
Like the Grey Plover, the Golden Plovers, of which there
are two species, have a black face and black breast in sum-
mer, but the genus Charadrius is at once distinguished from
Squatarola by the absence of the hind-toe.
The range of the genus is very nearly cosmopolitan, the
species breeding in high northern latitudes, and wintering in
all the southern continents of the globe.
I. THE GOLDEN PLOVER. CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS.
Charadrius pluvialis y Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 254 (1766); Dresser,
B. Eur. vii. p. 435, pi. 515, fig. i (1871); B. O. U. List
Brit. B. p. 157 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr. Brit. B. iii.
p. 271 (1883); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 35 (1885);
Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 531 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig.
Brit. B. part xiii. (1890); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv.
p. 191.
Pluvialis aurea^ Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 94 (1852).
144 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Adult Male in Breeding-Plumage, General colour above mottled
with black, golden buff and ashy-whitish markings; scapulars
and wing-coverts more distinctly notched and barred with
golden, the markings less distinct on the lesser coverts, which
are brown, the median and greater series with many golden
bars ; quills dark brown, with whity-brown bases to the
secondaries, the innermost of which are notched or barred
with golden; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts like the
rest of the upper surface, but more plainly mottled with
golden bars ; tail-feathers brown, barred with lighter brown or
golden, the outer ones externally notched with white, the light
bars tinged with golden ; head like the back, with a white fron-
tal band and eyebrow, extending down the sides of the neck
and joining the white on the sides of the body ; base of fore-
head, lores, sides of face, ear-coverts, and throat smoky-black;
centre of fore-neck, breast, and abdomen deep black, flanked
with white for their entire length, though the golden and
black plumage of the sides of the neck descends on to the
sides of the breast ; thighs black ; under tail-coverts white,
marked with black on the vent; under wing-coverts white,
mottled with ashy-brown round the bend of the wing; axillarics
pure white ; bill, feet, and claws nearly black; iris dark hazel.
Total length, 10 inches; culmen, ro; wing, 7*45; tail, 2^9;
tarsus, i '6.
Adult Female in Breeding- Plumage. Similar to the male, but
never having the black so uniformly distributed on the breast,
but always more patchy. Total length, 10 inches ; wing, 7*4.
Winter Plumage. Differs principally from the summer plum-
age in wanting the black breast and the black on the face.
Young Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the adults,
and have consequently no black on the face and breast. They
are rather more plentifully spangled with golden on the upper
surface, with the crown somewhat blacker ; the throat white ;
the lower throat, fore-neck, and breast ashy-brown, mottled
with edges and bars of pale golden-buff, with triangular dusky-
brown spots on the lower throat and fore-neck ; the breast and
sides of the body ashy-brown, with dusky-brown bars ; abdo-
men and under wing-coverts white, the lower primary-coverts
ashy-brown ; axillaries white.
THE GOLDEN PLOVERS. 14*
Nestling. Clothed in golden down mottled with black, the
latter, however, scarcely forming any distinct pattern ; on each
side of the back a streak of ashy-whitish down, and the
wings marked with a golden patch, with a spot of bright
yellow on the lores and eyebrow ; below v the eye a spot of
ashy-whitish, with some markings of the same on the hind-
neck and sides of the neck ; cheeks and under surface of body
ashy-whitish, with a patch of dusky-blackish underlying the
down of the breast.
Range in Great Britain. The Golden Plover nests on the
moor-land of all the three kingdoms, a few being found on the
higher ground of Devonshire and Somerset. In Wales, and
from the Derbyshire moors northward into Scotland the
species breeds, sometimes in abundance, especially in the
Orkneys, Shetlands, and the Hebrides. " In Ireland," writes
Mr. R. J. Ussher, " the Golden Plover breeds on mountains
in Donegal, Antrim, Fermanagh, Cavan, Dublin, Wicklow,
Queen's County, Tipperary, Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Galway,
Mayo, and Sligo. In Connemara it breeds both on moun-
tains and bogs, and Mr. H. C. Hart has found it breeding
on a vast bog in the centre of Northern Mayo." The species
winters in large flocks in many parts of the British Islands,
and a large migration takes place every autumn and spring.
Range outside the British Islands. The Golden Plover nests in
the high north of Europe, as well as in Iceland and the Faeroes.
It has been found in Novaya Zemlya, Jan Mayen, and in Green-
land. It nests also on the moors of Germany, Brabant, and
Luxembourg, but in the rest of Europe it is generally known
as a migrant, wintering in the Mediterranean countries, and,
more rarely apparently, passing down the continent of Africa.
To India it is a very rare winter visitor ; Mr. Blanford pro-
cured a specimen in Baluchistan in December, and a single
example from Sehwan in Sind, killed in January, is in the
Hume collection.
Habits. The clear-sounding note of the Golden Plover is a
sure indication of the presence of the bird. Mr. Seebohm calls
the alarm-note a plaintive ko, scarcely distinguishable from
that of the Grey Plover, and the call-note is a double kl-ee.
Mr. Howard Saunders renders it as a clear whistling /////, which
II L
146 LLOVDS NATURAL HISTORY.
seems to me to be a very efficient rendering of the bird's voice
on paper. It is a note somewhat easy to imitate, and I have
seen a whole flock of birds lured to their death in Heligo-
land by a skilful repetition of the cry. It can be heard a long
way off, and as most of the Heligolanders work in the potato-
fields with a gun lying close handy, on the look out for any
migrating birds, be they Plover or Hooded Crows, the familiar
note of the Golden Plover cut at sea is the signal for a score
of answering whistles from the rock ; and very soon the un-
suspecting flock is seen, like a little cloud skimming over
the waves, heading straight for the rocky island. In a few
seconds they are overhead, in a few more seconds they have
passed on and far out to sea, leaving a tribute of some of
their number. The whistling re-doubles, and once more the
flock turns in its course and makes for the island, only to
meet with the same hot reception; and these manoeuvres
are repeated till but a small remnant escapes. On Sandy
Island, about a mile and a half from Heligoland, where the
" bathing guests " flock from all parts of Germany, I have seen
the Golden Plovers running about quite tame, within twenty
yards of me, as if they knew that no gun was allowed to be fired
before 2 p.m. During the afternoons, however, when we landed,
intent on collecting, they soon became more shy.
Even in the breeding-season the Golden Plover may be found
in small parties, while in the winter large flocks collect together,
and at that time of year they are often met with inland on the
open lands and fallow ground, searching for worms and grubs,
while on the shore various small marine animals form the staple
diet of the birds.
Mr. Seebohm observes : " The Golden Plover makes itself
one of the most conspicuous birds on the moors. No sooner
does the observer set foot on one of those interminable wilds
than the birds rise here and there from different parts of the
heath and fly towards him, sometimes alighting within a few
yards of him. Although to some extent a wary bird, much of
its shyness disappears in spring, and it may often be noticed
at this season running lightly amongst the heath, or standing
quietly, with head erect, on some tuft of grass intently watch-
ing the intruder. In early spring the Golden Plover may fre-
quently be observed in large flocks passing towards the moors,
THE GOLDEN PLOVERS. 147
or even on the moors, where, if alarmed, they rise in the air,
and wheel and turn in a peculiarly graceful manner. These
flocks soon disperse, and scatter themselves in pairs over the
moors for the purposes of breeding. The flight of the Golden
Plover is powerful and well sustained ; it is not so erratic as
that of the Peewit, atid is performed with moderately quick
beatings of the wings. When on migration, or when passing
from place to place, as is oft their wont in winter, the flock
generally takes the shape of a wedge."
Nest. Placed in a tuft of grass or in a depression in the
ground, and made of dry grass with a little heather and moss.
Eggs. Four in number, varying considerably in colour, from
rich clay-brown to light stone-grey, mottled all over with
blotches of black, the underlying spots and blotches being
reddish-brown. As a rule, the dark blotches are congregated
towards the larger end of the egg, and the smaller end has the
smaller spots, and occasionally many tiny dots. Axis, i '85-2*1
inches; diam., i -35-1 -45.
II. THE LESSER GOLDEN PLOVER. CHARADRIUS DOMINICUS.
Charadrius dominicus, P. L. S. Miiller, Syst. Nat. Anhang. p.
116 (1766); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 195.
Charadrius fulvus. Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 443, pis. 516, 517,
figs. 2, 3 (1871); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 157 (1883);
Saunders, ed. Yarr. Brit. B. iii. p. 276 (1883); Seebohm,
Brit. B. iii. p. 40 (1885); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 533
(1889).
Adult Male. Similar to C. pluvialis^ but much smaller, with
more slender legs and feet, and distinguished at once by its
smoke-brown axillaries ; bill dark olive ; feet leaden-grey ; iris
dark brown. Total length, 9 inches; culmen, 0*95 ; wing, 6*6;
tail, 2-4; tarsus, 1-65.
Adult Female. Similar to that of C. pluvialis^ but distin-
guished by the smoke-brown axillaries. Total length, 9 inches ;
wing, 6-25.
The young birds and the winter plumage of the adults
exactly correspond with the changes of the Golden Plover, but
the colour of the axillaries always distinguishes the two species.
148 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Range in Great Britain. An accidental visitor only, having
occurred four times. In December, 1874, a specimen was pur-
chased in Leadenhall Market from among a lot of Golden
Plover, which were said to have come from Norfolk. In the
autumn of 1882, Mr. J. H. Gurney procured a second example
in the same market. In August, 1883, a third occurrence was
recorded, in Perthshire, by Mr. J. G. Millais, who also received
another Lesser Golden Plover from Stennis, in Orkney, in
November, 1887.
Of these four specimens, the first and last are referred to
what has been called the Asiatic race of C. dominicus^ while
the second and third belonged to the American race of the
species. The difference between these two races consists in
the fact that specimens from Eastern North America are some-
what larger, with a wing measuring 6-8-7-5 inches, whereas the
wing in the Asiatic race is not more than 6*7 inches in length.
Other characters have been adduced for the separation of these
two races, such as the shorter tarsi and toes, and less golden
coloration in the American bird. My recent studies on the
Charadriida have, however, convinced me that no hard and fast
line can be drawn between these eastern and western forms,
and I consider that there is but one species of Lesser Golden
Plover, which must bear the older name of C. dominicus.
Range outside the British Islands. With the exception of Europe,
where the present species is only met with as an occasional
visitor, it occurs in nearly every part of the world, breed-
ing in the high north and wintering in South America, the
Pacific Islands, Australia, and India, but not apparently visit-
ing Africa.
The Lesser Golden Plover has occurred in Heligoland, in
Poland, in Malta, and near Malaga, in Spain.
Habits. Mr. Seebohm found the nest and eggs of the present
species during his expedition to the Yenesei Valley in Siberia,
and he describes the note as being very similar to that of the
Grey Plover, the commonest note being a plaintive ko t but
occasionally the double note kl-ee is heard, but still more often
the treble note kl-ee-ko.
Mr. E. W. Nelson gives the following account of this Golden
Plover, as observed by him in Alaska : " The males are con-
THE GOLDEN PLOVERS. 149
spicuous objects, as they stand like silhouettes, their black
and white breasts and sides of neck presenting a sharp, clear-
cut outline on the brown and grey background. At intervals,
their clear, mellow, and melancholy note rises for a moment,
and then the bird apparently sinks into a day-dream, and re-
mains motionless for seme time, until he is prompted to as-
sure his partner of his presence by another call. The male at
this season has a brighter plumage than the female, and in
places little frequented by man, he becomes very unsuspicious ;
near villages, however, he is always on the look-out, and is
difficult to approach even when he is found by his nest.
Towards the end of May, and during the first weeks of June,
the males utter a clear, rich, song, which is frequently heard
during the twilight of the short Arctic nights.
" When I was camping at the Yukon mouth during the last
of May and the first part of June, 1879, these birds were
scattered all about in the vicinity of the tent, and frequently,
during the middle of the night, the song was heard close by,
and was exceedingly sweet and musical. One night, in par-
ticular, I remember lying awake, listening to the usual con-
tinuous faint clicking among the disintegrating ice in the
river, which seemed to make the silence still more marked,
when, suddenly, just at the back of the tent, arose the clear,
plaintive note of the Golden Plover, which may be represented
by the syllables too-lee-e. Soon after, in the same sweet,
musical tone, was uttered a marvellously harmonious succes-
sion of notes, which I wrote down at the time, listening to the
song as it was repeated again and again, and ascertaining the
exact number of syllables. These, I find, are very imperfectly
represented as follows : Tee-lee-lee, tu-lee-lee, wit, wit, ivit, wee-it
wit, che lee-it too lee-e. The three last syllables are the ones
most commonly uttered, serving as a call-note ; but the song
in full is only repeated on special occasions, as before re-
marked, being oftener heard during the still hours of the night
than during the day, if, indeed, it can be called night when the
sun disappears below the horizon for little over an hour."
Nest. The one discovered by Mr. Seebohm in Siberia was a
mere hollow in the ground, on a piece of turfy land, over-
grown with moss and lichens, and was lined with broken stalks
of reindeer moss. Mr. Nelson says that sometimes a slight
150 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
structure is made of dried grass, which, with perhaps a few
dead leaves of the dwarf willow, are arranged in a circular
saucer-shaped form, about four or five inches across.
Eggs. Four in number, very similar to those of the Euro-
pean Golden Plover, but slightly smaller, the markings being
precisely similar to those of the last-named bird, the black
blotches being confluent and generally near the larger end,
while the underlying grey markings are scarcely perceptible.
Axis, 1-85-2-05 inches; diam., 1-27-1-35.
THE RED-BREASTED DOTTERELS. GENUS
OCHTHODROMUS.
Ochthodromus, Reichenb. Av. Syst. Nat. p. xviii. (1852).
Type, O. wilsoni (Ord).
In the present genus, and in the Sand-Plovers, there is no
specially donned black breast in summer, as in the Grey and
Golden Plovers. Of all the species now to be considered, the
Dotterel (Eudromias morindlus) is the only one which has
black on the under surface. In the genus Ochthodromus the
bill is much stouter than in the smaller species of Sand-Plovers,
belonging to the genus ^Egialitis, and most of the species
have a cinnamon-coloured band across the chest in summer
plumage.
I. THE ASIATIC DOTTEREL. OCHTHODROMUS ASIATICUS.
Charadrius asiaticus, Pallas, Reis. Russ. Reichs. ii. p. 715
(i773)-.
itis asiatica. Dresser, B. Enr. vii. p. 479, pis. 520, fig, i,
522 (1878) ; Butler, Ibis, 1890, p. 463 ; Southwell, P. Z. S.
1890, p. 461 ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxi. (1892).
Ochthodromus asiaticus, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 23.
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. General colour above brown,
without any rufous collar on the hind-neck ; forehead and
sides of face white, with no black on the forehead or ear-
coverts ; under surface of body white, with a broad band of bright
chestnut across the fore-neck, with a narrow black band skirt-
ing the lower edge of the rufous neck-band ; quills dark brown,
THE RED-BREASTED DOTTERELS. 151
the primaries with white shafts, but otherwise without white on
any of the quills ; axillaries white ; bill black ; feet greenish-
olive, the toes dusky ; iris dusky hazel. Total length, 7 inches ;
culmen, 0-9; wing, 5-65 ; tail, 2*15; tarsus, 1-35.
Winter Plumage. Differs from the summer plumage in want-
ing the rufous chest-band^ which is replaced by brown, the rest
of the under surface being white. The general colour is rather
dark brown, including the head ; the sides of the face, forehead,
and eyebrow are tinged with sandy-buff, of which there is a shade
also round the hind-neck ; throat isabelline-white, separated
from the white breast by a broad band of ashy-brown, extend-
ing from the lower throat to the fore-neck and chest, and to the
sides of the upper breast.
Young Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the adults,
but are distinguished by having sandy-buff edges to the feathers
of the upper surface, and the sides of the face and the chest
band are also decidedly tinged with sandy-buff.
Characters. Young birds might perhaps be passed over for
the young of the Ringed Sand-Plover, but they can always be
distinguished by their longer tarsi.
Range in Great Britain. On the 23rd of May, 1890, a pair of
strange Plovers were seen in a market garden on the North
Denes, at Yarmouth, and the male was shot and forwarded to
Mr. Southwell, at Norwich, by whom it was sent for exhibition
at the meeting of the Zoological Society on the i7th of June in
the same year. The bird was in full plumage, and has since
been placed in the Norwich Museum.
Eange outside the British Islands. The breeding home of this
species is in the Kirghis Steppes and Central Asia, whence it
wanders in winter down the east coast of Africa to the Cape
and Damara Land. It is at the same time of year a visitor to
Western India, but is apparently a very rare bird there. It
visits the Caspian and Palestine on its migrations, and has also
been captured in the Indian Ocean far out at sea. Besides the
British example, the species has also been taken in Heligoland,
as well as in Italy.
Habits. In their winter home in South Africa, these Dotterels
are described by Mr. Arnott and Mr. Ayres as frequenting the
152 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
open flats and grass-lands, where they are found in flocks of
from six to twenty in number. They run with great swiftness,
and have much the appearance of Burchell's Courser, accord-
ing to Mr. Ayres, who also says that when they rise, their
flight resembles that of a Pratincole, and they utter much the
same stridulous note of alarm. Their food consists principally
of beetles and other small insects, on which they becorr
fat
THE BLACK-BREASTED DOTTERELS. GENUS EUDROV.
Eudromias, Brehm, Yog. DeutschL p. 544 (1831).
Type, E. morincllus (Linn.).
The single representative of this genus is a more heavily-
built bund than the species of digiafitis and Oxycchus, but it
has the shorter bill of the latter birds, and holds an intermediate
position between them and the species of Ochthodromus. Its
peculiar coloration in the full plumage, and its comparatively
shorter tarsi distinguish it, and the bare part of the tibia is not
so extended as in the genus
L THE DOTTEREL, EUDROMIAS MORINELLUS.
Charadrius marinclha, Linn. Syst. Nat i. p. 254 (1766); See-
bohm, Brit. B. p. 30, pL 26, figs. 1-3 (1885).
Eudromias morinclluSj Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 507, pi. ^26
(1875) ; B. O. U. List Brit B. p. 160 (1883) ; Saur
ed. Yarr. Brit B. iiL p. 246 (1883); id. Man. Brit. B. p.
521 (1889); Sharpe, Cat B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. t
Advil Male. General colour above ashy-brown, streaked with
sandy-buff, the feathers being edged with this colour; wing-
coverts like the back, and edged with sandy-buff; bastard-
wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky-brown ; the first pri-
mary with a white shaft and white outer web; rest of the
primaries blackish along the outer web and at the ends, the
secondaries fringed with whitish, the innermost edged with
sandy-bun; and resembling the back ; crown of head blackish-
brown, slightly varied with sandy-buff margins to the feathers ;
THE BLACK-BREASTED DOTTERELS. 153
base of forehead and lores white, mottled with black spots ;
a broad white eyebrow, extending as far back as the sides of
the nape ; sides of face and ear-coverts white, spotted and
streaked with dusky-brown, the ear-coverts brown along the
upper and hinder margin; throat white, with dusky streaks
on the lower throat ; sides of neck and a broad band across
the fore-neck light ashy-brown, marked with sandy-buff, and
bordered on its lower edge by a narrow band of black, this
black band followed by a band of white across the chest ;
breast and sides of the body orange-chestnut ; centre of breast
and upper abdomen black ; lower abdomen, thighs, and under
tail-coverts pure white; axillaries under wing-coverts, and
quill-lining pale smoky-grey; bill blackish; legs brownish-
green; toes blackish-grey; iris brown. Total length, 8-5
inches ; oilmen, 075; wing, 5-8 ; tafl, 2-5 ; tarsus, 1-4.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but not quite so brightly
coloured, and the black patch on the abdomen less developed.
It is generally said that the female Dotterel is the brighter
of the two. I cannot find this fact borne out by our series in
the British Museum, and in the pair procured by Mr. Ogilvie-
Grant in Ross-shire, the male was distinctly richer in colour
than the female.
Winter Plumage. Wants the black on the abdomen, and also
the chest-bands. The colour of the upper plumage is like
that of summer, except that the head is not so black,
being brown, with sandy-buff streaks ; the sides of the face
ashy-fulvous, streaked with dark brown ; the chin white ; throat
ashy-brown, streaked with dusky-brown, with a faintly indicated
band of white on the chest ; remainder of under surface of
body isabelline-white, with a sandy-buff tinge on the sides of
the body.
Young Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the adults,
but distinguished by having the mantle blackish-brown, with
whitish edgings to the feathers; the throat and under-parts
washed with ochreous-buff.
. Black above, molded with spots of rufous or
sandy- buff; head patterned with black, with a conspicuous
white forehead and eyebrow, with a black loral streak, and a
154 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
line of black down the centre of the forehead; round the
back of the head a creamy-white band.
Range in Great Britain. The Dotterel still breeds in the
mountainous portions of the north of England and Scotland,
but undoubtedly in decreasing numbers. It passes north-
ward in spring, and affects the higher ground on its way north,
but does not nest anywhere south of Cumberland. It is a very
rare bird in Wales and on the western coasts of England and
Scotland, as well as in Ireland. On its journey south in autumn,
the Dotterel is sometimes shot on the sea-coast,but the birds then
met with are principally young ones ; and that the species occa-
sionally stays with us somewhat late on the autumn migration,
is proved by an immature bird in the British Museum, pre-
sented by the Hon. W. Edwardes, who shot it in Pembroke-
shire on the 23rd of November.
Range outside the British Islands. The Dotterel breeds on the
high fells of Scandinavia, and also on the tundras of Russia,
Siberia, and Novaya Zemlya, as well as on certain of the high-
lands of Central Europe, and Central and Eastern Siberia.
In winter it visits Persia and the countries of the Mediterranean.
Habits. The Dotterel migrates somewhat late in the season,
arriving at its northern haunts at the end of April or the begin-
ning of May. Small flocks arrive at these times, and for about
a fortnight, according to the notes of the late Mr. Heysham,
the birds frequented the fallows and barren pasture-grounds,
retiring later to the higher ground near the tops of the moun-
tains to breed. They are very tame birds, and the name of
" Dotterel " is supposed to have been acquired from the
foolish confidence with which they would allow a fowler to
approach and capture them with a net. Even in their winter
quarters, the Dotterels are remarkably tame, and Canon
Tristram relates how he found them in large flocks on the
steppe-lands of Palestine, when they ran almost under the
very feet of the horses.
The altitude at which the nest of the Dotterel is placed,
renders the taking of the nest by no means an easy matter.
Mr. Frank Nicholson has for many years studied the Dot-
terel on the high Cumberland mountains, and has taken
many nests there, while Mr. Ogilvie-Grant and some brother-
THE SHARP-TAILED DOTTERELS. 155
naturalists have found the nest in Banffshire. Colonel Feilden
describes the ways of the female bird at her nest. They are
very similar to those of the Grey Plover, and, as long as he was
near the nest, the bird flew from place to place around him,
but when he had gone farther off she " alighted on a hummock,
looked round, ran along the narrow paths for some distance,
when she again mounted a hummock to make further observa-
tions, and, after passing backwards and forwards in a similar
manner, finally stood still at the nest, and settled down on the
eggs." She allowed him to approach very closely before leaving
them, when she fluttered off, as if wounded, remaining at no
great distance, constantly uttering her plaintive note.
Nest. None, the eggs being deposited in a hollow in the
mossy ground.
Eggs. Three in number. Ground-colour greyish stone-
colour or light clay-brown, with a tinge of olive or greenish on
some eggs. The spots and blotches, most of which are con-
fluent, are mainly collected at the larger end of the eggs. In
the midst of the black markings a reddish shade is often seen,
but the underlying spots of purplish-grey are scarcely per-
ceptible. Axis, 1*55-1*7 inches; diam., n.
THE SHARP-TAILED DOTTERELS. GENUS OXYECHUS.
Oxyechus, &eichenb. Av. Syst Nat. p. xviii. (1852).
Type, 0. vociferus (Linn.).
The members of this genus differ from the other Dotterels
in having a very long and wedge-shaped tail, which is more
than half the length of the wings. There are four species of
Oxyechus known, one of them being the well-known "Kill-deer"
Dotterel of North America, while the other three, O. tricollaris,
0. bifrontatuS) and O.forbesi^ are all African.
I. THE KILL-DEER DOTTEREL. OXYECHUS VOCIFERUS.
Charadrius voriferus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 253 (1766); See-
bohm, Brit. B. iii. p. 28, pi. 26 (1885).
/fLgialitis vorifera, B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 120 (1883) ; Saun-
ders, ed. Yarr. Brit. B. iv. p. 266 (1883) ; id. Man. Brit. B.
p. 529 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxv. (1893).
Oxyechus vociferus^ Sharpe,Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv.p. 242 (1896).
156 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Adult Male. General colour above dark brown, the lower
back, rump, and upper tail-coverts light cinnamon-rufous ; lesser
and median wing-coverts like the back, the greater coverts
darker brown, broadly tipped with white, forming a wing-
band ; primary-coverts and quills blackish with white fringes
or tips ; the long primaries white on the inner web till near
the ends, which are blackish-brown ; the first four primaries
with a white mark along the shaft at a short distance from the
tip ; the rest of the primaries with a white mark before the
end of the outer web ; the secondaries blackish, white at the
base, on the inner web, and along the tip, the white increasing
on the inner secondaries, and the black decreasing to a spot
on the outer web, and finally disappearing altogether on the
interior quills ; the long innermost secondaries like the back,
the outer ones light ashy-brown, dark brown along the outer
web, the tip of which is white ; outer tail-feathers cinnamon-
rufouS) broadly tipped with white, before which is a sub-
terminal bar of black ; crown of head dark brown, separated
from the mantle by a black collar ; forehead white, with a
black bar behind ; a broad white eyebrow ; under surface of
body white, with a broad, black collar across the fore-neck,
uniting to the collar round the hind-neck ; this black collar
succeeded by a narrower collar of white, and again on the
chest by a second black collar ; bill black ; feet pale pinkish
or pale greyish-yellow ; iris dark brown ; eyelid orange-red or
scarlet. Total length, 9 inches ; culmen, 0^85 ; wing, 8'o ;
tail, 3'8 ; tarsus, 1*3.
Adult Female. Similar to the male. Total length, 10 inches ;
culmen, 0*95 ; wing, 6*5 ; tail, 3*8 ; tarsus, 1*35.
Winter Plumage. Like the summer plumage, but rather
browner, and not quite so grey.
Young Birds. Resemble the adults, but have sandy-rufous
edges to the feathers of the upper surface.
Range in Great Britain. The Kill-deer Dotterel is said to have
occurred twice in England. The first one was recorded by Dr.
Sclater in 1862, and was said to have been killed in April, 1857,
near Christchurch, in Hampshire, on the authority of Mr. J. R.
Wise. Another specimen was shot by Mr. Jenkinson at Tresco,
in the Stilly Isles, on the i5th of January, 1885.
THE SHARP-TAILED DOTTERELS. 1$7
llange outside the British Islands. This species is found gener-
ally over temperate North America in summer, migrating south
in winter to Central America and the Antilles, and passing to
South America as far as Peru and Chili.
Habits. The common name of the Kill-deer Plover is derived
from its note, kildeer or kildee. Mr. D. G. Elliott, in his recently
published work on " North American Shore Birds," writes: "It
passes nearly all its time on the ground, walks and runs with
ease and considerable grace, and is constantly in motion, utter-
ing its plaintive cry, which resembles syllables which form its
trivial name. It likes to linger around pools and the banks of
streams, and feeds upon worms, insects, larvae, and small crus-
tacea, and is often seen running over ploughed ground in search
of whatever insects may have been disclosed in the upturned
soil. While usually rather tame and gentle, it nevertheless re-
sents man's appearance on its territory, and continually utters
its complaining note, running before him, stopping to take
observations, or flying short distances. When on the wing it is
a beautiful object, the clear, harmonious-contrasting colours of
its plumage making it very attractive to watch, as on firm wings
it circles around in easy flight. In autumn it is often most
numerous near the sea-shore, but I do not remember ever to
have seen it actually on the beach. Walking quietly over the
meadows or fields thinking nothing of birds, and none being
in sight, one is often startled by this Plover rising suddenly from
almost beneath one's feet, with frequent repetitions of its shrill
cry. the last syllable sounded in rapid succession dee^dee dee dee
as though it had no time, in its excitement, to utter the full
sound, kill-dee. At such times it flies often in an erratic course
for quite a distance, and low over the ground, as if to entice its
disturber to follow it, and acts as if its nest was near, although
the breeding season may have long since passed. It is a noisy
bird, and serves on many occasions as a sentinel, and gives
alarm to other species not so watchful of approaching danger.
On this account it is not looked upon with favour by sports-
men, who may be endeavouring, with well-executed whistling,
to lure other waders to their place of concealment. Like the
Golden Plover and others of the tribe, it frequently stands
motionless watching the object of its suspicions, and then run-
ning quietly away or rising with shrill cries, informing every
158 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
other bird within hearing that it is time to be off from that par-
ticular locality. Frequently the Kill-deer remains all winter in
some of the Middle States if the weather is not too severe, but
when migrating it travels chiefly at night, often at a great height,
announcing its presence by its clear, plaintive note sounded
amidst the stars."
Nest. A depression in the ground, sometimes lined with grass.
Eggs. Four in number; cream-coloured, spotted thickly
with blackish-brown; sometimes the ground-colour is of a
brownish-drab, and the spots rather small. Axis, 1*5 inch;
diam., 1-15.
THE SAND-PLOVERS. GENUS ^GIALITIS.
<sEg ; alitis y Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 558.
Type, ^L. hiaticola (Linn.).
The species of this genus are of small size, cosmopolitan in
their range, and most of them decorated with a black frontal
band. The characters of the genus j&gialitis are the same
as those of Oxyechus, excepting that the tail is shorter and
more square and is not equal to half of the wing in
length. Eighteen species are known, some of them breeding
in the high north of both hemispheres, while many are quite
tropical in their habitat. As a rule, however, the Sand-Plovers
are migratory birds, and leave their breeding-grounds in
autumn.
I. THE RINGED SAND-PLOVER. ^GIALITIS HIATICOLA.
Charadrius kiaticula. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 253 (1766); Mac-
gill. Brit. B. rv. p. 116 (1850).
^Egialitis hiaticula, Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p, 467, pi. 525 (1876) ;
B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 159 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarr.
Brit. B. iii. p. 257 (1883) ; id. Man. Brit. B. p. 523 (1889) ;
Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xx. (1891.)
Charadrius hiaticula major, Seebohm, Hist. Br. B. iii. p. 20
(1885).
^Egialitis hiaticola, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 256.
(Plate LX XVIII.)
Adult Male. General colour above light brown ; wing-coverts
like the back, the greater series tipped with white; quills brown,
\
SAND-PLOVfcRS. 159
the primaries dark brown on the outer webs and round the tips,
with more or less white towards the base of the inner webs ; the
shafts white, increasing in exteflt on the inner ones, and form-
ing a distinct patch on the outer web ; the inner secondaries
pure white, the innermost long secondaries brown like the
back ; lateral upper tail-coverts white, the centre ones brown,
like the back ; tail-feathers pale brown, tipped with white, with
a sub-terminal black bar, the white increasing towards the outer
feathers, the penultimate one being white with a pale brown
inner web and a narrow black sub-terminal bar ; the outer-
most tail-feather pure white ; crown of head pale brown, separ-
ated from the white frontal band by a broad band of black ; a
narrow line across the base of the forehead ; lores, sides of
face, and ear-coverts black, with a narrow white stripe from
above the fore part of the eye to above the ear-coverts; cheeks
and sides of neck white, continued in a collar round the hind-
neck, followed by an ill-defined blackish collar across the upper
mantle ; under surface of body pure white, with a black collar
across the fore-neck, widening on the sides of the chest ; under
wing-coverts and axillaries white, the lower primary-coverts pale
ashy like the quill-lining ; bill black at the end, orange for the
rest of its extent ; feet orange ; claws black ; iris brown. Total
length, 7 inches; culmen, 07; wing, 5-1; tail, 2-3; tarsus,
1-05.
Adult Female. Not distinguishable from the male. Total
length, 77 inches; wing, 5-1.
Young. Paler than the adults, and distinguished by the pale
margins of ashy-buff to the feathers of the upper surface ; ear-
coverts brownish-black ; no black band on the fore part of the
crown ; the white forehead and eyebrow tinged with buff; band
on the fore-neck brown, tinged with buff in the middle, the
sides of the collar blackish.
Range in Great Britain. The Ringed Sand-Plover is found on
all the coasts of Great Britain, and breeds everywhere on the
beaches. It is also found on the shores of inland lakes, and
on migration has been known to occur on wild commons and
the banks of rivers far away from the sea. The resident Ringed
Sand-Plover of England is a somewhat larger bird than the form
inhabiting the continent of Europe, and the late Mr. Seebohm
160 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
separated it as a distinct race under the name of AL. major, but
I have found that the size of individuals in this species varies
greatly, and that it is impossible to recognise this larger race as
distinct. Small specimens of Ringed Sand-Plovers often occur
on our southern coasts, and are, doubtless, migrants from the
continent of Europe.
Range outside the British Islands The present species is spread
over Europe generally, and extends very far north, having been
found on Jan Mayen and to the north of Spitsbergen, while it
also occurs in Greenland up to 70 N. lat, and in Cumberland
Gulf on the opposite coast of America. It extends eastward
as far as Lake Baikal, and breeds rarely in Turkestan. Strag-
glers are found in North-western India, but the bulk of the
individuals which migrate from northern latitudes visit Africa
during our winter, and range even to the Cape of Good Hope.
Occasional instances have been noted of the occurrences of
the Ringed Sand-Plover in America, but a single record for
Australia is not reliable.
Habits. A common local name for this species is the " Sand
Lark," but near Sidlesham and Pagham, in my younger days,
the favourite name was " Wide-a-wake," and the local gunners
called this bird by the latter name on account of its exceed-
ing wariness, and that this is its true quality must have been
experienced by anyone who has tried to approach the bird in
autumn. During the breeding season they are more easily
obtained, on account of the great solicitude they evince for
their nest, and more particularly for their young. Although in
August and September they may be seen feeding on the
mud-flats, either singly or in pairs, they are often in company
in flocks of Dunlins, especially \\hen the latter resort to the
sea-beach to rest during the time that the tide in the harbour is
full. On these occasions if the collector tries to stalk the
Dunlins he will see the flock engaged in quietly preening their
feathers or dozing away the time until the tide recedes and
the mud-flats are uncovered. Should he come too near, the
first sign of movement will be the active running of a little
" Wide-a-wake," who trots about near the quiescent Dunlins,
uttering at times his piping note of alarm, and as a rule he suc-
ceeds, in arousing a whole flock, and leading them out to sea.
1HE SAND-PLOVERS. l6l
A\vay they fly, a little black band, just skimming the waves, with
the Sand-Plover well ahead, and guiding them to a safer rest-
ing-place a little farther down the coast. I have known this
occur so often that the " Wiae-a-wake " was never a great
favourite with us in the old shooting days of Pagham Har-
bour.
The habits of the species at the nesting season have
been well described by "The Son of the Marshes": "No
bird that I am acquainted with shows more anxiety for its
eggs and young than the bird under notice. It is this ex-
treme anxiety that betrays their presence ; you hear a plaintive
whistle, and the bird flits in front of you, settles down, and
pipes. There it is, there it is, you can see it as plainly as if
you ha 1 it in your hand. It runs a yard or two away, then
turns and comes towards you as if it meant to run close up to
your feet; stops short, looks at you intently, with its full dark
eyes, and pipes softly, as if to say, 'Don't come any nearer.'
But we do, for we feel inclined to see some perfect acting on
this proficient little creature's part.
" There it goes, one leg broken and a wing tipped ; now both
wings are crippled, and it tries to raise its useless wings, but all
to no purpose ; it drops on its breast, throws its head, with the
eyes half closed, as much as to ^ay * I'm done for.' Nothing
of the kind ; it scuffles out of sight somehow, and you pass on.
Presently you sec a wounded bird trying to keep from falling ;
it is no use, for the poor creature drops, spreads out its tail
and wings, as some species do at the last gasp, and lies there,
to all appearance dead. It is nothing but sheer humbug, the
whole of it ; on a near approach the bird shoots up and away,
piping in the most cheerful and contented manner : these
consummate arts have only been gone through to lure you
away from the vicinity of its eggs or young. You might, in
fact, be standing over a nestling and not see it unless the toe
of your boot caused the tiny creature to move from where it
had squat! ed; when the young are alarmed they scatter out."
Nest. None, as a rule, being merely a hollow scooped in
the sand, though sometimes the bird takes advantage of a
natural depression. Colonel Feilden has recorded an instance
in which the nest was lined with the green fleshy leaves and
stems of Atriplex littoralis.
I I M
1 62 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Eggs. Fiiiir in number, pear-shaped, and of a creamy-buff to
a clay-coloured ground, with small blackish spots and lines,
sometimes forming small blotches near the larger end of the
egg ; the underlying spots purplish-grey, very small and
scarcely visible. Axis, i '3-1*5 ; diam., 0*9-5 1*05.
Mr. Robert Read says that he has noticed that the eggs
of this bird vary considerably in the ground-colour, accord-
ing to locality, those laid on the dark pebbles near inland
lakes and rivers being much duller than those laid on the
bright yellow sea-sand. As far as my experience goes, the
eggs, though laid in a sandy hollow, are generally surroundc d
by pebbly beach, many of the stones of which so nearly re-
semble the eggs themselves as to make the latter very diffi-
cult to find.
II. THE LITTLE RINGED SAND-PLOVER. jEGTALITIS DUBIA.
Charadrius dubius, Scop. Del. Faun, et Flor. Insubr. ii. p. 93
(1786).
Charadrius minor (W. & M.), Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 128
(1850) ; Seebohm, Brit. B. iii. p. 16 (1885).
&gialitis curonicus (Gm.), Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 491, pi. 524
(1876) ; B O. U. List Brit. B. p. 159 (1883) ; Saunder?,
ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 262 (1883); id. Man. Brit. B.
p. 525 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxx. (1895).
(Egiatitis dubia, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 263
(1896).
Adult Male. General colour above light brown, a little darker
on the rump and central upper tail-coverts ; sides of rump
and lateral upper tail- coverts pure white; wing-coverts like the
back, the feathers round the bend of the wing darker brown ;
primary quills blackish, internally lighter brown, with dark shafts
to all the priiiiaries except the first, which is white ; secondaries
dusky, lighter and more ashy-brown internally Dinner secondaries
smoky-brown, with a good deal of white on both webs, the long
inner secondaries like the back ; tail-feathers ashy-brown, tipped
with white, and with a broad sub-terminal black bar, the outer
feathers more distinctly edged with white, the two outermost
almost entirely white, with a black patch on the inner web cor-
responding to the sub-terminal bar on the rest of the feathers ;
THE SAND-PLOVERS. 163
base of forehead, lores, feathers above and below the eye, and
ear-coverts black ; a broad frontal band of white, followed by
another band of black above the eye, which is again succeeded
by another black line, which widens out above the eye and
forms a distinct eyebrow; hinder crown as far as the nape
ashy-brown ; round the neck a broad white collar, continuous
with the white throat, and followed by a broad band of black on
the lower hind-neck, continued right across the fore-neck, and
widening out on the sides ; cheeks, throat, and under surface
of body pure white, including the under wing-coverts and axil-
laries; bill dusky-black; feet flesh-colour; iris dusky-brown;
rim round the eye bright yellow. Total, 6 - 8 inches; culmen,
0*6; wing, 4*6; tail, 2*35 ; tarsus, ro; middle tee and claw,
0-8.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but with the markings
not so well developed, especially the black markings of the
face and the bands on the hind-neck and fore-neck, the latter
being much mixed with brown ; bill black ; feet pale flesh-
colour; iris dark brown; ring round the eye bright yellow.
Total length, 6 '5 inches ; wing, 4*6.
Young. Differs from the adult in wanting the black on the
head as well as the black collars on the mantle and fore-neck.
The general tone of the plumage is more rufescent than in the
adults, and the whole of the upper surface is varied with wavy
lines of pale sandy-buff, before which a sub-terminal dusky bar ;
the forehead is pale sandy-buff; ear-coverts dusky-blackish. The
collar on the fore-neck is composed of brown feathers, generally
with a tinge of sandy-buff on the throat. The black markings on
the head and the black collars are gained by a moult in the
following spring. There appears to me to be also a change of
feather, especially on the neck-collar.
Characters. The Little Ringed Sand-Plover is a decidedly
smaller bird than the Ringed Sand-Plover (sE. hiaticola\ and
has a black bill with only a little yellow on the base of the lower
mandible. The wing does not exceed five inches in length. It
can also be distinguished by the white shaft being found only on
the first primary. This last character will serve to denote the
species at all ages.
Range in Great Britain. A rare visitor, of which Mr. Howard
M
164 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Saunders only admits five occurrences to be authentic, most of
the specimens referred to this species proving to belong to the
small race of the Common Ringed Sand-Plover which visits our
southern coasts. The five specimens above alluded to are as
follows : One in the collection of the late Mr. Doubleday, from
Shoreham, in Sussex ; a second in Mr Borrer's collection, from
Chichester Harbour ; a third in the collection of the late Mr.
Rodd, from Tresco, in the Scilly Islands ; and two young speci-
mens shot by Mr. Mitford and Mr. J. E. Harting at Kingsbury
Reservoir. Mr. Borrer's specimen was procured in May, but
the others have occurred in August and October. A sixth
specimen is in the Seebohm collection in the British Museum,
being an adult female killed by Mr. H. Rogers at Freshwater,
in the Isle of Wight, in August.
Range outside the British Islands. The Little Ringed Sand-
Plover is distributed over the greater part of the Old World,
nesting in the temperate parts of Europe and Asia, and winter-
ing in Africa, the Indian Peninsula, and the Malayan Archi-
pelago, extending even to New Guinea and the Islands of the
Bismarck Archipelago. The species has been obtained in the
Faeroes, and even in Iceland ; and it breeds sparingly in Scan-
dinavia, but plentifully in Germany and Poland in suitable
places, as well as in certain parts of France and the Medi-
terranean countries. It has been said to occur accidentally in
North America.
Habits. According to Mr. Seebohm, the Little Ringed Sand-
Plover prefers the banks of rivers and inland sheets of water to
the sea-shore. On the latter it seems to be rarely met with. It
delights in the sandy beds of rivers, especially those which are
shallow and contain many sand-banks and dry pebbly stretches,
where it can find its food and rear its young. He found it not
uncommon on the banks of a half-dried-up river in Asia Minor,
between Smyrna and the site of the ancient Sardis. It is found
far inland, and occasionally frequents fallows and sandy plains
at a considerable distance from water. In its habits it very
closely resembles its congener, the Ringed Sand-Plover. Like
that species, it is usually seen running hither and thither on the
sands, close to the edge of the water, now and then taking short
flights just above the ground, or standing motionless for a few
THE SAND-PLOVERS. 165
moments. It is rather more shy than its larger ally, and takes
wing more readily. In its flight it is very similar to the Ringed
Sand-Plover, but its notes are very different from that of its near
allies. Its ordinary call-note is a loud, clear, plaintive, and
monotonous/^?, almost lengthened into two syllables. When
alarmed the note is pronounced much shorter, and repeated
more rapidly ; and in spring it is uttered still more rapidly so
as to become continuous, especially at the close of its love-
song, when it becomes a trill.*
Mr. Dixon says that, in Algeria, he has seen the male soaring
into the air like a lark, and flying about for a considerable
time, uttering his peculiar love-song, soaring higher and
higher above the sandy wastes, and then gradually descending
again.
Nest. None, being merely a little cavity in the sand, with a
slight lining. Mr. Robert Read writes to me: "Although
the species breeds sparingly in Sweden, I was fortunate
enough to discover two nests there in June, 1894. Both were
in small patches of shingle on islands in a large fresh-water
lake. In the first case the bird flew off as our boat ap-
proached the island, and I found the nest with four fresh eggs.
In the second instance I saw the bird running off just as the
boat touched the shore, and I found the nest with four eggs
about a week incubated. In both cases the slight hollows in
the shingle, which did duty for nests, were lined with dried
grass, sticks, and stalks, which is very unusual with &.
hiaticola. The latter, when an intruder is in the vicinity
of its nest, usually keeps not far off, uttering a monotonous,
plaintive whistle ; but in neither of the above instances did
I hear any note of the birds after they left the nest."
Eggs. Four in number, pear-shaped, and laid point to
point. The ground-colour is clay-buff to a sort of greenish-
grey. The blackish markings are similar in character to those of
sE. hiaticola, and the underlying spots are just as indistinct.
The size of the egg is considerably smaller than that of the
eggs of the Ringed Sand-Plover. Axis, 1-1-1-25 inch ; diam.,
08-0-9.
* Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. pp. 17, 18.
1 66 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
III. THE KENTISH SAND-PLOVER. vEGIALITIS ALEXANDRINA.
Charadrius alexandrinus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 258 (1766).
Charadrius cantianus (Lath.), Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 125 (1852);
Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 25, pi. 26, figs. 7-9 (1885).
^EgiaHtis cantianus, Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 483, pi. 523
(1876); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 158 (1883); Saunders,
ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iii. p. 267 (1883); id. Man. Brit. B.
p. 527 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxx. (1895).
sEgialitis alexandrina^ Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 275
(1896).
Adult Male. General colour above pale earthy-brown, with
faint remains of paler margins to the feathers ; wing-coverts
like the back, the marginal ones blackish-brown, the greater
series darker brown, with a narrow white edging to the tip ;
bastard-wing and primary-coverts dark sepia-brown, the latter
fringed with white at the tip ; quills sepia-brown, with white
shafts to the primaries, which are pale brown on the inner web,
the inner primaries for the most part white towards the base of
the outer web ; the secondaries dusky-brown with white tips,
the inner ones also white along the margins of both webs, the
innermost long secondaries brown like the back ; lower back,
rump, and upper tail-coverts dark sepia-brown, the lateral ones
white, forming a patch on each side; the four centre tail-feathers
dark sepia-brown, paler towards the base, and having white shafts
to the centre ones, the three outer feathers white, the next ones
smoky-brown with white shafts ; crown of head ashy-brown,
washed with light tawny rufous, especially distinct towards the
nape ; hind-neck and sides of neck white, forming a collar ;
forehead and a distinct eyebrow white, with a broad black band
separating the white of the forehead from the brown of the
crown ; eyelid and loral streak black ; feathers below the eye
and sides of face white, with a black patch on the hinder ear-
coverts ; cheeks and under surface of body pure, white, with a
patch of black on each side of the chest ; under wing-coverts
and axillaries white ; quills below light ashy, like the lower pri-
mary-coverts ; bill black, with the base of the lower mandible
of a dusky flesh-colour; tarsi dusky, toes darker, claws black;
iris brown. Total length, 6*5 inches; culmen, o"j ; wing, 4*15 ;
tail, 1*7 ; middle toe and claw, 07.
THE SAND-PLOVERS. 167
Adult Female.- -Similar to the male, but ^yith less rufous oh
the head, this being represented by a tinge over the eye and
round the nape, the black band on the fore part of the crown
absent, the black patch on each side of the chest represented
by a brown patch with a rufous tinge. Total length, 6*5 inches ;
culmen, 07 ; wing, 4*3 ; tail, i m g ; tarsus, i'i.
Adult in Winter Plumage. Differs from the summer plumage
in the entire absence of bright rufous on the head, and the
black markings on the face and sides of the breast are also
not developed. The head is like the back ; the forehead
and eyebrow are white, the lores dusky, and there is always a
more or less distinct white collar united to the two sides of the
neck.
Young Birds in First Winter Plumage. Only differ from the
adults in having the whole upper surface distinctly marked
with pale edges to the feathers.
Characters. The Kentish Sand-Plover may be recognised at
all ages by its black legs and feet. The crown of the head
in the adult birds is rufous as well as the nape; round the
hind-neck is a white collar. On the sides of the breast is a
black patch, which does not meet across the fore-neck to form
a collar. In the young birds the black legs and white collar on
the hind-neck are the best characteristics.
Range in Great Britain. The present species is a migrant to
England, especially to the south-eastern counties, arriving in
April, and leaving at the end of September. It has also been
obtained on the east coast in October ; but, as Mr. Howard
Saunders points out, such birds are probably migrants from the
Continent. It it chiefly known as an inhabitant of the shingly
beaches of Kent and Sussex, but is much less plentiful now than
formerly. It has been met with, on rare occasions, in Devon-
shire and Cornwall, and is a very scarce visitor to Ireland. It
is plentiful, however, on seme of the Channel Islands.
Range outside the British Islands. The Kentish Sand-Plover is
spread over the greater part of the Old World, but does not
range very far north, being rare in the Baltic, but more com-
mon in Denmark and the Netherlands; it has occurred once
in Norway, but is found regularly in South Sweden. In France,
1 68 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Spain, and the 'Mediterranean countries it is found in suitable
localities, both inland and near the sea-shore; and it extends
eastwards through Central Asia to China and Japan. It winters
in Africa, India, and the Malayan countries as far as Australia.
Some of the African and Indian birds are smaller than our
ordinary Kentish Sand-Plover, and have been separated by Mr.
Seebohm as sE. ;;;;>;/ks > . The Chinese form of this Sand-Plover
is usually found to have pale legs, and have been described as a
distinct species, JE. dealbatus, but after careful study of both
of these forms, I have come to the conclusion that they cannot
be separated from AL. alexandrina.
Habits. Before the enclosure of the harbours at Romneyand
Pagham, I made the acquaintance of the Kentish Sand-Plovers
a considerable numbers. At Pagham they were always rare,
And I only collected single specimens, mostly immature birds ;
and in this part of Sussex I never found it breeding. In the
neighbourhood of Romney, however, and along the Lydd beach
to Dungeness, and thence to Rye, I have often met with the
species, and a certain number still breed in this district, though
their numbers have been decreased by the zeal of collectors ;
and the artillery practice, now indulged in, must have disturbed
them and the Stone-Curlews not a little.
In the spring and summer the birds keep in pairs, and are
not in any sense gregarious. The generally whiter look of the
species easily distinguishes it from the Ringed Sand- Plover,
which is found on the same shingles, but is not so common as the
Kentish Sand-Plover. The nest is by no means easy to find, and
the search is rendered more difficult by the way in which the bird
runs away from it for some distance before taking wing. A little
experience, however, in watching the female bird, and the remem-
brance that, when first seen running, she must already be many
yards from the actual nest, will lead the collector to trace back-
wards, and a little care will end in the discovery of the eggs. The
male generally flies for some little distance, and perches, a con-
spicuous object, on some raised shingle or patch of mossy grass,
when he constantly utters his piping note. The female, with much
more apparent caution, runs crouchingly for some ten yards,
then stops, and again runs on in the same conspicuous manner
until she thinks that she has drawn the intruder far enough away
from the eggs or the young to ensure the safety of the latter.
THE SAND-PLOVERS. 169
The nestlings themselves are adepts at hiding, their mottled
plumage closely resembling the variegation of their stony sur-
roundings. If the observer walks erect the chances of dis-
covering the nestlings are small indeed, even if he knows that
the little ones are running away from him ; for it is almost impos-
sible to perceive them above. I have, however, captured several
nestlings by resting my head on the shingle, when the little crea-
tures become distinctly visible against the sky-line, as they run
along with wonderful swiftness for such tiny objects. I could
never bring myself to kill any of these fluffy little balls of down,
with their great dark eyes and abnormally long legs ; and later
in the autumn I have been rewarded by seeing flocks of Ken-
tish Sand-Plovers feeding on the green herbage which skirts the
harbours after the tide has receded. I once saw, from behind
my shelter of a mud-bank, more than forty of these pretty birds
feeding on the green moss near Romney Hoy, and a more in-
teresting sight can scarcely be imagined.
Nest. None, the eggs being laid in a little depression of fine
sand, occasionally the hollow being deep enough for the eggs
to stand almost upright ; they have also been found on heaps
of sea-weed.
Mr. Robert Read sends me a note on his experiences :
" The eggs of the Kentish Sand-Plover are, in my opinion, the
most difficult eggs of any of the Plover family to discover, at all
events in this country. Without watching the bird and mark-
ing it down on to its nest it is impossible to find the eggs.
Once, after watching a bird through my field-glasses for more
than three hours, I at length discovered a tiny fluffy young
one crouching amongst the shingle, and only with the greatest
difficulty distinguishable from its surroundings. Later on I
was fortunate enough, after only about fifteen minutes' watch-
ing, to discover a second nest with three fresh eggs. They
were laid on the bare shingle without the slightest pretence of
a hollow, much less of a nest, and so closely did their ground-
colour and markings assimilate to the colour and weather-
stained markings on the pebbles that even when standing
within six feet of them, if one took one's eyes off for a moment,
it required a very careful scrutiny before they could be again
recognised. I have never known more than three eggs to be
found in one nest."
i yo LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Eggs. Three or four in number (usually three), pear-shnpf.d,
and laid point to point. In character the eggs are very similar
to most of the Ringed Sand-Plovers, at least as regards the
ground-colour. The black markings are, however, much more
plentiful, forming larger blotches, and they are also more
equally distributed over the egg. Axis, 1-2-1-4 inch; diam.,
0-85-0-95.
THE LAPWINGS. GENUS VANELLUS.
Vanellus, Brisson, Orn. v. p. 94 (1760).
Type, V. vanellus (Linn.).
The Lapwings belong to a section of the Plovers in which
the wings are not long and pointed as in those species which
tve have been last considering, but are very broad and rounded,
the secondaries, in flight, being nearly as long as the primaries.
These birds have, in consequence, a much slower and more
heavy mode of flight than the pointed-winged Golden Plover or
the Sand-Plovers. The present genus contains but a single
species, which is remarkable for its long and recurved crest of
narrow pointed plumes, but it has no spur on the wing or
wattle on the face, like so many of the tropical Crested Plovers.
I. THE LAPWING OR PEEWIT. VANELLUS VANELLUS.
Tringa vanellus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 248 (1766).
Vanellus cri status, W. & M.; Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 133 (1852) ;
Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 57 (1885).
Vanellus vulgaris, Bechst.; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 545, pi. 531
(1875) ; B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 161 (1883); Saunders, ed.
Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 283 (1883) ; id. Man. Brit. B. p. 539
(1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xix. (1891).
Vanellus vanellus, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 166
(1896).
(Plate LXXIX.)
Adult Male. General colour above glossy olive-green, the
scapulars purple at their tips ; wing-coverts glossy steel-blue,
with a greenish shade, more conspicuous on the median series;
quills black, the primaries with a sub-terminal patch of ashy-
white, the secondaries white at the base of the inner web, the
innermost secondaries glossy green ; lower back and rump
THE LAPWINGS. I?l
dusky-brown, the latter slightly glossed with green ; upper
tail-coverts cinnamon-rufous ; base of tail white, terminal half
black, the feathers being slightly tipped with white, the black
band decreasing in extent towards the outer feathers, which are
entirely white, excepting a black patch on the inner web ;
crown black, with a slight greenish gloss and ornamented with
an occipital crest of elongated plumes; lores, fore part of
cheeks, entire throat, and fore-neck black, with a slight green-
ish gloss ; eyebrow, sides of face, sides of neck, and hind-neck
as far as the occiput dull white, the eyebrow mottled with black
above the eye, and below the latter a narrow streak of black
extending along the upper edge of the ear-coverts ; hind-neck
slightly washed with brown, the lower sides of the neck metal-
lic-green, extending down the sides of the fore-neck; remainder
of under surface of body, from the fore-neck downwards, pure
white, including the under wing-coverts and axillaries; the
coverts on the outside of the wing as well as the lower primary-
coverts black, like the quill-lining ; under tail-coverts light cin-
namon ; bill black ; feet clear fleshy-red ; iris brown. Total
length, 13 inches; culmen, i; wing, 8'8; tail, 4*2 ; tarsus, 17.
Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour, but the crest
not so long, and the black on the throat not developed so
soon. Total length, n inches; culmen, i-i ; wing, 8-5; tail,
3-8; tarsus, r6.
Winter Plumage. Differs from the summer plumage in having
the throat white and the head brown, with the crest shorter ;
across the fore-neck a very broad band oT black ; feathers of
the upper surface with fulvous edgings, which gradually wear
off.
Young. Coloured like the adults, but having all the feathers
of the upper surface edged with sandy-buff, including the wing-
coverts and secondaries, the scapulars with a little purplish
gloss ; the crest very short ; the eyebrow and sides of face and
throat washed with sandy-buff, with black marks before the
eye, on the fore part of the cheeks, and upper line of the ear-
coverts.
Range in Great Britain. The Lapwing is found everywhere
throughout our islands, and while diminishing in some locali-
ties, owing to the increase of drainage and cultivation and the
172 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
taking of its eggs in large numbers, the species in some parts
of Scotland is on the increase.
Range outside the British Islands. The Lapwing is found
throughout the whole of Europe and Northern Asia, nesting
even in the Mediterranean countries. In Europe it breeds
as far as the Arctic Circle, and in Asia up to 65 N. lat. In
winter it extends to Northern Africa, North-western India, and
Southern China.
HaMts. In the open and marshy countries which this species
loves to frequent the musical note of the Peewit is a distinctive
feature. It is also to be heard on the moors and pasture-lands,
especially on the fallow ground. Although this Plover is to be
seen at all times of the day, it becomes much more active
towards evening, and feeds a great deal during the night.
Throughout the summer it is a faithful friend to the farmer,
and devours large numbers of grubs, slugs, &c. It is, there-
fore, a most useful bird to keep in a garden, where its useful-
ness and beauty greatly commend themselves, but it is said
that the Peewit is an irresistible attraction to any prowling
cat. In the winter the flocks of Peewits betake themselves to
the sea-shore, where they feed on marine insects and small
molluscs, and it is a beautiful sight to see a large flock of these
birds winging their way seawards as evening approaches. They
often go through some aerial evolutions, their white breasts
being very conspicuous as they turn towards the setting sun,
while the whole flock seems to disappear for an instant as they
wheel away from the light of the latter.
The Peewit is at all seasons more or less gregarious, but more
decidedly so in winter. It nests in scattered colonies, and, as
is well known, its nests are much harried for the sake of the
eggs, which are greatly esteemed as an article of food. The
eggs are never very easy to discover, and would be still more
difficult to find were it not for the anxiety which the birds
evince when any intruder approaches the nests or young birds.
They fly round and round, uttering a continued note of pee-a-
weet-a-weet. The downy young are very difficult to discover,
as their plumage so closely harmonises with their surroundings,
while the attention of the observer is generally called off by
the unhappy parent birds, who tumble and flutter about as if
wounded.
THE LAPWINGS. 173
Nest. Generally placed in a natifral hole or depression,
such as the footprint of a horse or cow, but sometimes a
tussock of grass may be selected. Of actual ne*t there is
scarcely any, but a slight lining of grass or heather is some-
times made.
Eggs. Usually four, but on very rare occasions five have
been found. Mr. Seebohm gives one instance of a clutch of
five having been obtained by the Rev. H. A. Macpherson ;
while, as will be seen below, Mr. Robert Read records a similar
occurrence. The latter gentleman writes : "Although the eggs
of this bird are taken in such enormous numbers, I have never
but once known five eggs to be taken in one nest. This was
in Northumberland. I have found the Peewit breeding quite
close to London, at Ealing. Near Glasgow I obtained a set of
three eggs with the heavy markings at the small end, an unusual
variety of this bird's eggs. In autumn, quite close to Glasgow, I
have counted about 8,000 Peesweeps in one field." The ground-
colour of the Lapwing's egg varies extremely, from dusky-olive
or greenish-brown to dark clay-colour or clay-brown, with black
blotches and smaller spots distributed over the egg, the larger
blotches congregating near the larger end. The underlying
spots are of a dark purplish-grey. Axis, i'75-i'Q inch; diam.,
raS-i'35-
THE CRESTLESS LAPWINGS. GENUS CII^ETUSIA.
Chatusia, Bp. Iconogr. Faun. Ital. Ucc. Introd. p. 17 (1841).
Type, C.gregarla (Pall.).
This genus, of which only one species is known, is in every
respect a true Lapwing, but differs from the genus Vanellus in
having no crest.
I. THE SOCIABLE LAPWING. CH^ETUSIA GREGARIA.
Charadrius gregarius, Pall. Reis. Russ. Reichs, i. p. 456
(1770.
Chtttusia grsgaria, Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 527, pi. 528 (1875);
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 174 (1896).
Vanellus gregarius, Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 537 (1889).
Adult Male. General colour above pale ashy-brown, the centre
of the lower back rather darker ; sides of the lower back, low^r
174 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
rump and upper tail-coverts pure white, as well as the basal
two-thirds of the tail, which is tipped with white, before which
is a broad band of black, gradually diminishing in size towards
the outer feathers, and entirely disappearing on the two outer-
most rectrices, which are entirely white; wing-coverts light
brown, a little darker than the back, the greater series white,
with brown bases ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills
black, the secondaries pure white, the innermost light ashy-
brown like the back; forehead and a broad superciliary band en-
circling the nape, creamy-white ; crown of head and nape black ;
lores and a streak behind the eye black ; below the eye a line
of white ; cheeks and ear-coverts pale isabelline-brown, extend-
ing on to the sides of the neck and round the hind-neck, as well
as over the throat; lower-throat, fore-neck, and breast dark ashy-
brown or stone-grey ; lower breast and abdomen black, with a
patch of chestnut on the lower abdomen ; lower flanks, thighs,
under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillaries pure white ;
primaries black below ; bill and feet black ; iris dark brown.
Total length, 12 inches; oilmen, 1-3; wing, 8'o; tail, 3-5;
tarsus, 2-35.
Adult Female. Does not differ from the male in plumage.
Total length, 12 inches; culmen, 1*25; wing, 7-8; tail, 3-4;
tarsus, 2-35.
Young. Differs from the adults in being rather darker brown,
and in having sandy margins to the feathers of the upper sur-
/ace ; the head brown like the back ; lores white ; under sur-
face of body white, with no black on the breast or red on
the abdomen, and the chest mottled with black edgings to the
feathers or with heart-shaped spots in the centre of the latter; bill
black ; feet black, very faintly tinged with lake in many speci-
mens, though this colour is scarcely observable; iris blackish
or very dark brown.
Range in Great Britain. This species has only occurred once,
as far as is known, within our limits. The history of the speci-
men in question is given by Mr. Howard Saunders as follows :
"In the autumn of the year 1860, or thereabouts, an imma-
ture example of this south-eastern species was shot from
among a flock of Lapwings near St. Michael's on-Wyre in
Lancashire, and having been subsequently placed in a case
THE CRESTLESS LAPWINGS. 1/5
with many other stuffed birds, which impeded the view: it was
erroneously recorded as a Cream-coloured Courser by Mr. F. S.
Mitchell. It afterwards came into the possession of Mr. W. H.
Doeg, when it was correctly identified, and was exhibited by
Mr. Seebohm at a meeting of the Zoological Society of London
on November 2oth, 1888. Its pedigree appears to be perfectly
satisfactory."
Kange outside the British Islands. The principal home of this
species is in South-eastern Russia, in the steppes of the Don,
the Volga, and the Caucasus, as well as the Crimea. The late
Professor Bogdanoff gives its range as the steppes of Tcher-
noze'm, from 51 to 53 N. lat., and its eastern range as ex-
tending to the Aralo-Caspian region and Russian Songaria,
whence it wanders in winter to North-western and Western
India, and to Arabia and North-eastern Africa. It has oc-
curred on more than one occasion in Western Europe, having
been killed at least three times in Italy, as well as near Nice.
Mr. Howard Saunders saw one in the Cadiz Market, in Feb-
ruary, 1868, and the late Professor Taczanowsky identified two
adults near Lublin in the autumn of 1842.
Habits. Very little has been recorded about the habits of this
species. Mr. Hume gives the following note of his observations
in Sind : " This Lapwing was often met with, chiefly in waste
places in the immediate neighbourhood of cultivation. As a
rule it is an upland bird ; you may see it occasionally near
jheels, but is most common in the neighbourhood of cultivation
on waste and dry uplands. It keeps together in flocks of from
twenty to one hundred, and until shot at once or twice is
fearless and tame." Colonel E. A. Butler also gives a short
note : " The Black-sided Lapwing is very common during the
cold weather in the neighbourhood of Deesa (farther south it is
not so plentiful), congregating in flocks, varying in numbers
from four or five to fifty or sixty. Like ^?. cantianus and ^.
curonicus, it frequents open sandy and grass maidans and bare
cultivated or uncultivated ground."
Nest. Apparently no details are known of the nidification
of this species.
Eggs Four in number, very similar to those of the Lapwing,
i?6 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
but the spots rather more sparsely distributed. The ground-
colour is of an olive clay-brown, with black spots and bl tches.
Axis, 1-65-1-95 inch; diam., 1-25-1-35.
THE TURN-STONES. SUB-FAMILY ARENARIIN^E.
These curious little waders are distinguished by having the
lower half of the tarsus plated or scaled transversely, while its
hinder aspect is entirely reticulated. There is no " dertrum,"
or swelling, at the end of the bill as there is in most of the
Plovers. The nasal groove does not extend for more than half
the length of the culmen. Two species of Turn-stone are
known, our own species, A.interpres, being found nearly all over
the world, while the Black Turn-stone (A. melanocephala) is
only known from Western North America, where it ranges
from Alaska to California.
THE TURN-STONES. GENUS ARENARIA.
Arenaria^ Brisson, Orn. v. p. 132 (1760).
Type, A. interprcs (Linn.).
This is the single genus of the Turn-stones, and, therefore,
the characters are the same as those of the Sub-family.
I. THE TURN-STONE. ARENARIA INTERPRES.
Tringa interpres, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 248 (1766).
Strepsilas interpres, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 143 (1852) ; Dresser.
B. Eur. vii. p. 555, pi. 532 (1875) ; B. O. U. List Brit. B.
p. 161 (1883) ; S.iunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 289
(1883); id. Man. Brit. B. p. 541 (1889); Lilford, Col.
Fig. Brit. B. part xiv. (1890).
Charadrius interpres, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 12 (1885).
Aienaria ititcrpres^ Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 92
(1896).
(Plate LXXX.)
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above black,
mixed with chestnut, or partly chestnut, feathers on the centre
of the mantle ; scapulars for the most part chestnut, but the
outer ones black at the ends, or irregularly marked with black,
\
THE TURN-STONES. I 77
accessory scapular plumes white ; entire back below the
mantle and rump pure white ; upper tail-coverts black, the
longer ones pure white ; lesser wing-coverts blackish, the
innermost rather broadly edged with white, as also those near
the edge of the wing ; median coverts for the most part chest-
nut, slightly mottled with black; greater coverts blackish,
narrowly margined and broadly tipped, with white ; bastard-
wing and primary-coverts black, the innermost of the latter
with white tips ; quills black with white shafts, and white
bases to the inner primaries, the secondaries for the most part
white, blackish towards the ends of the fenthers, these black
markings decreasing gradually towards the inner secondaries,
some of which are pure white ; the innermost secondaries
black, mottled with chestnut, like the scapulars ; tail-feathers
black with white bases, all but the centre tail-feathers tipped
with white, the black diminishing in size and forming a band
towards the outer feathers, which are almost white ; crown of
head and hind-neck white, the former streaked, the latter
mottled with black ; base of forehead and narrow frontal-line
black, followed by a band of white which unites with a broad
eyebrow, and is extended over the ear- coverts ; lores white, as
well as the fore part of the cheeks ; feathers round the eye and
eyelid white, separated from the white loral patch by a narrow
line of black, which joins the frontal- band to a square black
patch beneath the eye, which is also joined with a malar line
of black, which is connected with the sides of the neck and
with the fore-neck and sides of breast, all these parts being
black, but nearly divided by a semi-lunar band of white, which
reaches from the sides of the neck almost to the breast ;
throat white, as also the rest of the under surface of body from
the centre of the chest downwards ; under wing-coverts and
axillaries also pure white ; quills below ashy-whitish along the
inner web ; bill black ; feet deep orange-red, claws black ;
iris hazel. Total length, 8 inches ; culmen, 0*9 ; wing, 6-2 ;
tail, 2-3 ; tarsus, 0-95 ; middle toe and claw, n.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Much duller than the male,
ai-d having the same pattern of black and white about the face;
but never developing the same amount of chestnut about the
back ; the head and hind-neck being brown, mottled with
blackish centres to the feathers. Total length, 8-5 inches ;
i 1 N
<7 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
julmen, 0-9; wing, 6*3; tail, 2-45; tarsus, 0-95; middle toe
and claw, i.
Young Birds. General colour above dusky-brown, all the
feathers edged with sandy-buff or rufous ; wings and tail as in
the adult ; crown of head dark brown, streaked with sandy-
buff, the margins of the feathers being of this colour ; tail-
feathers white, with a broad sub-terminal band of black, de-
creasing in extent towards the outermost feathers, all the
feathers tipped with sandy-buff; throat and under surface of
body white; the lower throat, fore-neck, sides of neck, and
sides of breast mottled with dusky-blackish centres to the
feathers, marking the black pattern of the adults, even the
semi-lunar neck-band of the adults being indicated by a broad
crescentic band of sandy-buff in the young.
Winter Plumage of the Adult. Above nearly uniform dusky-
brown, but not showing the tawny-rufous margins to the
feathers of the upper surface, the edges being ashy-brown.
The head is uniform brown like the back ; the hind-neck and
sides of neck are ashy, mottled with dusky centres to the
feathers ; sides of face brown, with more or less white on the
ear-coverts ; the black markings on the cheeks and throat as
in the breeding bird, but the white semi-lunar band on the
sides of the neck replaced by a patch of light brown.
The difference between the winter plumage of the adult and
the first full plumage of the young birds consists in the sandy-
buff margins to the feathers of the upper surface, which are
very distinct in the latter at first. Afterwards they become
abraded, and then there is scarcely any distinguishing mark be-
tween the winter plumages of the adult and young. In the spring
the red plumage is very rapidly acquired, and I believe that it
is gained quite as much by the change in the pattern of the
feather as by a direct moult.
Range in Great Britain. Although up to the present moment
there is no authentic instance of the breeding of the Turn-stone
in Great Britain, it is by no means improbable that the species
does nest with us. Although a few remain during the winter
in the milder parts of Southern England, the Turn-stone must
be regarded as a migrant, principally in spring and autumn, on
its way to and from its northern breeding quarters, coming
THE TURN-STONES. 179
north in May. The return journey lasts fronythe end of July
to the end of September.
Eange outside the British Islands. The Turn-stone may be re-
garded as a circum-polar bird, for it breeds in the high north
of both hemispheres, and wanders south in winter to the Cape
of Good Hope, India and Ceylon, Australia, and the extreme
south of South America. It has even been supposed to nest
in some of its southern homes, as birds have been procured in
full breeding plumage in the Azores, and in other places in
May, but these are probably non- breeding birds, which remain
in their southern homes during the whole of the summer. It
nests regularly in Denmark and in Scandinavia, and on the
Baltic coasts.
Habits. This handsome little Plover is by no means shy,
and, in autumn, the young birds may be approached within easy
distance of observation. I have often seen them at this latter
period of the year resting, at full tide, on the green herbage
just beyond the high-water mark in some of our southern
harbours. When sitting on the shingle, however, their
plumage so completely harmonises with the surrounding stones
that they are not discovered until they fly up, with a sharp
note. It is essentially a bird of the sea-coasts, and is very
seldom seen inland, although it is said to move across country
in its migrations. Its name of Turn-stone is derived from its
curious habit of turning over pebbles to look for the insects
underneath, and Colonel Feilden has in his possession a slab of
stone several inches square which he saw turned over by one
of these birds. Edward, the Banffshire naturalist, noticed
three of them engaged upon moving the body of a fish, which,
as they could not overturn it, they undermined, and were
then enabled to reach the insects which were underneath
the body. Mr. E. VV. Nelson also says that the species feeds
upon the larvae of the insects which are found upon the tens
of thousands of seal carcases strewn about the Seal Islands
in N.W. America. The call-note of the Turn-stone, writes
Mr. Seebohm, is a clear, loud, shrill whistle, bearing some re-
semblance to the call-notes of the Golden and Grey Plovers,
which may be represented by the syllable ko or keet. It has
also a double note, which may be represented by the syllable
N 2
180 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
kilter^ and not unfrequently the single note is added, making
a treble note, kitter keet. In spring, during the breeding
season, it is said that these notes are often so rapidly uttered
that they form a trill.
Nest. A little hollow, lined with a few dead leaves, and
generally concealed behind a bush or under some broad leaf,
or a tuft of herbage.
Eggs. Four in number; ground-colour of a pale greeni.sh-
grey to light clay-colour and olive-brown, the overlying spots
being of a chocolate-brown, in some cases generally distributed
over the egg, but in some clustered round the larger end. The
underlying spots are distinct, and of a purplish-grey. Axis,
i'5-i'7 inch; diam., ro5-i 2.
THE OYSTER-CATCHERS. SUB-FAMILY
Like the Turn-stones, the Oyster-catchers have no swelling
near the tips of the mandibles, in this respect differing from the
True Plovers. The bill is very much compressed and narrow,
the angle of the lower mandible being very strongly marked
and situated not far from the base of the bill, its distance from
the tip being double that from the base of the mandible. The
tarsus is reticulated both in front and behind.
THE OYSTER- CATCHERS. GENUS H^MATOPUS.
HczmatopiiS) Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 257 (1766).
Type, H. ostralegus (Linn.).
There is but one genus of these curious birds, with twelve
species. They are found nearly all over the world, and are
divided into two groups, the Pied Oyster-catchers and the
Black Oyster-catchers, the former being mostly northern while
the latter are southern birds, though H. niger reaches to North-
west America, and H. moquini to the Canaries and Madeira.
THE OYSTER CATCHER. iSl
I. THE OYSTER-CATCHER. H/EMATOPUS OSTRALEGUS.
Hczmatopus ostrakgus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 257 (1766);
Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 152 (1852); Dresser, B. Eur.
vii. p. 567, pi. 533 (1877) ; B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 162
(1883); Saunders, ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iii. p. 294 (1883);
Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 4 (1885); Saunders, Man.
Brit. B. p. 543 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part
xii. (1890) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 107
(1896).
(Plate LXXXI.)
Adult Male. General colour above glossy black ; lower back,
rump, and upper tail- coverts white; wing-coverts black, the
bastard-wing feathers and the median series with white tips,
the greater coverts pure white, with only a little blackish
concealed near the base; primaries black, with the greater
part of the inner web white, except near the ends and for some
distance parallel to the shaft, the latter with a sub-terminal
white streak, widening into a broad white streak on the inner
primaries, the white extending on to the outer web ; second-
aries pure white with black tips, the central ones white, the
long inner ones black ; tail white, with the terminal third
black, forming a broad band ; head all round with the entire
throat black ; under the eye a white spot ; remainder of under
surface of body, from the lower throat downwards, pure white ;
the feathers of the fore-neck which adjoin the black throat
being half white and half black, to correspond with the
adjacent plumage; under wing-coverts and axillaries white;
bill vermilion, tinged with yellow as far as the end of the
nasal groove, the attenuated part dull yellow ; feet pale lake or
purplish-red ; edges of the eyelids vermilion ; iris crimson,
Total length, 16 inches; culmen, 2*9; wing, 7-9; tail, 3*9;
tarsus, 1*95.
Adult Female Similar to the male in plumage. Total length,
17 inches; culmen, 3-3 ; wing, io'i ; tail, 4; tarsus, 2.
Young. Browner on the back than the adults, and with
more or less sandy-brown vermiculations and margins to the
ends of the feathers ; across the middle of the throat a broad
band of white ; quills with a larger expanse of white, the white
on the outer web of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth quills
1 32 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
continuous with the white on the inner web. The white band
on the throat is lost during the first winter, disappearing
sooner in the females than in the males.
Nestling. Clothed with down of a sandy-grey colour, not
much mottled with black, of which two lines run down each
side of the back, with a single narrow line down the rump to
the tail, and a lateral stripe along the lo\ver flanks ; the head
has seme irregular black stripes and patches ; throat dusky-
black ; remainder of under surface of body white, as also the
edge of the wing; thighs dusky-blackish. As the bird in-
creases in size the plumage becomes darker, and is strongly
barred with sandy-buff tips and edges to the feathers, but the
black dorsal patches are retained in full force for a long
time.
Range in Great Britain. The Oyster-catcher is resident with us
throughout the year, and breeds on our northern coasts and in
Scotland, where it ascends the rivers for some little distance
and nests on th? rocky beds. It also nests in certain parts of
England as far south as the Scilly Islands. In Ireland Mr.
R. J. Ussher says that it breeds on the coasts and islands of
all the maritime counties, except, perhaps, Louth, Meath, Wick-
low, and Waterford. Mr. H. C. Hart states that he has found
it nesting on an island in Lough Erne.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species is found
throughout most of the coasts of Europe from the North Cape
to the Mediterranean, and as far east as the Valley of the Ob,
but it ascends several large rivers of the Continent, as it does
the Petchora and the Ob, while it also breeds on the shores of
inland seas, such as the Black Sea and the Caspian. It is also
found nesting on the Adriatic and about the mouth of the
Rhone, but is principally known as a winter resident in the
countries of the Mediterranean, and it also extends in winter
down the Red Sea, and is said to have been met with in
Mozambique, on the east coast of Africa, and in Sencgambia
on the west.
Habits. The common names for the Oyster-catcher are "Sen
Pie " and " Olive," the latter being a favourite name with the
gunners in Pagham Harbour years ago. Large flocks are
oftfii seen in the autumn and winter, generally distributed
THE OYSTER-CATCHERS. 183
over the sands, as the latter are left by the receding tide.
They will also feed on the edge of the saltings along the
margin of the tide. Some which I had in confinement for
several years were pretty ornaments to the garden, but were
always shy and never became tame, while their soft feet were
soon cut about on the hard ground in frosty weather. When
undisturbed, the males were rather fond of executing a kind of
dance, with their wings expanded. Although this bird may
not feed on oysters, as its name would imply, it devours
whelks, limpets, and small marine animals and Crustacea, as
well as leaves and shoots of marine plants. It does not eat
the shell of the whelk, but scoops its animal out with its power
ful bill, and in pursuit of this kind of food the Oyster-catcher
often frequents the rocks at low tide. I have seen numbers of
them feeding and digging into the sand when the latter is
quite dry, doubtless probing after some hidden mollusc, and
the birds may always be observed from the railway as it skirts
Morecambe Bay, as they often feed at no great distance from
the line.
Nest. Mr. Seebohm writes: "A peculiarity attached to the
identification of the Oyster-catcher is the number of nests it
forms and then deserts, ere making one to its liking. Frequently
several empty nests are found near the one that is tenanted, as
though the bird had tried several times before it had been
suited. The nest is merely a little hollow amongst the rough
shingle and broken shells, or in the sand, about six inches
across and about one inch deep, and this is lined with little
scraps of shells and small pebbles, generally more or less
neatly and smoothly arranged. Sometimes the eggs are
deposited in a little hollow amongst the drifted seaweed." The
eggs of this bird have been found in several extraordinary
situations, as, for instance, in a field and on the trunk of a
felled pine-tree. A nest in the British Museum was taken by
Mr. Bidwell in the Scilly Islands. It is a somewhat deep
depression in the peaty moss, and the three eggs lie side by
side, with a number of cockle-shells, one or two of which are
also strewn about outside."
Eggs. Mr. Robert Read writes to me : " Like the Ringed
Sand-Plover, the Oyster-catcher breeds freely along the shores
184 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
and on the islands both of salt and fresh wnter. It seems as much
at home on the plough-fields and river-banks in Inverness-shire
as on the sandy shores of the Fame Islands. I have found full
sets of fresh eggs in Inverness-shire as early as April 2oth, and
young birds by the middle of May. The markings on the
eggs consist sometimes of zig-zag streaks, and sometimes of
spots and blotches more or less well-defined, small specimens
of the latter kind being difficult to distinguish from some
varieties of the Great Plover." The eggs are three in number,
the ground-colour varying from warm clay-brown to stone-
colour and pale greenish-olive. The overlying spots are
blackish or dark chocolate-brown, generally distributed over
the egg, sometimes as blotches and often in lines and scrib-
blings. The underlying spots are pale purplish-grey, and are
distinctly perceptible, especially on the more lightly-marked
eggs. Axis, 2-1-2-55 inches; diam , 1-5-175.
THE AVOCETS AND STILTS. SUB-FAMILY
HIMANTOPODIN^E.
The members of this Sub-family have been associated
together by recent students of the Charadriidce, and Mr.
Seebohm has gone so far as to put the Avocet and the
Stilt into the same genus, a conclusion with which I cannot
agree ; and it is even doubtful to my mind whether these birds
are not sufficiently distinct from one another as to deserve being
classed in different Sub-families. There is no dertrum or
swelling at the end of the bill, which shows that they are not
Plovers, and the legs are very long, especially in the case of
the Stilts. In the latter the bill is straight, whereas in the
Avocets it is up-curved and awl-like.
THE AVOCETS. GENUS RECURVIROSTRA.
Recurvirostra, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 256 (1766).
Type, R. avocetta (Linn.).
Four species of Avocets are known, and the genus is
found over the temperate and tropical portions of both
\
THE AVOCETS. 185
hemispheres. In addition to the up-turned bill, the lower
edge of which is flattened, the Avocets are distinguished by
the presence of a hind-toe, and by having the base of the toes
distinctly united by a web.
I. THE AVOCET. RECURVIROSTRA AVOCETTA.
Rccuruirostra avocetta^ Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 256 (1766);
Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 306 (1852); Dresser, B. Eur. vii.
P- 577, pl- 534 (1875); B. O. U. List Brit. B, p. 162
(1883) ; Saunders, ed. YarrelFs Brit. B. iii. p. 299 (1883);
id. Man Brit B. p, 545 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit.
B. part xiii. (1890) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv.
p. 326 (1896)
Himantopus avocetta^ Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 74 (1885).
(Plate LXXXIL)
Adult Male. General colour above varied with black and
white ; the upper part of the mantle and scapulars black ; the
rest of the back, rump, and upper tail-coverts pure white, as
also the outer scapulars, which form a white band on each
side of the lateral black bands on the back ; small wing-coverts
along the carpal edge of the wing white; median coverts black,
forming a broad band down the wing; bastard-wing and
greater coverts pure white, primary-coverts white with black
tips, the inner ones pure white ; outer primaries blackish with
white at the base, the inner ones pure white as well as the
secondaries, the innermost secondaries blackish ; tail-feathers
pale ashy-grey, the outermost feathers whitish ; crown of head
black, extending in a broad line to the hind-neck ; lores also
blackish, and also the feathers below the eye ; sides of face and
ear-coverts, sides of neck, and entire under surface of body, in-
cluding the under wing-coverts, axillaries, and quill-lining, pure
white ; bill black ; feet and toes pale blue ; iris reddish-brown.
Total length, i6'5 inches; oilmen, 3-3; wing, 8'6; tail, 3;
tarsus, 3.
Adult Female. Similar to the male in plumage. Total length,
17 inches; culmen, 3-15; wing, 9; tail, 3-55; tarsus, 3-3.
"Winter Plumage. Both the old and young birds appear tc
have the white of the upper-parts sullied with grey, and the
1 85 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
black of the head is confined to the crown, not reaching beyond
the nape ; some specimens, probably young ones, have a good
deal of brown mixed with the black of the upper-parts. The
tail is light grey in winter, and becomes pure white in
summer.
Nestling. Ashy-grey, slightly mottled with dusky bars ; on the
sides of the mantle two incomplete streaks of black ; a black
streak on the middle of the rump and a black line extending
along the sides of the body across the base of the tail ; minor
black markings are seen upon the head and on the wings ; undel
surface of body yellowish-white.
Kange in Great Britain. The Avocet is now only a rare visito,
to England, in spring and autumn, but it used to nest in formev
times in many parts of England, especially in the Humbei
district and on the coasts of Norfolk, Suffolk, Kent, and Sussex,
but it has not been known to breed, according to Mr. Howard
Saunders, since the year 1824. It has never been more than
a casual visitor to Scotland, Ireland, or the West of England.
Range outside the British Islands. Although in many of the
northern countries of Europe the Avocet has disappeared as a
breeding bird as it has done in England, there are many places
where it nests in localities suited to its habits. Thus on the
shores of the Baltic, the Frisian Islands, and in Holland, the
eggs may still be found; as well as on the deltas of the Rhone
and Guadalquivir. Throughout the countries of the Mediterra-
nean the bird is resident in suitable districts, becoming more
abundant in Southern Russia and the Caspian to Central Asia,
and thence to Dauria and Mongolia. It is also distributed
from Ep;ypt to Southern Africa, and breeds in many places. In
winter the Avocet visits China and the Indian Peninsula.
Habits. The present species is a very handsome bird, and
when a company is feeding together, or wheeling in flight, their
black-and-white plumage renders them very conspicuous. Mr.
Seebohm says that, on the wing, flocks have a strange appearance,
looking like a series of black and white stripes. " Like the
Stilt," he writes, "the Avocet haunts the margins of the water,
running daintily along the wet shining sands, or exploring the
black mud-banks in the shallow lakes. It is not particularly
shy, but, if alarmed, will mount into the air, its long legs
THE AVOCETS. 1 87
stretched out behind in a line with its bill, and fly round and
round, uttering its alarm-note, which resembles the syllables
/'/, //>'/, tit-it, t it-it ! If one of the birds is wounded, its com-
panions fly round over-head, incessantly uttering their notes, as
if bewailing its fate. At all seasons of the year the Avocet is
sociable, and may be observed in large or small parties. It is
a very beautiful sight to watch a party of these birds, when their
nesting-grounds are invaded, daintily running before you, their
brilliant plumage contrasting strongly with the mud or sand.
Every now and then they run a little way with up-lifted wings,
occasionally rising in the air and flying round your head, utter-
ing their anxious cries. The bird wades into water as deep as
its belly, and will even venture farther, for it swims with ease,
sitting lightly and gracefully on the water. In the course oi
their wanderings over the mud-flats and tide-washed sands, they
often swim a little distance across a stretch of deep water, and,
if pursued, will readily make use of their swimming powers to
carry them out of danger. The food of the Avocet is captured
principally on the mud and in marshy places. It is chiefly com-
posed of worms, small crustaceans, and vast quantities of
aquatic insects. Their prey is searched for as the bird moves
its long slender recurved bill from side to side across the sur-
face of the sand or mud, or in the shallows. The Avocet
never appears to probe in the soft ground with its bill, but
always uses it in a side direction. A small quantity of gravel
is swallowed to aid digestion. Sometimes the bird captures
the small gnats and other insects as they flutter over the water
or flit by it on the land." Lord Lilford says : " The method
of feeding is by sidelong scoops in the soft mud, which they
sift with a sort of nibbling action between the mandibles.
They are very active on foot, and excellent swimmers, con-
tinually shifting from place to place, uttering a pleasant, clear
whistle, very different from their discordant cries when
alarmed."
Nest. A slight depression in the bare mud or sand or in short
grass, with sometimes a little dry grass or leaves for lining.
Mr. Seebohm says that those he found in the valley of the
Danube were most of them slight, but some had more founda-
tion than others ; they were always on the dry land.
Eggs. Four in number, pear-shaped. The general aspect
I 83 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY
of the ground-colour is a warm or pale clay -brown, some of the
lighter-coloured eggs having an olive tinge. The spots are
black and generally distributed over the egg, some of the larger
ones being confluent and forming blotches. In many examples,
however, the markings are very small and take the form of
scratches and scribblings. The underlying spots are stone-
grey, and are more perceptible in the sparsely-marked eggs.
Axis, 175-2-05 inches; diam., i'25-i'55.
THE STILTS. GENUS HIMANTOPUS.
Himantopus^ Briss, Orn. v. p. 33 (1760).
Type, H. hirnantopus (L.).
The Stilts are distinguished from the Avocets by their
straight bill and thin, long legs, which extend far behind the
body of the birds. The toes have scarcely any connecting
web, and are divided almost to the base. They differ from the
Avocets also in wanting the hind-toe, or hallux. In Australia
an intermediate form, Cladorhynchus, occurs, which has
webbed toes and wants the hallux, resembling the Stilts in
these respects, but having a slightly upturned bill, as in the
Avocets.
Seven species of Stilts are known, and they inhabit both the
Eastern and Western Hemispheres, though they do not range
north of the temperate portions of the globe. H. mexicanus
replaces H. hirnantopus in North America, H. knudseni is
peculiar to the Sandwich Islands, H. melanurus is South
American, while H. leucocephalus^ H. picatus, and //. me/as
belong to the Australian Region.
I. THE BLACK-WINGED STILT. HIMANTOPUS HIMANTOPUS.
Charadrius himantopus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 255 (1766).
Himantopus melanopterus, Meyer; Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 312
(1852); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 79 (1885); Lil-
ford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xiii. (1890).
Himantopus caudidus^ Bonn.; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 587, pis.
535. 536 (1877); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 163 (1883);
Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 305 (1883); id.
Man. Brit. B. p. 547 (1889),
PLATE LXXXIII.
BLACK-WINGED STILT.
THE STILTS. 189
Himantopus himantopus^ Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p.
310 (1896).
(Plate LXXXIII.} f
Adult Male. General colour above black wiih a greenish
gloss ; entire back and rump pure white ; upper tail-coverts
pale ashy-grey, the outer feathers with a certain amount of white
on the inner web ; wings entirely black, glossed with green ;
head and neck all round, upper mantle, and entire under sur-
face of body pure white; under wing-coverts black; axillaries
white; bill blackish; feet rose-pink; iris deep carmine. Total
length, 13 inches; culmen, 2*5; wing, 9^6; tail, 3; tarsus, 4'6$.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but having the mantle,
scapulars, and inner secondaries brown instead of black.
Total length, 13 inches; wing, 9-1.
Young in First Plumage. Similar to the adult female, and
brown on the mantle, scapulars, and inner secondaries, which
have sandy-buff margins to the feathers ; the wings are black,
but have sandy-buff margins, the quills brown on their
inner webs towards the tips, which are broadly fringed or
tipped with white; forehead and sides of face white; the
crown of the head and nape brown ; the hind-neck ashy-grey ;
under surface of body pure white, with a shade of grey on the
fore-neck.
Nestling. Covered with down of an isabelline colour above,
varied with rather broad lines of black, with a streak of black
down the lower back and rump ; the first feathers being sandy-
rufous, barred ; entire under surface of body creamy-white.
Eange in Great Britain. A rare straggler to our islands, it
has been recorded from all the three Kingdoms, but has
seldom been noticed on the western side of Great Britain.
It has occurred most frequently in the eastern and southern
counties, and nearly always in summer.
Range outside the British Islands. The Stilt breeds throughout
the Mediterranean countries in suitable localities, as well as in
Hungary, and thence eastwards through the Aralo-Caspian
district to Turkestan and as far as the Hoangho Valley. It
also nests in North-western India, and breeds in South Africa
along with the Avocets. In winter it visits Africa and India
1 9 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
as well as the Burmese provinces and Southern China. It is
only a straggler to the countries of Northern Europe, as it is
to Great Britain.
Habits. This is one of the most extraordinary of all the
Plovers, and is remarkable foi iti rung legs. These are carried
out behind it, when the bird is flying, and from their bright
colour are very conspicuous. Mr. Seebohm observes :
"There are few sights more interesting to an English ornitho-
logist than a breeding colony of Stilts. If quietly approached,
they may be watched standing up to their knees in water,
catching little tadpoles and water-beetles, picking up floating
shell-fish, or snapping at the gnats in the air, or the water-
spiders dancing on the surface of the lagoons. Perhaps it
looks most elegant as it trips daintily on the yellow ooze,
which scarcely seems to bend beneath its light weight. Some-
times two or three may be seen feeding together, walking with
deliberate, graceful step, which is occasionally quickened
almost into a run ; but they seldom utter a note. They do
not seem to be particularly shy, and it is not necessary to
keep concealed among the reeds, except when you approach
the nests. Then the habits of the birds change entirely : all
idea of feeding is given up, and their whole attention is
absorbed in the effort to decoy you from the colony ; they are
alarmed for the safety of their eggs, and in their excitement
they suddenly become noisy birds. As they run along the
sand, with uplifted wings, they look the perfection of beauty
and grace, but they soon take wing, and try hard to lead you
inland to the steppe. Generally two or three fly together,
looking almost like miniature Storks as they pass over; the
neck is outstretched and the bill is slightly depressed, while
the long red legs, which reach considerably beyond the tail,
are also extended slightly below the horizontal line. The
motion of the wings is not very rapid, but the line of flight is
straight. Now and then the bird skims along for a short
distance with outspread, motionless wings, and, whilst thus
slowly sailing along, it has a curious habit of dropping its legs,
but this action is performed so high in the air that the bird
can scarcely be making preparations to alight, and may
perhaps be only trying to attract attention to itself. All this
time the birds are noisy enough. The Stilt has two cries of
THE STILTS. IQl
anxiety at the nest one a sharp, rapidly repeated kit-kit-kit,
or hit, hit, hit, and the other a sort of rattling note, resembling
the syllable peur-r-re. As the wily bird succeeds in luring
the intruder away from its treasures, it does not fly so near
him ; the former note only is heard, and is less rapidly and
less anxiously repeated ; the final / is omitted, or is inaudible,
and the note sounds like he, kee, kee" Lord Lilford writes:
"I have always found this bird very easy of approach. In
the breeding-season it is difficult to drive them from their
nesting-places, over which they hover with loud outcries, and
I have frequently ridden to within a few feet of Stilts wading
in a few inches of water, and busily engaged in picking up
small insects from the weeds, or snapping at them in the air.
In Spain I have found the stomachs and throats of these birds
crammed with what I believe to have been mosquitoes, or
some very nearly allied and probably equally pestilent insects,
and on this score alone this pretty bird is worthy of protection,
more especially as its flesh is worthless, and its tameness so
great that the most rabid collector can obtain more specimens
than he can reasonably require in a few minutes." Colonel
Irby says that the Stilt is, in spring, one of the most common
of the marsh-birds on both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar.
At Meshree el Haddar, in Marocco, and in the marisma of
the Guadalquivir, their numbers were perfectly marvellous.
" In some seasons they have nested at the Laguna de la Janda.
They frequent open shallow pools and lakes, and are very
seldom seen where there is grass or rushes, being, as a rule,
very tame and confiding, while their conspicuous black and
white plumage and noisy habits render them certain to attract
attention, either as they fly with their long pink legs stretched
out, Heron-like, behind them, or as they wade about, usually
up to their knees, in the shallow water, where they seek their
food in the shape of aquatic insects, gnats, and flies."
Nest. Placed in various situations, such as on the half-dried
mud in Spain. Mr. Howard Saunders has found the .lest by
the pools in the marismas, consisting of a slight nest of bents
by the side of a tuft of rushes, often so near the water as to
be coated with mud from the bird's feet. Sometimes they are
more solid structures, and Mr. Seebohm found nests in the
Dobrudscha built of weeds, broken bits of old dead reeds, and
1 92 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
standing from two to three inches above the level of the water,
while another had a foundation of yellow ooze. " The slight
hollow was about six inches across and the nest was about
eight inches in diameter at the surface of the water."
Mr. A. O. Hume gives an interesting account of the
breeding of the Stilt in the salt-district of North-western India.
He writes: "The birds have their choice of sites, though
on what this depends I could not find out. Not one nest was
found in two successive seasons at Bulpoor or Kuliawas ; very
few at Sultanpoor. On the other hand, at Moobarikpoor (and
all the salt-works are exact facsimiles one of the other) the
nests were, in some places, crowded to an inconceivable
degree. On one strip, about three feet wide and one hundred
feet long, there were twenty-seven nests on one margin and
eleven on the other, bssides five nests of the Red-wattled
Lapwing. So accustomed were the birds to the workmen
walking up and down the middle of this strip, that many of the
birds never moved, though we passed within a few inches of
them, and those that did move merely stalked leisurely a few
paces away into the salt-pans on either side."
Eggs. Four in number, but often only three. In Ceylon,
Colonel Vincent Legge says that he has found many nests
containing three hard-set eggs, and he states, moreover, that
for the most part they were not placed point to point, as is the
usual rule with Plovers. The eggs of the Stilt have a great
general resemblance to those of the Avocet, but are very much
smaller. The colour of the eggs varies from clay-brown to
olive stone-colour, but a lighter type is also sometimes met
with, where the ground-colour is of a creamy stone-colour or
buff. As a rule the eggs are heavily spotted and blotched,
when the spots become confluent, and lightly spotted eggs are
less frequent than in the Avocet. In the Hume collection are
some which have the spots congregated at either the large or
the small end. Axis, i '55-1 '85 inch; diam., 1*15-1 '3.
THE PHALAROPES. SUB-FAMILY
PHALAROPIN^:.
These curious, soft-plumaged little Plovers are easily recog-
nised by their lobed toes, which have scalloped webs like the
\
THE PHALAROPES. 193
Coots or Grebes. They have also another character which is
Grebe-like, and which I have not yet seen recorded, viz., that
on the hinder aspect or " sole " of the tarsus (planfyi tarsi)
there is a distinctly coarse serration or pectination. Added
to these characters, it must be noticed that the Pbalaropes are
adepts at swimming, and I have, therefore, in the " Catalogue
of Birds," placed them at the very end of the Plovers, as a con-
nective link between these birds and the Grebes. Another
peculiarity is that the female Phalarope is always larger and
more brightly coloured than the male.
THE TRUE PHALAROPES. GENUS CRYMOPHILUS.
CrymophiluS) Vieill. Analyse, p. 62 (1816).
Type, C.fulicarius (L.).
In the present genus the bill is rather flat and slightly
widened towards the tip, the culmen being about equal in
length to the tarsus, which is again equal to the middle toe
and claw.
I. THE GREY PHALAROPE. CRYMOPHILUS FULICARIUS.
Tringa fulicaria, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 249 (1766).
Phalaropiis lobatus, L. ; Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 284 (1852).
Phalaropus fulicarins. Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 606, pi. 538
(1874) ; B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 164 (1883) ; Saunders,
ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iii. p. 310 (1883); Seebohm, Hist.
Brit. B. iii. p. 85 (1885) ; Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 549
(1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxx. (1895).
(Plaie LXXXIV.)
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. General colour above sandy-
buff, streaked with black centres to the feathers; scapulars like
the back ; lower back dark slate-colour ; rump and upper tail-
coverts chestnut with black centres to many of the feathers ;
some of the tail-coverts slaty-grey with sandy margins ; lesser
wing-coverts slaty-blue, with whitish edgings; the median
series and greater coverts broadly tipped with white ; bastard-
wing, primary-coverts, and quills blackish with white shafts,
II O
194 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
the inner primary-coverts tipped with white, most of the
primaries white at the base of the outer web, the secondaries
for the most part white, blackish towards the ends of the outer
webs, the innermost secondaries dark slate-colour or blackish
with sandy-rufous edges, like the back; centre tail-feathers
blackish with sandy margins, the lateral ones dark grey fringed
with white, the outermost more broadly edged and having a
white shaft ; crown of head sooty-black ; nape and hind-neck
also blackish ; forehead, lores, anterior part of face, chin and
upper throat dark slate-colour ; feathers below the eye, a
small streak above the latter, and ear-coverts white ; sides of
neck and entire surface of body vinous chestnut ; under wing-
coverts and axillaries white ; quills ashy below, whitish along
the inner webs ; bill waxy-yellow with a jet-black tip ; feet dull
yellowish. Total length, 7 inches; oilmen, i; wing, 5-4; tail,
2'6 ; tarsus, 0-85.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage Similar to the female, but
not so brightly coloured, the head being sandy-brown, streaked
with blackish like the back, and not so sooty-black as in the
female bird; sides of face vinous-chestnut, the base of the
cheeks and chin tinged with slaty-grey, with a good deal of
white on the throat and under surface of body, which never
seems to get so uniformly vinous-chestnut as in the adult
female. Total length, 7-5 inches; culmen, 0*85; wing, 5-05 ;
tail, 2-55; tarsus, 2-55.
Adult Male in Winter Plumage. Bluish-grey with a black patch
on the nape ; wings more dusky than in summer, but with the
white markings similar, the innermost secondaries bluish-grey
like the back and scapulars ; forehead, eyebrow, sides of face
and entire under surface of body pure white ; the top of the
crown white, slightly mottled with dusky bases to the feathers ;
feathers in front of the eye and a streak along the upper edge
of the ear-coverts black.
Young. Distinguished from the adults by the sandy-buff
margins to the feathers of the upper surface and by the vinous
tinge of the throat and fore-neck ; the fore part of the crown
is buffy-white, with a broad horse-shoe mark of black on the
hinder crown.
Bange in Great Britain. The Grey Phalarope visits us every
THE PHALAROPES. 195
autumn and winter with tolerable regularity, but in some years
a large immigration takes place and many are killed on our
southern coasts. In the autumn of 1866 a large influx of
individuals was recorded, and others have occurred,, in 1869,
1886, and again in 1891. On the last occasion several were
sent to me at the British Museum, some from inland localities,
where they had been picked up dead. " On the east of Eng-
land," writes Mr. Howard Saunders, "this Phalarope seldom
alights above Norfolk, but in Scotland, according to Gray, it
visits all the shores from Berwick to the Orkneys ; it is, how-
ever, seldom met with in Sutherland, and has not yet been
recorded from the Outer Hebrides, though found within their
line. It is rare in Ireland ; a few were obtained in the south
in the autumn of 1886, and others in 1891."
Range outside the British Islands. The Grey Phalarope is a
circum-polar species breeding in the Arctic Regions of both
hemispheres. In America it breeds from Alaska to Green-
land, and has been found as far north as 82 30 . It also
breeds in Spitsbergen and Iceland, and was found by Von
Middendorf in the Taimyr Peninsula. In winter the Grey
Phalarope visits the British seas, the Mediterranean, and the
Indian Ocean, and has been found as far south as New Zea-
land ; it has also been met with off the coast of Chili.
Habits. In America the present species is known as the Red
Phalarope, this name being taken from the summer plumage,
whereas in England it is called the Grey Phalarope from the pre-
vailing colour of the bird when it visits us. Mr. E. W. Nelson
states that in Alaska it arrives within the last few days of May
and early in June, and remains near Point Barrow till the sea
closes in October. He writes : " It is much more gregarious
than its relative, and for a week or two after its first arrival fifty
or more flock together. These flocks were very numerous on the
ist of June, 1879, at the Yukon mouth, where I had an excellent
opportunity to observe them. In the morning the birds which
were paired could be found scattered here and there, by twos,
over the slightly-flooded grassy flats. At times these pairs
would rise and fly a short distance, the female, easily known by
her bright colours and large size, in advance, and uttering now
and then a low, musical 'clink, clink,' sounding very much
O 2
196 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
like the noise made by lightly tapping together small bars of
steel. When the birds were disturbed, these notes were
repeated oftener and became harder and louder.
"A little later in the day, as their hunger became satisfied,
they began to unite into parties, until fifteen or twenty birds
would rise and pursue an erratic course over the flat. As
they passed swiftly along, stray individuals and pairs might be
seen to. spring up and join the flock. Other flocks would
rise and the smaller coalesce with the larger until from two
hundred to three or even four hundred birds were gathered
in a single flock. As the size of the flock increased, its move-
ments became more and more irregular. At one moment
they would glide straight along the ground, then change to a way-
ward flight, back and forth, twisting about with such rapidity
that it was difficult to follow them with the eye. Suddenly
their course would change, and the compact flock, as if animated
by a single impulse, would rise high over head, and after a series
of graceful and swift evolutions, come sweeping down with a
loud, rushing sound to resume their playful course near the
ground. During all their motions the entire flock moved in
such unison that the alternate flashing of the under-side of their
wings and the dark colour of their back, like the play of light
and shade, made a beautiful spectacle. When wearied of their
sport the flock disbanded and the birds again resumed their
feeding.
" When the Red Phalarope arrives in spring, its preference
is for the flat wet lands bordering the coast and rivers, where
it remains to breed. It is not usually found on the sea
at this season, but on June 10, 1878, a number were seen
swimming along the floating ice in the Bay of St. Michael's.
Very early in June the females have each paid their court and
won a shy and gentle male to share their coming cares."
Nest, The nest, according to Mr. Nelson, consists of a
slight depression, generally on the damp flats with very rarely
any lining. One was found by him on the 8th of June within
six feet of a* small brackish pool, the eggs being deposited upon
a nest of dried leaves under a dwarf willow.
Eggg. Four in number and very much pointed. The ground-
colour is very dark, of a deep clay-colour, verging to chocolate-
THE RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. 197
brown, in some instances, with a slight olive tinge. More
rarely eggs with a light clay-brown ground are found. The
markings are heavy, and consist of large spots of dark brown
or blackish, often confluent at the larger end of the egg, and
forming large blotches. The underlying spots are of a greyish-
brown. Axis, i -15-1 '4 inch; diam., 'o^-o^.
THE RED-NECKED PHALAROPES. GENUS PHALAROPUS,
y Briss. Orn. vi. p. 12 (1760).
Type, P. hyperboreus (L.).
In the Red-necked Phalaropes the bill is very long and
slender, and tapers to a point without being widened in any
way. The tarsus is longer than the middle toe and claw.
Only one species is known.
THE RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. PHALAROPUS
HYPERBOREUS.
Tringa hyperborea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 249 (1766).
Lobipes hyperboreus^ Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 291 (1852).
Phalaropus hyperboreus, Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 597, pis. 537,
539, fig. 2 (1874); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 164
(1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarrell, Brit. B. iii. p. 315 (1883) ;
Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. 89 (1885); Saunders, Man.
Brit. B. p. 551 (1889).
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. General colour above dark
siaty grey, with a band of sandy-buff down each side of the
mantle; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts slaty-blackish
with white margins ; some of the lateral tail-coverts, for the most
part, white, with blackish spots ; wing-coverts slaty-black, the
greater series tipped with white, forming a band ; bastard-wing
and inner primary-coverts tipped with white, like the greater
coverts; primary-coverts and quills blackish, the primaries with
white shafts, the secondaries edged with white, the median ones,
for the most part, white on the inner web also ; scapulars
lengthened like the inner secondaries, and most of them exter-
nally spotted with sandy-buff, forming a parallel band to the
198 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
one which skirts the mantle ; tail slaty-blackish, the feathers
narrowly fringed with white ; crown of head, nape, and hind-
neck dark slaty-grey, as also the lores, feathers below the eye,
and ear-coverts ; entire lower throat bright ferruginous, this
colour extending over the sides of the neck to behind the ear-
coverts ; the fore-neck mottled with slaty-grey, which colour
extends over the upper breast, where it is slightly tinged with
rufous ; remainder of under surface of body, from the fore-neck
downwards, pure white ; the sides of the body streaked with
ashy centres to the feathers; under tail-coverts white, the longer
ones mottled with ashy-grey spots near the tips ; under wing-
coverts white, the feathers round the bend of the wing dusky
with white tips ; quills dusky below, ashy along the inner web.
Total length, 7 inches; culmen, 0*9; wing, 4*35 ; tail, 1*85;
tarsus, 075.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Similar to the female, but not
quite so brightly coloured, the rufous of the neck not being so
strongly developed, and not extending across the lower throat,
this part as well as the fore-neck and the sides of the breast
being dark slaty-grey, mostly with whitish edgings to the feathers;
bill black ; feet greyish-blue, the outer aspect of tarsus, outer
toe, and the joints darker ; soles and outer web blackish ; iris
dark brown. Total length, 6'8 inches; culmen, 0*9; wing, 4*2 ;
tail, 17; tarsus, 075.
Young. General colour above blackish, streaked with dark
ochreous,the feathers of the back being of this colour, with black
centres ; lower back and rump slaty-blackish ; the upper tail-
coverts with ochreous margins ; wing-coverts entirely slaty-
blackish with whitish margins to the median series, the greater
series being broadly tipped with white ; quills as in the adult;
the innermost secondaries and scapulars broadly edged with
ochreous-buff; tail as in the adult, the centre feathers edged
with ochreous, the outer ones with white ; crown of head and
hind-neck dull slaty-blackish, a little clearer on the latter; fore-
head, sides of face, and a broad eyebrow white; feathers in front
of the eye and ear-coverts slaty-blackish ; cheeks and under
surface of body white, dusted with ashy-brown on the fore-neck,
chest, and sides of body ; bill black ; feet flesh-colour, outer
aspect and joints dark greyish ; iris hazel.
THE RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. 199
Range in Great Britain. The Red-necked Phalarope breeds
sparingly in the Shetlands and Orkney Islands, and in the
Outer Hebrides ; but the demand for British-taken eggs has
sadly diminished the numbers of those which nest wfthin this
limited area. In other parts of Great Britain the species is
only procured as a migrant, occurring chiefly in the autumn.
Only one occurrence in Ireland has been recorded, namely,
in Armagh in November, 1891.
Range outside the British Islands. Although a circum-polar bird,
like its ally, the Grey Phalarope, the present species has a more
southern breeding-range than that species. It nests in the Arctic
Regions of America from Alaska to Southern Greenland, and
thence from Iceland and the Fseroe Islands to Northern Scan-
dinavia, and eastwards as far as Kamtchatka. In winter it goes
south as far as the Malayan Archipelago, passing by China
and Japan, and occurring at the same time on the shores of
the Indian Ocean.
Habits. An excellent account of the habits of this bird is
given by Mr. Nelson. Speaking of the birds in Alaska, he ob-
serves: "As summer approaches on the arctic shores and coast
of Bering Sea, the numberless pools, until now hidden under
a snowy covering, become bordered or covered by water ; the
mud about their edges begins to soften, and through the water
the melting ice in the bottom looks pale green. The Ducks and
Geese fill the air with their loud resounding cries, and the rapid
wing-strokes of arriving and departing flocks add a heavy bass
to the chorus which greets the opening of another glad season
in the wilds of the cheerless north. Amidst this loud-tongued
multitude suddenly appears the peaceful fairy-like form of the
Northern Phalarope. Perhaps, as the hunter sits by the border
of a secluded pool, still half-covered with snow and ice, a pair
of slight wings flit before him, and there, riding on the water,
scarcely making a ripple, floats this charming and elegant bird.
It glides hither and thither on the water, apparently drifted by
its fancy, and skims about the pool like an autumn leaf wafted
before the playful zephyrs on some embosomed lakelet in the
forest. The delicate tints and slender fragile form, combining
grace of colour and outline with a peculiarly dainty elegance
of motion, render this the most lovely and attractive among its
handsome congeners.
200 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
" The first arrivals reach St. Michael's in full plumage from
May 14-15, and their number is steadily augmented until, in
the last few days of May and first of June, they are on hand in
full force, and ready to set about the season's cares. Every
pool now has from one to several pairs of these birds gliding in
restless zig-zag motion about its border, the slender necks at
times darting quickly right or left as the bright black eyes catch
sight of some minute particle of food. They may be watched
with pleasure for hours, and present a picture of exquisite gen-
tleness, which renders them an unfailing source of interest. The
female of this bird, as is the case with the two allied species, is
much more richly coloured than the male, and possesses all the
' rights ' demanded by the most radical reformers.
" As the season comes on, when the flames of love mount
high, the dull-coloured male moves about the pool, apparently
heedless of the surrounding fair ones. Such stoical indifference
usually appears too much for the feelings of some of the latter
to bear. A female coyly glides close to him and bows her head
in pretty submissiveness, but he turns away, picks at a bit of
food, and moves off; she follows, and he quickens his speed, but
in vain; he is her choice, and she proudly arches her neck, and,
in mazy circles, passes and repasses close before the harassed
bachelor. He turns his breast first to one side, then to the
other, as though to escape, but there is his gentle wooer ever
pressing her suit before him. Frequently he takes flight to
another part of the pool, all to no purpose. If, with affected
indifference, he tries to feed, she swims along side by side, almost
touching him, and at intervals rises on wing above him, and,
poised a foot or two over his body, makes a half-dozen quick
sharp wing-strokes, producing a series of sharp whistling noises
in rapid succession. In the course of time, it is said, water
will wear away the hardest rock, and it is certain that time and
importunity have their full effect upon the male of this Phala-
rope, and soon all are comfortably married, while materfamilias
no longer needs to use her seductive ways and charming blan-
dishments to draw his notice. About the first of June the dry,
rounded side of a little knoll near some small pond has four
dark, heavily-marked eggs laid in a slight hollow upon whatever
lining the spot affords, or, more rarely, upon a few dry straws
and grass-blades, brought and loosely laid together by the birds.
THE LONG BILLED PHALAROPES. 2OI
Here the captive male is introduced to new duties, and spends
half his time on the eggs, while the female keeps about the pool
close by. In due time the young are hatched and come forth,
beautiful little balls of buff and brown. During incubation, if
the nest is approached, the parent bird usually flies off the eggs
when the intruder is some yards away, and proceeds' to feed
about the surface or edge of the nearest pool, as though nothing
unusual had occurred. At times the parent shows a little anxiety,
and swims restlessly about the pool, uttering a low, sharp, metal-
lic l pleep.' When a bird leaves the eggs, it is usually joined at
once by its mate. In one or two instances a parent bird came
gliding stealthily through the grass to the nest while I was occu-
pied in packing the eggs in my basket."
Nest. Messrs. Pearson and Bidwell state that the nests
which they found in the north of Norway were neatly made
of fine grass, and rather deep in proportion to their width.
On the Lofodens and in the Porsanger-fjord the species often
nested quite on the edge of small tarns or peat-holes, in grass
about six inches high ; a few were in marsh ground covered
with grass of the same height Mr. Seebohm found the nest
in the Petchora to be a somewhat slight structure of dried
stalks, generally placed in the middle of a tuft, so that it is not
unfrequently a foot or more from the ground. In some places,
where the grass was short, the nest was scarcely more than a
hollow in the ground, lined with dry grass.
Eggs. These are easily distinguished from those of the Grey
Phalaropes by their smaller size, and by their somewhat darker
general tone, the spots being often very large, and forming
blotches, which cover a great part of the egg. Axis, 1*05-1 '2 5
inch; diam, o'75-o'85.
THE LONG-BILLED PHALAROPES. GENUS STEGANOPUS.
SttganopuS) Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxii. p. 136 (1819).
Type, S. tricolor (Vieill.).
The Genus Steganopus differs from the other genera of
Phalaropes in having a longer bill, the web between the outer
202 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
and middle toe not reaching to the second joint, and the latera
membrane narrow, and scarcely scalloped.
Only one species, peculiar to America, is known, viz. :
I. WILSON'S PHALAROPE. STEGANOPUS TRICOLOR.
Steganopus tricolor^ Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxii. p. 136
(1819).
Phalaropus wilsoni, Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 552, note (1889).
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. General colour above light
grey in the middle of the back, with a oroad streak of vinous-
chestnut on each side of the mantle , scapulars for the most
part dark vinous-chestnut, forming a broad streak on each side
of the back ; lower back and rump brown, the sides of the
latter white; upper tail-coverts dusky-brown, irregularly mottled
and edged with white, the longer ones centred with pale rufous,
the lateral ones pure white ; wing-coverts uniform dull brown,
with a narrow white edging to the greater coverts ; bastard-
wing and primary-coverts like the wing-coverts ; quills also
dusky-brown with light brown shafts, the first primary with a
white shaft ; centre tail-feathers ashy-brown, the remainder
ashy-brown, with more or less white on the inner web, the
white increasing in extent towards the outermost rectrix,
which has little more than the outer web ashy ; crown of head
uniform pearly-grey ; occiput, nape, and hind-neck white ;
lores grey, like the head, followed by a white ante-ocular spot,
which is surrounded by a black margin ; upper eyelid also
white, lower eyelid black, like the feathers in front of the
eye and below the latter, where they form part of a black band
formed by the ear-coverts, and the sides of the neck and sides
of the crown ; cheeks, chin, and upper throat white ; lower
throat clear ferruginous or chestnut, sharply defined on the
upper margin, and becoming paler on the fore-neck and sides
of breast ; centre of fore-neck, breast, and under surface of
body pure white ; under wing-coverts and axillaries also white,
the feathers round the edge of the wing ashy-brown ; quills
below dusky-brown, slightly paler along in the inner web ; bill
black ; feet bluish-grey, claws black ; iris brown Total length,
9-3 inches; oilmen, 1-45; wing, 5-5; tail, 2-3; tarsus, .1-35.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Much duller than in the
WILSON'S PHALAROPE 203
female; the mantle-feathers blackish-brown, with reddish
edges ; the crown of the head uniform blackish, the nape
white, shading off into ashy-grey on the hind-neck; all the
vinous parts of the upper surface indicated as in the female,
but the colour never so bright, and always of a dull chestnut ;
rump and upper tail-coverts white, with a sub-terminal line of
dusky-brown, forming a kind of horse-shoe mark on the feather,
the lateral upper tail-coverts white ; sides of crown chestnut,
like the sides of the neck, slightly mixed with black, but not
entirely black, as in the female ; under surface of body as in
the female, but the rufous part duller. Total length, 8-3
inches; culmen, 1*25; wing, 4*9; tail, 1*85; tarsus, 1*25.
Adult Male in Winter Plumage. General colour above light
ashy-grey, with narrow white fringes to the feathers ; lower back
somewhat more dusky ; rump and upper tail-coverts white,
the longer tail-coverts ashy-grey, with white margins ; crown of
head ashy-grey, like the neck; forehead, a broad eyebrow,
sides of face, and entire under surface of body pure white;
feathers in front of the eye blackish ; along the top of the ear-
coverts a line of ashy ; sides of upper breast shaded with light
ashy.
Young. Mottled on the upper surface, the feathers being
blackish in the centre, with light sandy-buff edges, being
broader and rather more distinct on the wing-coverts, scapulars,
and inner secondaries; the lower back like the rest of the
upper surface ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, the former
with dusky centres to the feathers ; tail-feathers brown, all but
the centre ones white on the inner web; bastard-wing, primary-
coverts, and primaries as in the adult ; crown of head blackish,
the feathers edged with sandy-buff, the hind-neck more ashy,
the feathers with dusky centres and narrow ashy-brown margins;
forehead, eyebrow, sides of face, and under-surface of body
white, with a tinge of ashy on the eyebrow ; lower throat, fore-
neck, and chest, as well as the sides of the body, tinged with
isabelline, the sides of the breast and flanks mottled with
blackish centres to the feathers.
Eange in Great Britain. On May 18, 1886, at a meeting of the
Zoological Society of London, Mr. J. Whitaker exhibited a
specimen of this species, which was stated to have been shot
204 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
some years ago at Sutton Ambion, near Market Bosworth, in
Leicestershire. As far as the circumstances can be ascertained,
the occurrence seems to be perfectly genuine.
Range outside the British Islands. Wilson's Phalarope is gene-
rally distributed through temperate North America, principally
inland, and breeds from Northern Illinois and Utah to the
Saskatchewan region, ranging south in winter, through Central
America and South to Brazil and Patagonia.
Habits, Mr. D. G. Elliott gives the following account of its
habits : " As a rule, Wilson's Phalarope goes in small com-
panies, though at times large flocks of several hundreds are
met with. It is not very shy, frequently permitting one to
approach within a few feet, and it does not swim so much upon
the water as is the habit of the other species, but wades about
up to its belly, picking its food from off the surface. When
necessary, however, it swims gracefully, and with ease, and the
young, soon after emerging from the egg, are equally at home
upon the surface of ponds, paddling about and diving with
facility. The female is the larger and altogether the handsomer
bird, the male having very little of the brilliant tints which ren-
der his mate so attractive when arrayed in her full summer dress.
Upon him, too, devolves the duty of incubation to a very great
degree, the female amusing herself upon or near the water.
Like the other species of Phalarope, she makes all the advances
at pairing-season, and sometimes more than one female fixes
her affection upon some particular male, who thereupon has
but little peace, as he is pursued from place to place by the
rival suitors. Finally, the matter having been successfully
arranged, the winged Dido bears off her ^Eneas, and a slight
depression having been scratched in the soil, and lined with
grass, or a loosely-constructed nest made in a clump of grass,
the eggs, three or four in number, are deposited, and the male
assumes the novel and unusual duties for one of his sex, of incu-
bation. Wilson's Phalarope is a rather silent species, its note
having a kind of nasal quack-like sound. Its food is similar
to that of the other Phalaropes."
Eggs. Vary from a fawn-colour to a rufous-drab, profusely
spotted and speckled with rufous shades of brown, thickest at
the larger end. Axis, 1*35 inch; diam., 0*95.
THE WOOD-COCKS. 205
THE SNIPES. SUB-FAMILY SCOLOPACIN/E.
The Snipes, with which are associated the Wood-cocks, are
principally distinguished from the Plovers by having no webs
to the toes, which are cleft to the actual base. The tarsus is
not reticulated, but is transversely scaled or plated, both before
and behind. The bill is long and soft, and the nasal groove fs
produced along the greater part of the upper mandible. The
plumage is in every case marbled or mottled to an extreme
degree.
The bill of the Snipe is somewhat soft, and the birds possess
a peculiar power of being able to elevate the distal extremity
of the upper mandible. Dr. Shufeldt believes that "this
achievement, taken in connection with ths extreme sensitive-
ness of the end of the upper beak in these birds, enables them
both to quickly detect and seize their food in the soft ooze
wherein they probe for it."
THE WOOD-COCKS. GENUS SCOLOPAX.
Scolopax, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 243 (1766).
Type, S. rusticula (Linn.).
The Woodcocks belong to the long-billed section ot the
Snipes, in which the culmen is longer than the tarsus. They
have a large eye, which is placed far back in the head, so that
its hinder-margin is just above the orifice of thj ear. The
wing is more rounded than in the Snipes, the long, inner
secondaries not reaching to the primaries. The tail-feathers
are twelve in number and the tibia is feathered to the tarsal
joint.
I. THE WOOD-COCK. SCOLOPAX RUSTICULA.
Scolopax rusticula, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 243 (1766); Dresser,
B. Eur. vii. p. 615, pi. 540 (1877) ; B. O. U. List Brit. B.
p. 165 (1883); Saunders, ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iii. p. 320
(1883); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 231 (1885);
Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 553 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig.
Brit. B. part viii. (1888) ; xiv. (1890).
Rusticola sylvestris, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 386 (1852).
(Plate LXXXK)
206 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
I Adult Male. General colour above rufous, black, and grey,
the whole aspect of the upper surface being mottled ; the ground-
colour is rufous, the feathers freckled with coarse black cross-
lines and with large terminal or sub-terminal spots of black :
many of the feathers tipped with grey, which is distributed over
the whole of the upper surface in spots and patches ; the
scapulars with dusky-greyish cross-bars, each bar with a narrow
blackish marking ; wing- coverts more rufous than the back, the
lesser-coverts barred with black spots, the median and greater
series with dusky-grey cross-markings composed of bars or twin-
spots, which have a narrow black line both above and below,
the inner coverts spotted with white or greyish-white at the
ends; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky-brown,
chequered with rufous notches on the outer web, the inner web,
for the most part, uniform, except for some slight notches on the
extreme inner margin ; the notches on the outer webs of the
first two primaries much paler and inclining to whitish, or in
old birds, almost disappearing, so that it becomes nearly uni-
form ; the inner secondaries resembling the greater-coverts and
being barred across or having twin-spots of blackish or ashy-
brown, all the inner secondaries having an ashy-white spot at
the ends, and being largely marked with black in continuation
of the pattern of the scapulars ; lower back, rump, and upper
tail-coverts rufous with obsolete cross-markings of ashy-brown ;
tail-feathers blackish-brown, notched on the outer webs with
rufous, and having a grey band at the tip, which is silvery-white
underneath ; the forehead, eyebrow, and sides of face ashy,
with a few bars of dusky-black, of which there is a spot at the
base of the mandible as well as a blackish line from the base
of the latter to the eye ; the hinder crown principally black,
mottled with rufous, and barred across with ashy or greyish-
white bands ; the hind-neck and sides of neck ashy-grey mot-
tled with bars of dusky-blackish ; ear-coverts ashy with a black
bar across them ; the cheeks somewhat whiter and minutely
spotted with black ; chin white ; remainder of under surface
ashy-white and barred with pale brown ; the fore-neck, breast,
and sides of body buff, the latter having light brown bars, edged
above and below with blackish lines ; under tail-coverts sandy-
buff inclining to silvery white at the tips, the feathers barred
with dusky-black and having a sub-terminal arrow-shaped black
THE WOOD-COCKS. 207
spot ; under wing-coverts and axillaries tawny-buff barred with
blackish ; lower primary-coverts and quill-lining ashy-grey,
notched with buff on the inner webs ; bill dusky-brown, livid
at base of lower mandible ; feet greyish ; iris dark brown.
Total length, 15 inches; culmen, 2-85; wing, 7-5; tail, 3*5;
tarsus, 1-55.
Adult Female. Similar to the male. Total length, 14 inches ;
wing, 7-5.
Young Birds. Always darker than the adults, and having
creamy-whitish, instead of ashy, spots at the end of the dorsal
and scapular feathers ; the lower back, rump, and upper tail-
coverts are plainly barred across with dusky-brown, and the
tail-feathers are not only largely notched with sandy-buff on
their margins, but have a narrow sub-terminal line of sandy-buff
between the ashy tip and the black of the rest of the feathers.
The outer web of the primaries has a distinct series of fulvous
notches.
Winter Plumage. Darker than the summer plumage, but not
otherwise different.
The variation in size of Wood-cocks is very remarkable, but
I quite agree with Mr. Ogilvie-Grant that there is only one
species, and that the so-called " light " race is only the young
bird ; but when this is admitted, the extraordinary difference in
size in some individuals cannot be overlooked. Thus a specimen
from Cornwall in the British Museum is a perfect dwarf, com-
pared with the generality of British specimens, and has the bill
only 2*15 inches in length, and the wing only 6*4, instead of
2-85 and 7*5 inches respectively in averaged-sized birds. Al-
though there are some individuals in the British Museum,
which are marked as being females, and equal the males in size,
there can, I think, be no doubt that, as a rule, she is a larger
bird than her mate.
Nestling. Covered with velvety down of a rufous colour, with
a broad band of chestnut-brown down the centre of the crown,
and another down the centre of the back, with three broad
transverse bands down the sides of the body ; on each side of
the crown and dorsal stripe a broad streak of isabelline ; a black
loral line and a central streak on the forehead also black ; under
surface of body pale rufous, inclining to isabelline on the abdo-
208 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
men, and with some chestnut patches on the throat and fore-
neck.
Characters. The differences between old and young Wood-
cocks have been well demonstrated by Mr. W. R. Olgivie-Grant
in a paper in the "Zoologist" for 1890. The best test, in my
opinion, is the uniform whitish outer web of the first primary in
the old birds, this being clearly notched all along the outer web
in young individuals. These notches gradually disappear and
become obsolete ; the buff sub-terminal line which separates the
black of the tail from the ashy tip is also a sign of immaturity,
but as this is retained by many adult birds for some time, it is
not so worthy a character.
Range in Great Britain. Except in some of the most barren
portions of our islands, the Wood-cock breeds in the wooded
districts, and has considerably increased in numbers as a nesting
bird with us of late years, principally owing to the increase of
plantations. In Ireland, it is said by Mr. Ussher, to be found
breeding in every county. A great migration takes place in
spring and autumn, the birds passing over the whole of our
islands, even such places as the Orkneys and Shetland Isles,
where, however, they do not breed. By the time that the
spring migration has set in, many of our resident Wood-cocks
have already begun to nest.
Kange outside the British Islands. The Wood-cock is generally
distributed over Europe, but does not ascend very far north.
In Eastern Russia and Siberia its range does not extend farther
than 60 N. lat; in Western Russia to 65 N. lat, and in
Scandinavia up to the Arctic Circle. It is found nesting also
in Eastern Siberia and the mountains of Japan, as well as in
the Himalayas at 10,000 feet; also in the Caucasus and the
mountains of Southern Europe. In winter it visits the countries
of the Mediterranean, India, Burma, and China, but it breeds,
to the south, in the Azores, Canary Islands, and Madeira. It
has been once found in the Faeroes, but has not been recorded
from Iceland or Southern Greenland, though individuals have
occasionally straggled to the coasts of North America.
HaMts. The Wood-cock is a very shy and retiring bird,
and is but seldom seen in the open, except during the season
THE WOOD-COCKS* 2C>9
of migration. I remember an interesting instance of Wood-
cock-shooting before breakfast, when Mr. Seebohm, Mr. Frank
Nicholson, and myself started off for a walk among the slippery
debris of rock which lies scattered round the base of Heligoland',
when the tide is out. We threw stones into every likely-looking
chasm in the rock, and were rewarded by seeing several Wood-
cock fly out from their concealment, and sail out sea-wards with
an owl-like flight. In this way we procured several in the early
morning.
Mr. Howard Saunders writes : " During the day the Wood-
cock rests in dry grassy bottoms, or beneath thick bushes, such
as holly or laurel, but at dusk and early in the morning, especially
during the breeding-time, the male persistently follows certain
tracts along glades in woods often called 'cock roads '
uttering a deep as well as a whistling note. Similar routes are
also traversed by both sexes on their way to and from their
feeding-grounds. Worms, when procurable, are devoured in
almost incredible quantities, while beetles and other insects,
small crustaceans, and even mussels are also eaten ; and I
have watched a bird obtaining its food under circumstances
which, if narrated, would not conduce to a taste for ' trail.' Few
birds exceed 15 ounces in weight, though such are on record."
During the day, says Mr. Seebohm, the Wood-cock fre-
quents the outskirts of woods and forests where there is
plenty of cover under which it can lie concealed. In the
evening it seeks the marshes to feed, but even under the
protection of the shades of twilight it is still very cautious
in exposing itself to view, and prefers swampy ground, either
in the forest or in open places abounding with brushwood and
rank vegetation. In its winter quarters, in India, it is described
as avoiding stagnant swamps, and only frequenting those where
running water is to be found. When disturbed during the day it
rises with a whirring sound, occasionally, but not always, utter-
ing a cry which resembles that of the Common Snipe, which
may be represented by the syllable skaych. When fairly on
the wing, its flight is much slower than that of the Common
Snipe. The bill is always pointed considerably downwards, as
though it were too heavy to be held out straight ; the wings are
bent, and the general direction of the flight is straight, but oc-
casionally it is varied with curious twists and twinings. The
2i6 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Wood-cock seldom flies far; as soon as it finds a suitable cover it
drops suddenly into it as if shot. Immediately on their arrival
in this country the birds sit very close, and are difficult to flush,
and may be found concealed under a hedge or ditch, or even
in a field amongst turnips or long dried grass. It is said that
on migration they generally fly upward to a considerable
height, and that they have been seen to alight after an almost
perpendicular descent. Much discussion has taken place as to
the way in which the Wood-cock manages to remove its young,
as it is known to do. The late Mr. St. John has stated that
many Wood-cock carried their young ones down to the soft
feeding-grounds, and brought them back again to the shelter of
the woods before daylight, where they remained during the whole
day. The nestlings are now believed to be carried between the
thighs of the old bird, and held there by the bill of the parent
as it flies.
Nest, A depression in the ground, plentifully lined with leaves
and dead grass. The species is an early breeder, and fresh eggs
are procured throughout April, but they have also been found as
early as the 3rd of March. Mr. Robert Read observes : " The
Wood-cock will sit very closely on its eggs. I knew of a nest
under a juniper bush, in a park beside a path, which was in
constant use, but the bird sat there quite undisturbed by the
passers-by. The eggs are usually very rounded, but I have a
set from Scotland quite pyriform, like those of other Limicolae
Eggs. Four in number, and generally somewhat rounded.
The ground-colour varies from stone-grey to warm clay-brown,
sometimes with a slight olive shade. The spots are reddish-
brown, and they are sometimes clustered round the larger end,
and form blotches. The underlying spots are purplish-grey, and
are occasionally very large, and form as large blotches as the
reddish overlying markings. Axis, i'6-i'8s inch; diam., 1-25-
1-4.
THE TRUE SNIPES. GENUS GALLINAGO.
Gallinago, Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. &c. Brit. Mus. p. 30(1816).
Type, G. major (Grn.).
There are several differences between the Snipes and
Woodcocks; the principal ones being the length of the inner
THE TRUE SNIPES. 211
secondaries, which are as long as the primaries, as well as the
bare tibia and the number of the tail-feathers, which range from
fourteen in the Common Snipe to twenty-six in the Wire-tailed
Snipe (G. stenura). The Snipes have no bars on the inner
webs of the primaries, and Mr. Seebohm has also pointed out
that in the Snipes the markings on the head are longitudinal,
whereas in the Wood-cocks they are transverse.
I. THE GREAT SNIPE. GALLINAGO MAJOR.
Scolopax major, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 66 1 (1788); Macgill. Brit.
B. iv. p. 364 (1852); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 237
(1885). '
Galhnago major, Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 631, pi. 541 (1876);
B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 165 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yar-
rell's Brit. B. iii. p. 336 (1883); id. Man. Brit. B. p. 555
(1889).
Adult Male. General colour above black, mottled with sandy-
buff, with which the feathers are fringed and barred in an
irregular and wavy manner so as to leave large patches of
black ; the scapulars with broader and whiter edges, so as to
form a double line down the back ; lower back, rump, and
upper tail-coverts sandy-buff, barred with dusky-brown, the
ends of the tail-coverts whiter; wing-coverts blackish-brown,
the marginal series with ashy fringes, the remainder with con-
spicuous white tips, before which is a black sub-terminal bar,
the inner greater coverts also barred with sandy-rufous ; bas-
tard-wing and primary-coverts blackish, tipped with white;
quills dark brown, the shafts of the primaries white at the base,
the secondaries tipped with white, the innermost being barred
with sandy-rufous and resembling the back ; tail-feathers
bright rufous, with black bases and black bars on the terminal
half of the feather, scarcely visible near the tip, the white tips
to the feathers gradually increasing in extent, until the four
outer ones on each side are entirely white, except for a little
black near the base ; centre of crown whitish, bordered on
each side by a broad band of black, slightly freckled with
rufous, and followed by a broad superciliary streak, ashy-
whitish in front and fulvescent behind ; a dusky streak from
the base of the bill to the eye; sides of face whitiSh, with
p 2
212 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
numerous tiny blackish spots and a dark patch below the ear-
roverts ; the hind-neck and sides of neck sandy-buff, streaked
with black ; chin, breast, and abdomen white ; the lower
rhroat, fore-neck, and chest pale sandy-buff, with central spots
of black on the feathers ; the sides of the breast and flanks
regularly barred with black ; the under tail-coverts sandy-buff,
tinged with rufous, and having more or less complete bars of
black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white barred with
black, the latter very distinctly banded ; lower primary-coverts
and quills below uniform ashy-brown ; bill and feet brown ;
iris hazel. Total length, n inches ; culmen, 2*45; wing, 5-55 ;
tail, 2*0; tarsus, 1*35.
Adult Female. Similar to the male. Total length, 10-5 inches;
culmen, 2-5; wing, 5-3; tail, 2 - o; tarsus, 1-5.
Winter Plumage. More sandy-buff than in summer, the buff
edges to the feathers of the upper surface broader and more
conspicuous ; the blackish markings on the fore-neck larger
and coarser, and either circular or horse-shoe shaped.
Young. Much more rufous than the adults, and having the
black of the upper parts more uniform, the lateral edges to the
scapular feathers not so distinct ; the inner greater coverts and
inner secondaries regularly barred with black and rufous, the
bars being of about equal width ; the white tips to the wing-
coverts not so distinct and slightly tinged with buff; the sides
of the face and hind-neck much more rufous than the adults,
and the white upper breast also showing dusky circular bars ;
the white outer tail-feathers also barred with dusky-brown.
Characters. The Great Snipe is, as might be supposed
from its name, a somewhat larger bird than the Common
Snipe, though it has a somewhat shorter bill than the latter
species. In full plumage it may be distinguished from the
Common Snipe by the conspicuous white tips to the wing-
coverts, and by the white outer tail-feathers. Young birds with
the outer tail-feathers barred, are not so easy to tell, but the
ground-colour of these feathers is white in the Great Snipe,
and is tawny-rufous in the Common Snipe. The latter has
also a white margin to the first primary, and the white tips to
the primary-coverts are very small, while the white tips on the
secondaries are conspicuous. In the Great Snipe the reverse
THE TRUE SNIPES. 213
is the case, for the tips to the primary-coverts are large, and
the tips of the secondaries scarcely noticeable. The Great
Snipe also has sixteen tail-feathers, whereas the Common Snipe
has ov\\y fourteen.
Range in Great Britain. An accidental visitor, of which a few
specimens are killed nearly every autumn, mostly on the
eastern and southern coasts, between the middle of August
and the middle of October. These autumn arrivals are gener-
ally young birds, but an adult has been killed near Yarmouth
in spring. Its occurrence in the central and western portions
of England is less frequent. In Scotland ten examples have
been identified ; while three Irish records were admitted up to
1889 in Mr. Howard Saunders' " Manual." One of these was
shot in Co. Gal way in October, 1888, and another was ob-
tained on Achill Island in November of the same year.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species breeds
in Scandinavia up to 70 N. lat., and is also found nesting
more or less sparingly in Holland, Denmark, and Northern
Germany, as well as in Poland and Russia. Mr. Seebohm
places its range on the Petchora and the Ob at 67 N. lat.,
but he states that in the Yen-e-sai Valley it does not extend
farther north than 66^. It visits South Africa in winter,
passing through the Caucasus and Persia, as well as the Medi-
terranean countries, on migration.
Habits. Mr. Seebohm has given an interesting account of
the habits of the Great Snipe as observed by him on the
Petchora and the Yen-e-sai. " In both of these valleys," he
writes, " it was one of the last birds to reach the Arctic Circle,
in the former locality arriving on the 3rd of June, and in the latter
on the nth of that month. It migrates at night, singly or in
pairs, but, so far as is known, not in flocks. In the pairing-
season the males are gregarious, and have a sort of ' lek,' like
that of the Ruff, or of many species of Grouse. Late one even-
ing, as Harvie-Brown and I were drifting down the Petchora,
we came upon a large party of these birds, making curious
noises with their bills, in the long grass on the banks of the
river. Sometimes as many as half-a-dozen were on the wing
at once, but their flights were very short, and we succeeded in
shooting ten of them, which all proved to be males. I saw
a 14 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
the same remarkable performance in Siberia, where they were
very common in the valley of the Koorayika, and soon after
their arrival I used sometimes to watch them in the evening
through my binocular. With a little caution I found it very
easy to get near them, and frequently, as I sat partially con-
cealed between a couple of willow-bushes, I was able to turn
my glass on two or three pairs of these birds all within fifteen
or twenty yards of me. They had one very curious habit
which I noted : they used to stretch out their necks, throw back
the head almost upside down, and open and shut their beaks
rapidly, uttering a curious noise like that produced by running
the finger along the edge of a comb. This was sometimes
preceded by a short flight, or by spreading of the wings and
tail. I have never heard the Great Snipe utter any other call
or alarm-note. During the breeding-season it is not at all shy,
and allows of a near approach ; and when nesting, it almost
permits itself to be trodden upon before rising, which it does
with a whir of the wings like that of a Grouse, but not so loud.
It is a much easier bird to shoot than the Common Snipe, fly-
ing much slower and straighter. On the ground it is a very
comical-looking object ; plump, short-legged, it shuffles about,
half walking, half running, its bill always depressed, and, how-
ever intent it may be on feeding, it is ever on the watch for
danger, and always tries to keep behind a bunch of rushes or
a clump of sedge. It hides in the long coarse grass on the
banks of rivers and lakes during the day, and comes out in
the open in the evening, if there be any evening where it
happens to live, to feed on worms and various small insects.
The Great Snipe is a bird of the swamps, but prefers such as
have open places of mud or peat, or even sand."
Nest. According to Mr. Seebohm, the nest is sometimes
placed in long grass, but more often in the middle of a hillock
of sage or rushes. A small quantity of moss or dead grass is
added as a lining to the depression.
Egjs. Four in number, pear-shaped. The ground-colour is
stone-grey or clay-brown, boldly marked with black, over which
is spread a reddish lustre; these black markings clustering
chiefly round the large end of the egg, where they form large
blotches. The underlying markings are faint purplish-grey,
THE TRUE SNIPES. 215
o r ten of good size, and very distinct. Axis, 17-1 '9 inch;
diam., 1-2-1-3.
II. THE COMMON SNIPE. GALLINAGO GALLINAGO.
Scolopax gallinagO) Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 244 (1766); Macgill.
Brit. B. iv. p. 368 (1852); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii.
p. 241 (1885) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxxi. (1895).
Gattinago ccelestis, Frenz. ; Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 641, pis. 542,
543, fig. i (1880); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 166(1883);
Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 342 (1883) ; id. Man.
Brit. B. p. 557 (1889).
Adult Male. General colour above black, with a broad line of
sandy-buff along each side of the back, formed by the broad
edges to the scapulars, which are blotched with black; the lower
back dusky-blackish; rump and upper tail-coverts tawny-rufous,
barred across with dusky-blackish, the long tail-coverts white at
the ends ; wing-coverts blackish-brown, the marginal ones uni-
form, the median and greater series spotted with ashy-white at
the tips ; bastard-wing and primary-coverts blackish, with small
white tips ; quills blackish, the first primary whitish along the
outer web, the secondaries conspicuously tipped with white, the
inner secondaries barred with black, and resembling the scapu-
lars ; tail-feathers tawny-rufous, black at the base, and tipped
with white, before which is a wavy sub-terminal bar of dusky-
blackish, the outer feather regularly barred with blackish; crown
of head sandy-isabelline along the centre, with a broad black
band on each side, followed by an eyebrow of sandy-colour,
whiter above the lores, across which, to the eye, is a broad black
streak; sides of face white, with a blackish streak across the ear-
coverts, which are narrowly streaked with dusky ; cheeks and
chin white ; the throat and chest sandy-brown, mottled with
blackish spots and bars; breast and abdomen pure white; sides
of body conspicuously barred with dusky-blackish ; under tail-
coverts more rufescent and barred with blackish ; under wing-
coverts white, barred with dusky-blackish ; axillaries regularly
barred with black and white ; lower primary-coverts and quill-
lining ashy-grey. Total length, 10 inches ; oilmen, 2 -8; wing,
5-2; tail, 2-3; tarsus, i'2.
216
LLOYD S NATURAL HISTORY.
Admt *emaie. Similar to the male. Total length, 1 1 -5 inches ;
culmen, 3*0; wing, 5-1 ; tail, 2*2 ; tarsus, 1-35.
Young. Differs from the adult in being more rufous, especi-
ally on the throat and neck. The black markings of the back
are more broken up and mottled with rufous bars, and the pale
outer bands along the scapulars are not so wide. Mr. Seebohm
states that young Snipe may be recognised by not having a dark
shaft-line on the light tips of the upper wing-coverts, but I have
found indications of the latter in quite young birds.
Many ornithologists have supposed that there is a second and
more rufous species of Snipe found in England, but I believe
that the differences are merely individual, and, in the majority
of specimens, the rufous colour is due to immaturity. The
curious form known as Sabine's Snipe is apparently only
a melanism. It has been found chiefly in Ireland, and Mr.
Barrett-Hamilton has written a very interesting paper on the
subject in the Irish Naturalist for January, 1895. From this
it appears that out of about fifty-five examples of " Sabine's
Snipe " in collections, no fewer than thirty-one have been ob-
tained in Ireland, twenty-two in England, one in Scotland,
while the form has only once been found on the continent of
Europe.
Characters. The distinguishing features between the present
species and the Great Snipe have been detailed under the head-
ing of the latter bird.
Range in Great Britain, The Common Snipe is a plentiful
migrant to all parts of the United Kingdom in autumn. It
breeds in suitable localities in all three kingdoms, and in the
north at considerable elevations.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species breeds
throughout the northern and temperate parts of Europe, but is
rarely met with north of 70 N. lat. ; while eastwards, it extends
to Turkestan and East Mongolia, where a certain number remain
to breed. Its southern breeding-range in Europe is said to
be the marshes of Northern Italy. It is resident in Iceland
and the Faeroe Islands, and is said to have occurred in South
Greenland. In winter it visits China and Formosa, and the
Philippine Islands, as well as the Indian Peninsula, Ceylon, and
the Burmese countries. At this season of the year it; is also
THE TRUE SNIPES. 217
found in the Mediterranean and North Africa, extending to the
Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and Senegambia, as well
as the Nile Valley, and as far as Aden.
Habits. The Snipe is a bird which is seldom seen in the day
unless flushed from its marshy lair, and I only once remember
having seen one flying of its own accord in full daylight. Off the
beach at Gorleston, near Yarmouth, I was wandering one morn-
ing in September, 1885, with a gun under my arm in case any
bird came along which I might want for the British Museum,
when I saw a cluster of small birds, apparently Dunlins or Stints,
flying over the sea at a short distance from the shore. As they
came nearer, I could make out a larger bird flying in front, and
evidently acting as leader to the smaller fry, of which there
were, perhaps, a dozen. As they passed by me at a consider-
able distance I aimed at the foremost bird, which was about a
yard or two in front of the others, thinking that it must be a
Knot. My shot told, and the poor bird left his followers to shift
for themselves, and turned shorewards, falling on a grassy cliff.
When I had ascended the latter I was considerably astonished
to find that my victim was a Common Snipe, which had been
acting as guide, philosopher, and friend to a party of unsophis-
ticated Dunlins at noonday.
Pairs of Snipe, travelling in company, have been observed
crossing the sea on migration, but, as a rule, the bird is found
alone, though a goodly company may be in close proximity.
Once, no doubt, the marshes in the west of London abounded
with Snipe, and close to what is now Bedford Park I have my-
self seen a Snipe shot within the last ten years, some day to be
reckoned as great a marvel as the Ring-Ouzels from Turnham
Green and the Nightingale from the country round Bayswater,
of which birds specimens are in the British Museum. In the
water-meadows and common-lands of the Thames Valley, left
moist after the floods, I have known plenty of Snipe to be killed
quite close to London, and the way in which they will cling to a
locality, day after day, after having been constantly shot at, is
as surprising as the way in which they will suddenly disappear
from a place in which they have been plentiful the day before,
without any apparent reason. Every sportsman knows how, in
a favourite spot in the water-meadows, Snipe are almost sure to
be found in favourable weather, and how, without being actu-
2l8
ally gregarious, they get up within a certain distance from each
other, and their note of " scape " may be heard from several in
the air at once. That they do associate together is certain, how-
ever, for I remember my friend, the late Mr. Frederick Bond,
telling me how, many years ago, in the days of muzzle-loaders and
percussion caps, he was wending his way home by moonlight
across the Cambridgeshire Fens, and looking out for an oppor-
tunity of discharging one of his still loaded barrels. Crossing
over a little bridge which spanned a ditch, he saw, by the light of
the moon, a Snipe standing on the edge, and fired at it, only too
delighted to have found something at which to let off his gun.
On walking to the spot he picked up eleven Snipe. The late
Mr. Booth also relates how, when he was punt-gunning on a
river one winter in the north of Scotland during a severe frost,
he noticed that Snipe were collected in numbers along the banks,
where the mud was kept soft by the action of the tide. As a
novel proceeding, he fired one shot at them with the big gun,
but the poor birds were so tame that it could hardly be con-
sidered sport, and fowl being plentiful on the water at the time,
he left them alone in hopes of renewing their acquaintance on
some future day. He discovered, however, when the weather
changed, that he had lost his chance, as, after the breaking-up of
the frost, not a Snipe could be found within a mile of the spot.
The Snipe is always a bird of the swamps both in summer and
winter, and is a skulking bird. It feeds largely on worms,
slugs, and insects. Its flight is very swift, and when it rises from
its concealment it twists and turns in a zig-zag flight until it has
got well out of danger. It utters a harsh note when it rises.
With regard to the drumming of the Snipe, various surmises
as to the way in which the noise is produced have been
hazarded, and Mr. Seebohm has given an excellent note on the
subject : " In the breeding-season the note of the Snipe is
rapidly uttered, tyik-tyuk, each syllable accompanied by a
depression of the head. This note is common to both sexes ;
but perhaps the most interesting fact connected with the
history of the Snipe is the well-known drumming of the male
bird during the pairing-season. He may then be seen in broad
daylight high in air, wheeling round and round in enormous
circles, flying diagonally upwards with rapid beats of the wings,
then swooping down an imaginary inclined plane with half-
THE TRUE SNIPES. 2IQ
expanded and visibly-vibrating wings, but with outspread tail,
uttering a sound which is technically called ' drumming.' The
sound is only heard when the bird is descending, but some
observers assert that they have heard it proceeding from a
Snipe on the ground, or perched on a dead branch. It has
been likened to the bleating of a Goat, and bears some re-
semblance to the suppressed gobble sometimes heard from
a Turkey. Great difference of opinion exists as to the means
by which this sound is produced. Bechstein and many sub-
sequent writers have argued that it proceeds from the throat.
Naumann, Macgillivray, Hancock, Saxby, Jardine, Blyth, and
others have maintained that it is caused by the rapid vibration
of the wings. Altum, Meves, and most modem ornithologists
find the musical note in the rush of air through the stiff feathers
of the outspread tail. I have listened to the drumming of the
Snipe scores of times with the express purpose of discovering
the mode in which the sound is produced, and must confess
myself completely puzzled. Arguing from analogy (a very
dangerous proceeding, by the way, in ornithology), I should
say it was produced by the vocal organs, and is analogous to
the trill of the Stints and other Sandpipers. The fact that it
appears to begin the instant the bird begins to descend in-
clines me to think that, after allowance is made for the
time it takes for sound to travel, it must really begin before
the descent, whilst the bird is not moving very rapidly."
Nest. This is generally placed in a clump of rushes or
sedge, in which is formed the shallow depression lined with
dead grass.
Eggs. Four in number, laid between the middle of April
and the middle of May, but in the high north not before
June. Occasionally, they have been found in March. Mr.
Robert Read writes to me that he has himself found the nest
in the latter month in Northumberland, and that on the bare
ground, in an exposed site, swept over by every wind that blew.
The ground-colour varies from a brownish-clay colour to a
pale stone-grey, but in nearly every instance a shade of olive
is apparent. The spots are a mixture of reddish-brown, black,
and purplish-grey, the latter being the underlying ones. In
some eggs the spots are small, and are distributed over the
22O LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
whole surface, while in others they are of good size, forming
blotches, which are clustered round the larger end. Axis, 1-5-
1-7 inch; diam., ro-i'2.
THE JACK-SNIPES. GENUS LIMNOCRYPTES.
Limnocryptes, Kaup. Nat. Syst. p. 118 (1829).
Type, L. gallimila (Linn.).
The present genus exhibits an important character in the
breast-bone, which has two notches in the posterior margin
instead of one, as in the ordinary Snipes and Woodcock. The
tail has only twelve feathers, and is decidedly wedge-shaped,
besides being uniform in colour.
I. THE-JACK-SNIPE. LIMNOCRYPTES GALLINULA.
Scolopax gallinula. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 244 (1766); Mac-
gill. Brit. B. iv. p. 380 (1882) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B.
part xxx. (1895).
Gallinago gallinula. Dresser, B. Eur. vii. p. 653, pi. 544
(1877); Saunders, ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iii.p. 351 (1883);
Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 247 (1885) ; Saunders,
Man. Brit. B. p. 559 (1889).
Limnocryptes gallinula, B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 167 (1883).
(Plate LXXXVII.)
Adult Male. General colour above black, with reflections ot
glossy-green and purple, and a few rufous markings on the back,
mostly in the form of streaks ; the sides of the back orna-
mented with a longitudinal band of ochreous-buff from the
sides of the mantle along the scapulars ; a second buff band
is not so distinct along the parapteral feathers and inner
secondaries, being broken up by the black and rufous mark-
ings of these feathers ; lower back and rump uniform black ;
upper tail-coverts blackish, slightly freckled with rufous, and
having broad margins of ochreous-buff; wing-coverts blackish,
with pale rufescent margins, less distinct on the marginal
jeries, which are almost uniform ; the greater coverts uni-
form dusky-brown, with pale fringes; bastard- wing, primary-
coverts and quills dusky-brown, with slight white tips to the
\
\
HE JACK-SNIPE. 221
primary-coverts, the secondaries pale and more ashy at the
tips, the long inner ones mottled like the scapulars ; tail-feathers
pointed, uniform dusky-brown, with pale sandy-buff margins ;
crown of head and nape black, scarcely spotted with rufous,
and bordered by a broad superciliary band of sandy-buff, the
lores and feathers round the eye being blackish ; cheeks and
ear-coverts dull white, spotted with black, and having a black
line along the upper cheeks ; chin and upper-throat white ;
sides of neck and hind-neck earthy-brown, slightly mottled
with blackish, and separating the head from the back ; lower
throat and fore-neck pale rufous-brown, spotted and streaked
with black, the sides of the breast and flanks being similarly
marked; breast, abdomen, and under tail- coverts pure white;
the latter with a few dusky streaks ; under wing-coverts ashy-
whitish, with dusky bases ; axillaries pure white ; lower primary-
coverts and quill-lining dull ashy. Total length, 7*5 inches;
culmen r6; wing, 4*35; tail, 1-9; tarsus, 0-9.
Adult Female, Similar to the male. Total length, 7*5 inches;
culmen, 1*6 ; wing, 4-1 ; tail, 1*7 ; tarsus, 0*95.
Winter Plumage. Scarcely to be distinguished from the sum-
mer plumage, except by the greater amount of blackish mott-
ling, the bars on the hinder neck, and the generally more
rufescent colour. The pale bands on the back are brighter,
but soon fade with exposure and wear to the paler tints of the
spring and summer dress.
Range in Great Britain. The Jack-Snipe is a regular visitant in
winter, arriving in October or late in September, and leaving
again in March and April. No instance of its breeding within
the limits of the United Kingdom has yet been authenticated.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species breeds
in the Arctic Regions from the Dovrefjeld and the tundras ot
Lapland, above the limits of forest-growth ; and as it has been
met with in Eastern Siberia, where Middendorf found it on the
Boganida, south of the Taimyr Peninsula in 70 N. lat, Mr.
Seebohm is probably right in supposing that it nests in the
Arctic Regions from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He did not,
however, find it breeding either on the Pctchora or in the
Yen-e-sai Valley. In winter it passes in numbers to the Medi-
222 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
terranean countries, and migrates through Turkestan as well as
through Japan and China. It is found in India and Burma
during the cold season, and has been known to occur as far
east as the Island of Formosa.
HaMts. These differ very little from those of the Common
Snipe, with the exception that, when it rises, the Jack-Snipe
seldom utters any note. When in Heligoland with the late
Mr. Seebohm and Mr. F. Nicholson, I frequently kicked up
Jack-Snipe in the potato-fields, and when disturbed from the
grass on Sandy Island, I have often seen these birds perch on
the heaps of sea-weed, and have shot them sitting on several
occasions.
Nest The first taking of the nest of the Jack-Snipe was one
of the achievements of the late John Wolley in Lapland. I give
the following extract from his account published in Hewitson's
" Eggs of British Birds " : " It was on the i;th of June, 1853, in
the great marsh of Muonioniska, that I first heard the Jack-Snipe,
though at the time I could not at all guess what it was ; an ex-
traordinary sound, unlike anything that I had heard before. I
could not tell from what direction it came, and it filled me
with a curious surprise ; my Finnish interpreter thought it was
a Capercaillie, and at that time I could not contradict him, but
soon I found that it was a small bird gliding at a wild pace at
a great height over the marsh. I know not how better to
describe the noise than by likening it to the cantering of a horse
in the distance, over a hard, hollow road ; it came in fours in
similar cadence, and with a clear yet hollow sound. The same
day we found a nest which seemed to be a kind unknown to me.
The next morning I went to Kharto Uoma with a good strength
of beaters. I kept them as well as I could in a line, myself
in the middle, my Swedish travelling companion on one side,
and the Finn talker on the other. Whenever a bird was put
off its eggs, the man who saw it was to pass on the word, and
the whole line was to stand whilst I went to examine the eggs
and take them at once, or observe the bearings of the spot for
another visit, as might be necessary. We had not been many
hours in the marsh when I saw a bird get up and I marked it
down. . . . The nest was found. ... A sight of the
eggs as they lay untouched raised my expectations to the high-
THE BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPERS. 223
est pitch. I went to the spot where I had marked the bird,
put it up again, and again saw it, after a short low flight,
drop suddenly into cover. Once more it rose a few feet
from where it had settled. I fired ! and in a minute had in
my hand a true Jack-Snipe, the undoubted parent of the nest
of eggs ! ... As usual, I took measures to let the whole
party have a share in my gratification before I again gave the
word to advance. In the course of the day and night I found
three more nests and examined the birds of each. One allowed
me to touch it with my hand before it rose, and another only
got up when my foot was within six inches of it. I was never
afterwards able to see a nest myself, though I beat through
numbers of swamps ; several with eggs, mostly hard sat upon,
were found by people cutting hay in boggy places in July."
Eggs. Four in number, and pear-shaped. The colour varies
very much in the same way as in the eggs of the Common
Snipe, but the reddish-brown spotting is more frequent, and I
have not seen any of a pale stone-grey colour. Axis, 1*45-1 7
inch; diam., i -05-1-1.
THE BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPERS. GENUS LIMICOLA.
Limicola, Koch, Syst. baier. Zool. p. 316 (1816).
Type, L. platyrhyncha (Temm.).
The single species representing this genus has much of a
Snipe in its general aspect, but is, in reality, a Sandpiper,
allied to the Dunlins and the Curlew Sandpiper. Like the
latter, it has the eye placed in the side of the head like a
Dunlin, and not like a Wood-cock or a Snipe. The bill is
broad and flat and tapers to an awl-shaped point, but is slightly
curved downwards at the tip. It is of considerable length,
and is longer than the tarsus.
I. THE BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER. LIMICOLA
PLATYRHYNCHA.
Tringa platyrhyncha, Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 398 (1815);
Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 224 (1852) ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit.
B. iii. p. 197 (1885)
224 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
Liinicola platyrhyncha. Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 3, pi. 545
(1876); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 167 (1883); Saunders,
ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 362 (1883) ; id. Man. Brit. B.
p. 563 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxiv.
Adult Male in Winter Plumage. General colour above light ashy-
grey, somewhat paler on the edges of the feathers, which have
dusky-brown centres ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts
blackish, with slight remains of sandy-buff fringes ; sides of
rump and lateral upper tail-coverts white ; wing-coverts rather
darker than the back, the marginal ones dark brown, the
median series blackish in the centre with hoary-white margins ;
the greater series dusky-blackish, edged with hoary-grey, in-
clining to white at the ends, and forming a narrow band across
the wing ; bastard-wing and primary-coverts black tipped with
white, the latter broadly; quills black, paler brown on the
inner webs of the primaries, excepting at the tips, which are
black ; secondaries merely fringed with white near the ends,
and with a little white towards the base of the inner web, the
inner secondaries ashy like the back, the shafts of all the
quills white or whity-brown ; centre tail-feathers blackish like
the upper tail-coverts, the rest ashy-brown with white shafts
and white fringes ; crown of head like the back ; the lores
dusky, surmounted by a broad white streak which is continued
into a narrow eyebrow ; sides of face white with a few tiny
streaks of dusky-brown ; ear-coverts uniform dusky-brown ;
under surface of body white with a few streaks of dusky-brown
on the lower throat and sides of breast ; under wing-coverls
and axillaries white, the marginal-coverts mottled with dusky
bases ; lower primary-coverts ashy ; bill dusky black ; legs and
feet slaty-black; iris dark brown. Total length, 6-5 inches;
culmen, 1*3; wing, 4-1; tail, r6; tarsus, 0*8.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above black,
slightly varied with rufous edgings to the feathers, some of
those of the mantle, scapulars, inner greater coverts, and
inner secondaries having sandy-buff margins, the black form-
ing large sub-terminal spots ; crown of the head black, with a
sandy-buff lateral stripe; lores black; sides of face rufescent,
thickly spotted with dusky-black like the sides of the neck ; the
THE BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPERS. 225
ear-coverts rufous and surmounted by a pale buff eyebrow
which becomes lighter above the lores ; chin and under sur-
face of body white, the throat, fore-neck, and chest thickly
spotted with dusky-blackish, those on the fore-neck and chest
somewhat arrow-shaped, as they are also along the sides of the
body ; all these parts slightly tinged with rufous ; lateral upper
tail-coverts barred with black ; tail-feathers as in the winter
plumage, but with a more extensive white area on the inner
webs. Total length, 6*5 inches ; culmen, i'2 ; wing, 4/15 ; tail,
1*5 ; tarsus, o'8.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Similar to the male, but not
quite so plentifully spotted underneath. Total length, 6*5
inches ; wing, 4*3.
Young Birds. Very similar to the summer plumage of the
adults, being rufous above, mottled with black centres to the
feathers, and having very broad whitish margins ; centre of
the crown black, the outer tail-feathers having a great deal
of white on the inner web confining the ashy-grey colour to a
broad marginal line ; the fore-neck slightly tinged with buff, as
also the sides of the upper-breast, these parts being very scantily
streaked with brown. During their first winter the pale edges
to the feathers become worn off, so that the general aspect of
the upper surface is black.
Eange in Great Britain. The number of specimens of the Broad-
billed Sandpiper which have been killed in England appear to
be seven in number, four of which have been shot on Breydon
Broad in Norfolk. One in Mr. Borrer's collection was obtained
near Shoreham in Sussex, and Sir Henry Boynton has a speci-
men from Hornsea Mere in Yorkshire. Mr. Walter Burton also
shot one near Rye in August, and of the others, four have been
killed in spring and two in autumn, so that it is evident that
the species is a rare visitor during the spring and autumn
migration. One specimen was procured in Belfast Bay, in
Ireland, in October, 1844.
Range 01 1 ,ide the British Islands, The Broad-billed Sandpiper
nests on the mountains of Scandinavia as far south as 60 N.
lat., and in Lapland, and it probably breeds throughout the
tundra regions of Northern Euiope and Sil.eria; but it appears
to be eveiywhere a local bird, and not much is known con-
ll Q
226 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
earning its distribution during the nesting-season. lc passes
through fne greater part of Eastern and Central Europe during
migration, visiting the Mediterranean countries and occurring
even as far south as Madagascar. It likewise appears to cross
Central Asia to North-western India, and also visits Japan,
China, and the Burmese provinces during the cold season.
Habits. The late Mr. Richard Dann contributed a very in-
teresting article to YarrelPs " British Birds " on the nesting of
this species, which he had found in Lulea and Tornea-Lap-
mark, as well as on the Dovrefjeld in Norway, where it arrived
at the latter end of May. It frequented grassy morasses and
swamps in small colonies, having the same habitat as the
Wood-Sandpiper. On their first appearance, tht-y were wild
and shy, and similar in their habits to other Sandpipers, feed-
ing on the grassy borders of small pools and lakes in the
morasses. On being disturbed they soared to a great height
in the air, rising and falling suddenly like the Snipe, uttering
the notes tivo-who, rapidly repeated. As the weather becomes
warm, the habits of the species totally change, as it skulks and
creeps through the dead grass, and allows itself to be followed
within a few yards : when flushed, it drops again a short
distance off.
Nest. The following account is given by Mr. Wolley, who
discovered the nest in Lapland : " The Broad-billed Sand-
piper differs from other wading birds in the situation of its nest,
choosing open soft places in the marsh, where there is little
else than bog moss with a little growth of a kind of sedge, and
on a low tuft, just rising above the water, its nest may be found
often without much difficulty. . . . But it must not be
supposed that this kind of bird-nesting is very easy work. The
marshes where the Broad-billed Sandpipers are to be found are
few and far between ; they are soft and full of water, and often
every step is a struggle, whilst the swarms of hungry gnats
require almost individual attention. The sun is scorching at
midday, but at midnight has not enough power to keep off an
unpleasant chill. The country to be gone over is of vast extent,
and the egg-season very short ; sleep is seldom obtainable ; a
feverish feeling comes on, and present enjoyment soon ceases.
It is just where the thickest clouds of gnats rise from the water.
THE DUNLINS. 22}
which is so generally spread over the recently thawed
that the Broad-billed Sandpiper has its eggs, and this is just
before midsummer, about the third week in June. Many
empty nests are found for one which is occupied, and I
suppose them to be of former years, for the moss in which
they are usually worked long retains any mark made in it,
being hard frozen for more than half the year ; they are neatly-
rounded hollows, and have a few bits of dried 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 while men are standing round."
Eggs. Four in number, and very dark in appearance, the
ground-colour appearing pinkish -brown, very thickly mottled
and spotted with dark chocolate-brown, generally almost hiding
the ground-colour itself. In a pale type of egg the ground-
colour is stone-grey or olive-clay colour, the spotting being
very minute, and sometimes accompanied by a cluster of
blotches at the larger end of the egg. The underlying spots,
which are often prominent, are of a violet-grey. Axis, 1-2-1-4
inch ; diam., 0-9-0-95.
THE DUNLINS. GENUS PELIDNA.
Pelidna, Cuvier, Regne. Anim. i. p. 490 (1817).
Type, P. alpina (Linn.).
The Dunlins have the culmen longer than the tarsus, but
they may be distinguished from the Snipes and Wood-cocks by
the position of the eye, which is placed much more forward in
the head and does not approach the level of the opening of the
ear. The bill is slender and straight at the tip, and is not
curved downwards ; there is a slight tendency to broadening at
the end, so that the genus Pelidna holds an intermediate posi-
tion between Limicola and Ancylcchihts. The Dunlins, more-
over, differ from the genus Tringa in having the middle tail-
feathers prolonged and sharpened at the ends ; the inner
secondaries also are very long, and so nearly equal to the
primaries in length, that the difference between these two sets
of quills is less than the length of the tarsus.
Q 2
228 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
I. THE DUNLIN. PELIDNA ALPINA.
T'ringn alpina^ Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 249 (1766); Dresser, B.
Eur. viii. p. 21, pi. 548 (1876) ; B. O. U. List Brit. B. p.
169 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 377
(1883); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 184(1885); Saun-
ders, Man. Brit. B. p. 569 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit.
B. part xxiv. (1893).
Tringa cinclus, L.; Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 203 (1852).
(Plate LXXXVff.)
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. General colour above bright
sandy-rufous, mottled with b'ack centres to the feathers ; the
markings longitudinal on the head and neck, broader on the
latter ; on many of the feathers of the back and scapulars are
remains of whitish edgings ; rump dusky-brown, with centres
to the feathers ; the greater coverts edged with white at the
tips ; bastard-wing and primary-coverts dark brown, the latter
with white tips ; quills dusky-brown, with whitish shafts ; the
secondaries white at base of inner web, and also fringed with
white at the ends ; tail-feathers light brown, with white shafts
and narrow white fringes ; lores and a faint eyebrow dull whitish,
with tiny streaks of black ; sides of face sandy-rufous, lined with
small streaks of blackish ; the cheeks and throat whiter, but
similarly lined; the lower throat tinged with sandy-buff; fore-
neck and chest white, with mesial streaks of black to all the
feathers ; remainder of under surface pure white, with a large
horse-shoe mark of black on the breast ; the lower flanks and
under tail-coverts lined with blackish ; under wing-coverts and
axillaries pure white, the primary-coverts light ashy, like the
lower surface of the quills ; bill, legs, feet, and claws black ;
iris hazel. Total length, 6'8 inches; culmen, 1*1 ; wing, 4*2;
tail, 1*9 ; tarsus, 0-9.
Adult Female in Summer Plumage. Similar to the male, but having
the black horse-shoe mark on the breast less strongly developed.
In old birds, however, this is as strongly marked as in the male.
Total length, 5-8 inches; culmen, 1*15; wing, 47; tail, r8;
tarsus, i'o.
Adult in Winter Plumage. General colour above ashy-brown,
with slightly indicated dusky centres to a few of the feathers.
tHE DTJNLltfS. 229
especially distinct on the wing-coverts, the greater series tipped
with white so as to form a wing-band; primary-coverts and
quills dark brown, narrowly fringed with whitish and having
white shafts ; secondaries for the most part white, with a longi-
tudinal dusky mafk towards the end of the outer web ; rump and
upper tail-coverts brown like the back, the sides of the rump and
the lateral tail-coverts pure white ; centre tail-feathers also dark
brown, the remainder light ashy-brown, fringed with white at
the ends and with white shafts ; head like the back, with liny
dark centres to the feathers ; lores dusky-brown, surmounted
by an indistinct whitish eyebrow ; sides of face and ear-coverts
light brown, with darker shaft-streaks; cheeks, throat, and under
surface of body pure white, the lower throat and chest light
ashy, with darker centres to the feathers, more distinct on the
sides of the chest.
Young Birds. Above brown, with sandy-rufous edges to the
feathers ; under surface white, with scattered spots of dusky-
brown on the breast ; throat w r hitish ; fore-neck tinged with
sandy-buff.
Range in Great Britain. The present species, familiarly known
as the " Ox-bird," breeds in Scotland and the northern islands,
and in the north of England as far south as Lancashire and
Yorkshire, and even in Lincolnshire, though it is nowhere so
common in the nesting season as it is in some parts of Scot-
land. It is also known to breed in Cornwall and Devonshire,
where there are moors suited to its habits, but nothing is
known of its nesting in any part of Wales. In Ireland, ac-
cording to Mr. Ussher, the Dunlin breeds "in limited numbers,
and locally in Donegal, Londonderry, Westmeath, Wicklow,
King's County, Mayo, and Sligo, and probably elsewhere in
the midland and northern counties." It is a very common
bird on all our coasts in winter, and is sometimes seen o:j
inland waters during migration.
Range outside the British Islands. The Dunlin may be con-
sidered a circum-polar bird as it nests throughout northern
Europe from Iceland and the Faeroes to Scandinavia and
thence across Northern Europe and Siberia to the Pacific. It
also nests throughout Arctic America, though the birds from
the western side of the latter continent are usually rather larger
230 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
in size, and have been separated as Pelidna pacifica. In winter
the Dunlins migrate south as far as California and the West
Indies in the New World, and also visit the coasts of China,
North-western India and the Mediterranean countries to the
Canaries on the west, and as far as Zanzibar on the East
African coast. As with so many of the waders, the Dunlin
varies considerably in size, and there is a small form found in
Europe which breeds along the Baltic and is not uncommon
on our English coasts. This is the bird usually known as
Schinz's Dunlin {Pelidna schi/izi). It is probably this small
form which has been found breeding in Italy and also in Spain.
I have often shot specimens of the small form, and was at one
time inclined to consider it a more solitary bird than the
common Long-billed Dunlin of our coasts, but I have also
found both long- and short-billed birds mixed up in the same
flock.
Habits. In winter the Dunlin is decidedly the commonest
ot all our shore birds, and is sometimes seen in immense
flocks. When the tide is out, little parties may be seen feed-
ing in company on the edges of the shallow pools left by the
receding waters, while others are busily engaged in procuring
food on the mud-flats. When alarmed, they fly off with a
harsh note like the syllable s-k-r-e-e, and as one takes wing it is
generally joined by several others in the vicinity, which fly off
in company. When the tide is full, and the mud-flats are
covered, the Dunlins betake themselves to the sea-beach, and
congregate in large or small companies, occupying the time in
preening their plumage, or in sleeping with theii head turned
round and the bill hidden under their shoulder-feathers.
Even then they are not easy of approach, as they have
generally one or two sentinels posted, or are watched over by
the wary Ringed Plover. On such occasions they generally fly
a little way out to sea and settle again on the shingle at some
little distance, and as they wheel off, they go through some
evolutions which are interesting to watch, as at one moment
the flock becomes almost invisible in the bright sunlight and
then reappears as a little dark cloud moving about the surface
of the waves. At these times it is not easy to whistle them
within hail, but a^ the hour approaches for the tide to ebb, the
Dunlins become much more restless and occasionally little
THE KNOTS. 231
parties will leave the shingle and fly over the mud-flats,
settling on any little point which may become uncovered,
or thronging on to a sand-spit from which the tide has re-
ceded.
In the spring the Dunlins pair before going north, but small
flocks of individuals in full summer plumage remain in the
south during the nesting season ; these are evidently non-
breeding birds.
Nest A depression in the ground with a slight lining of
dead grass, roots, or sometimes a little moss. Mr. Seebohm
says that the site generally chosen is in the middle of a tuft of
grass, or a bare place on the moor surrounded by heather or
rushes. Mr. Robert Read gives the following note : " I have
always found them nesting in the vicinity of water, but they
are not particular whether it is salt or fresh. The slight nest
is usually built in a patch of grass growing amongst short
heather, the eggs being well concealed by the over-hanging
grass."
Eggs. Four in number, pear-shaped. The ground-colour
varies from a light greenish or olive-grey to stone-colour or
even chocolate. The markings are equally variable, for though
the grey underlying spots are sometimes in evidence, they are
often obscured by blotches and spots of reddish-brown or even
black, which are mostly congregated towards the larger end.
As a rule, however, in the Dunlin's egg, the spots are of
moderate size and fairly evenly distributed. Axis, 1*35-1 '45
inches; diam., 6 95-1 '05.
THE KNOTS. GENUS TRINGA. /
Tringa, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 247 (1766).
Type, T. canutus (Linn.).
The genus THnga contains but two species, the Knot of
Europe and the Japanese T. crassirostris. The latter breeds
in Eastern Siberia and travels south in winter, as far as the
Malay Archipelago and Australia, as well as to the shores
of North-western India. The length of the culmen exceeds
that of the tarsus, and the latter is longer than the middle toe
and claw. The bill is stout and has a distinct ridge on the
?32 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
culmen, which widens slightly towards the end. The Knots
may be distinguished from the Dunlins by the shape of the tail,
which is square, with the middle feathers not prolonged. The
inner secondaries also are shorter, and the distance between
their tips and the tips of the primaries is more than the length
of the tarsus.
I. THE KNOT. TRINGA CANUTUS.
Tringa canutus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 251 (1766) ; Macgill.
Brit. B. iv.p. 185 (1852); Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 77 pis.
555, 556 (1877); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 171 (1883);
Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 413 (1883); See-
bohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 174 (1885); Saunders, Man.
Brit. B. p. 581 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part
xii. (1890).
Adult Male in Winter Plumage General colour above ashy-
grey, perfectly uniform except on the rump, where there are a
few dusky bars; upper tail-coverts white, barred across with
black ; wing-coverts ashy like the back, except the marginal
coverts, which are dusky-brown, the median series also with
dusky centres, the greater series tipped with white ; bastard-
wing and primary-coverts black, the inner ones broadly tipped
with white ; quills dull ashy-brown, blackish on the outer web
and at the tip of the inner web, the shafts white, the inner pri-
maries plainly edged with white near the base of the outer web ;
the inner secondaries ashy-brown like the back; tail ashy-grey,
with whitish shafts to the feathers ; crown of head ashy-grey,
slightly mottled with dusky centres to the feathers ; lores dusky-
grey, surmounted by a broad streak of white, continued into a
narrow white eyebrow, slightly streaked with dusky lines ; sides
of face white, with narrow dusky streaks, the upper margin of
the ear-coverts ashy-grey ; under surface of body white, the chin
unspotted, but the throat streaked, and the fore-neck and chest
mottled, with dusky spots or bars, the sides of the neck and of
the chest dull ashy-brown ; the flanks white, with irregular bars
or arrow-head marks of dusky-brown ; under wing-coverts
white, the axillaries with a few dusky bars; lower primary-coverts
and quill-lining ashy-grey. Total length, 9 inches; culmen
1*3 ; wing, 6'i ; tail, 2-3; tarsus, i'2.
THE KNOTS. 233
Young Birds. Very similar to the winter plumage of the
adults, being grey above and white below. They may, how-
ever, be easily distinguished by the marbled appearance of
the upper surface, the feathers being fringed with white,
before which is a narrow sub-marginal line of black. There is
also a tinge of buff over the throat, breast, and sides of the
body, these parts being thickly spotted with dusky-brown,
especially on the flanks.
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. Differs from the winter
plumage in having the under surface of the body chestnut, as
well as the eyebrow and sides of the face. The whole of the
upper surface also is suffused with chestnut, the feathers being
black in the centre with chestnut margins, while on the scapu-
lars and long inner secondaries, the chestnut colour is distri-
buted in the form of twin spots, often forming nearly complete
bars ; the white of the rump and upper tail-coverts is strongly
tinged with chestnut, and the black bars are very distinct ; bill
and feet black ; iris dark hazel. Total length, 10 inches; cul-
men, 1*3 ; wing, 6*5 ; tail, 2^3 ; tarsus, i'i.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Similar to the male, but
not so strongly suffused with chestnut above, and rather paler
chestnut below, with more white on the abdomen than in the
male, and having still considerable remains of black bars on
the flanks ; the axillaries regularly barred with black instead of
being white or only slightly freckled as in the male. Total
length, 10 inches ; wing, 6*6.
Range in Great Britain. The Knot is a very interesting bird,
visiting us in May on its journey northwards, while numbers
are observed on the return journey in the autumn ; many spend
the winter on our coasts, and some few, non-breeding birds,
appear never to migrate, as I have known birds in full red
plumage to have been shot in June. On the nth August, 1895,
a very early date for their return south, I was startled by hearing
their well-known notes above my garden at Chiswick. A large
migration was passing over-head at eleven o'clock in the day,
which was a very hot one, with a brilliant sun, but the birds were
at too great a height to be seen by the naked eye. At all times
the Knot seems to be more common on the east of Great
Britain, being rare on the western coast of Scotland, but occur-
234 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
ring again in numbers along the coast of the West of England
and on the Irish coast.
Range outside the British Islands. The Knot breeds in the
Arctic Regions and was found nesting by the explorers in the
early part of the century on Melville Island and also on Mel-
ville Peninsula, but no eggs seem to have been brought back
by them. Colonel Feilden obtained young birds in Grinnell
Land, lat. 82 33', and Mr. H. C. Hart also procured nestlings
in lat. 81 44', but no eggs were obtained by these naturalists
during the voyage of the " Alert " and " Discovery." No other
record of the breeding of the Knot has yet been authenticated,
and although it has been observed on migration in many parts
of Northern Russia and Siberia, it has not been found nesting
in any part of the Old World. Dr. Bunge noticed the species
on Great Liakoff Island, the most southerly of the New Siberian
islands, on the 6th of July, and shot specimens throughout the
greater part of the month, but on the 2oth the birds became
rarer, and were not recorded after the 3ist. Colonel Feilden
writes to me : " If Bunge was correct in the identification of the
bird, I see no reason to doubt that the Knot breeds in the New
Siberian Islands, for we obtained old birds and nestlings on
the i ith of July at Discovery Bay, and again at Floe Berg beach
on the 3ist of July. There is, of course, some possibility that
the Liakoff Knot might be T. crassirostris and not T. canutus, as
the occurrences of the latter bird in Eastern Siberia have been
very few." In winter the Knot passes as far south as Australia
and New Zealand, and is found, but more rarely, on the coasts
of India and Africa. In America it migrates along the Atlantic
coast to the West Indies, and has even been recorded from
Brazil.
HaMts. On its northward journey in spring, the present
species is far less often observed than on its return in autumn,
when it is very plentiful. At the former time of year it is also
much more shy, and seems intent upon reaching its Arctic
breeding home with as much expedition as possible. In the
autumn, on the contrary, it is not only much more plentiful, but
is very much tamer. It is found either singly or in small flocks
in most of our tidal harbours, where its cheerful note, which is
THE KNOTS. 235
very easily imitated, is one of the most familiar to shore-shooters
at that period of the year. It often associates with flocks of
Dunlins, and rests with them on the shingle at high tide, and
feeds with them on the mud-flats when the water has receded.
Although, as recorded above, I have been witness to the migra-
tion of Knots by day, I have also heard them passing over
London by night, and have many times whistled to them from
the top of Primrose Hill. In the old days of shore-shooting at
Pagham Harbour, when I have been waiting for the dawn, I have
seen them arrive from the north at daybreak, and have whistled
them down from the sky. These arrivals are nearly always young
birds, and they appeared so glad to know that some of their
species were in the neighbourhood, that they have often
descended to within twenty yards of my boat and commenced
to feed ravenously. When seen at such a close distance, the
Knot is an extremely pretty bird, and can easily be distinguished
from other shore birds by its plump appearance. When flying
it utters a musical note like the syllables tui-tiiii tui-tui.
Nest. Described as being placed close to a stream and
composed of a few leaves and dried grass loosely put
together.
Eggs. Lieutenant Greely who took an egg fully developed
from the body of a female Knot told Mr. Seebohm that it was a
very handsome egg, very boldly blotched, and about as large as
that of the Common Snipe. My friend Mr. J. T. Thomasson was
recently informed by Captain Bendire that, up to the present
time, there is no authentic egg of the Knot in the United States
National Museum at Washington. One egg is in the British
Museum, to which it was presented by the late Mr. Seebohm,
who states that it was from a clutch of four sent with the parent
bird from Disco in Greenland to Mr. Versler in Copenhagen,
who had received it from Mr. Bolbroe, the original captor.
The egg is of an olive stone-colour with the usual spots, and
confluent blotches of reddish-brown or black congregating near
the large end of the egg and mixed with the under-lying grey
markings, which are very prominent. It looks exactly like the
kind of egg one might expect the Knot to lay. Axis, i *6 inches ;
diam., n.
236 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
THE PURPLE SANDPIPERS. GENUS ARQUATELLA.
Arquatdfa) Baird, B. N. Amer. p. 717 (1858).
Type, A. maritima (Gm.).
The genus Arquatdla is very closely allied to the genus
Tringa, and is considered by most ornithologists to be identical
with it. The Purple Sandpiper, however, is a very short-legged
bird, and differs from the Dunlins in having the tarsus shorter
than the middle-toe. The tibia-tarsus, too, which is bare in
the Dunlins, is feathered down to the joint of the tarsus in the
genus Arquatella. Besides the ordinary Purple Sandpiper
there are two races which are closely allied to it, A. couesi, from
the Aleutian Islands and Alaska, and A. ptilocneinis, from the
Prybilof Group.
I. THE PURPLE SANDPIPER. ARQUATELLA MARITIMA.
Tringa maritima^ Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 678 (1788); Macgill.
Brit. B. iv. p. 197 (1852); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p.
( 192 (1885).
Tringa striata, Linn. ; Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 69, pi. 554
(1877); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 171 (1883); Saunders,
ed. Yairell, Brit. B. iii. p. 408 (1883); id. Man. Brit. B.
P- 579 ( J 889) ; Lilford Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxiv.
'1893)*
Adult in Winter Plumage. General colour above sooty-black
with a purplish gloss, the feathers having pale margins of dull
ashy-grey, less distinct on the lower back, rump, and upper
tail-coverts, the longest of which have white tips; sides of rump
and lateral upper tail-coverts white, with narrow blackish shaft-
lines; wing-coverts like the back and having the same pale fringes;
bastard-wing and primary-coverts black, with white tips ; quills
dusky-brown, black along the outer web and at the tip of the
inner one, the secondaries tipped with white and having a con-
siderable amount of white on the inner web, which increases
in extent on the inner secondaries, which are entirely white or
have only a small mark of black on the outer web ; the inner-
most secondaries black ; centre tail-fealhers blackish, the
remainder ashy-grey, fringed with white and having whitish
shafts ; head and neck uniform sooty-black, with a faint streak
THE PURPLE SANDPIPERS. 237
of dull white on the lores and behind the eye; eyelid whitish ;
sides of face, throat, and fore-neck sooty-brown, the chin whiter;
breast and abdomen, as well as the under tail-coverts, white,
the breast and sides of the body mottled with dusky-brown
centres to the feathers, the flanks streaked with the same colour ;
axillaries and under wing-coveits pure white ; quill-lining ashy-
grey. Total length, 7-5 inches; culmen, 1*2; wing, 4-9; tail,
2'i ; tarsus, 0-85.
Young Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the adults,
but are distinguished by the white fringes to the feathers of the
upper surface, especially on the wing-coverts, scapulars, and
inner secondaries ; the chest and sides of the body more
plentifully mottled with spots of dusky-black.
Adults in Summer Plumage. Differ from the winter plumage in
being browner below and not so ashy, the fore-neck being either
uniform brown or mottled with spots of black, the upper breast
and sides of the body being also thickly spotted with black.
The upper surface is black, with rufous margins to the feathers
instead of ashy or whitish ones; bill dark brown, paler at the
base ; feet dull yellow ; claws black ; iris hazel. Total length,
8-5 inches; culmen, 1-5 ; wing, 5-2; tail, 2*15; tarsus, 0*95.
Characters. The Purple Sandpiper can always be distin-
guished by its black rump and upper tail coverts, combined
with the white inner secondaries.
Range in Great Britain The present species inhabits the
coasts of Great Britain during winter, but is everywhere rather
local and is more common in some years than others. Like
other waders, individuals of the Purple Sandp per have been
known to remain in Great Britain during summer, and these
doubtless have been non-breeding birds. Indeed, the species
has been credibly supposed to have bred within our limits,
as Mr. Howard Saunders says : " Young scarcely able to fly
have been obtained on the Fame Islands, where they are sup-
posed to have been hatched ; while adults have been observed
in the Outer Hebrides and other northern localities as late as
the end of May. There is even strong presumptive evidence
that the bird nests on the high ground in the Shetlands, though
jdeptified eggs have not yet been obtained. On the ruggec}
238 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
portions of the Irish coast it is met with in winter, and I found
it, still in small flocks, on May i5th, in Co. Donegal."
Range outside the British Islands. The Purple Sandpiper occurs,
and probably breeds, throughout the Arctic Regions, retiring only
for a comparatively short distance southwards in winter, though
some visit at this season of the year the Mediterranean countries
and the Azores ; and in the New World it occurs on the Great
Lakes and the Atlantic coasts of North America as far south
as the Bermudas. Even in Western Scandinavia it is found in
winter as well as in summer.
Habits. Of these Mr. Seebohm gives the following account :
" Unlike most of its congeners, the Purple Sandpiper
loves a rocky coast, a bold shore where the rocks gradually
shelve down into the water or are left exposed in huge
masses at low tide. It is not often seen on a low sandy
beach ; but the wide, almost interminable, mud-flats which
have such a charm for most wading birds, are occa-
sionally frequented by the Purple Sandpiper. It visits the
coast in little parties ; but now and then a solitary bird is met
with, which will sometimes join a flock of Dunlins or other
small Waders. In many of its habits the Purple Sandpiper
differs considerably from its congeners. It loves to frequent
the shore when the waves are dashing over the rocks, and to
seek for its food, literally surrounded by the spray. Nimbly the
little creature trips, sure-footed over the wet, slippery rocks,
exulting in the wild strife of the waters, and appearing every
moment as though the huge angry waves would overwhelm it.
Tightly it clings to the boulders until each succeeding wave
has broken, when its active search commences. When the
gale is at its height it shuns the shore, or seeks safety and
shelter amongst the rocks at high-water mark ; and Saxby
states that in Shetland he has known it to take refuge under
the lee of a wall, and to feed within a few yards of his house.
"The Purple Sandpiper is a very tame little biid, often allow-
ing the observer to approach to within a few feet as it stands
on the shore. Sometimes it is flushed with difficulty, or merely
contents itself with running along the shore just out of arm's
length. Saxby states that it is an excellent swimmer, and that
he has seen as many as three or four in calm weather swim-
THE CURLEW-SANDPIPERS. 239
ming at the base of the rocks on which their companions were
searching for food. It never seems to dive, however, except
when wounded. Sometimes, when flushed, it has been known
to alight on the water several yards from shore. The food of
the Purple Sandpiper is composed of marine insects, small
crustaceans and molluscs, and the seeds of several shore-plants.
It obtains most of its food as the tide comes in or ebbs,
usually sitting on the rocks at high water, pluming itself, bask-
ing in the sun, and waiting for the sea to go down again. The
flight of the Purple Sandpiper is rapid, but not usually
very high. Sometimes it skims along for a short distance,
hovers in the air, or runs along the ground with wings out-
spread over its back. The note of this bird somewhat re-
sembles that of the Common Sandpiper : it is loud, clear, and
shrill, and often repeated, but very difficult to express on paper
a kind of t'nce, not unlike the note of the House-Martin, but
louder."
Nest. A slight depression, lined with a little moss or dried
grass.
Eggs. Four in number, pear-shaped, and resembling the
eggs of the Dunlin, from which, however, they can be
distinguished by their larger size. The variation in the tint
of the ground-colour is just as marked as in that species,
the colour ranging from greenish stone-grey to brownish clay-
colour, or even reddish-brown. The spots are reddish-brown,
sometimes inclining to black, and are thickly distributed over
the eggs, in the same manner as in those of the Dunlin. Axis,
j'4-i'5 inch; diam., ro-i'i
THE CURLEW-SANDPIPERS. GENUS ANCYLOCHILUS.
AncylocheihiS) Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 50 (1829).
Type, A. subarcuatus (Giildenst).
In general appearance the Curlew-Sandpiper for there is
only one representative of the genus Ancylochilus is very like
a Dunlin, and as in the genus Pelidna, the bill is longer than
the tarsus. The shape of the bill, however, is different, being
very long and slender and tapering to a point, without any
240 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
widening before the tip. It has a sharp ridge on the culmen,
and the end is decidedly decurved, whence its Latin name of
sub-arcuatus, and its English name of " Curlew "-Sandpiper,
from a certain resemblance of its curved bill to that of a Curlew.
I. THE CURLEW-SANDPIPER. ANCYLOCHILUS SUBARCUATUS.
Scolopax subarquata, Giildenst. N. Comm. Petrop. xix. p. 471
. (1774).
Tringa subarquata, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 215 (1852);
Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 59, pi. 553 (1878); B. O. U.
List Brit. B. p. 170 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarrell,
Brit. B. iii. (1883); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. Hi. p. 180
(1885); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. 403 (1889); Lilford,
Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxv. (1893).
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above deep
bay or dark cinnamon-rufous, varied with whitish edges to the
feathers, which are mottled with black centres, taking the form
of stripes on the head and back, and of cross-bars on the
scapulars ; lower back dull ashy-brown, with whitish edges ;
sides of lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white, the latter
tinged with rufous, and showing a few black bars ; wing-coverts
brown, with whitish edgings, the greater series tipped with white,
forming a wing-bar ; some of the coverts rufous like the back,
and some of the inner secondaries also rufous on their edges ;
primary-coverts and quills darker brown, the latter with white
tips and white shafts, the secondaries fringed with white, more
broadly on the shorter ones, which are white at the base of the
inner web ; tail-feathers ashy-brown with white fringes and white
shafts ; head like the back, but showing less distinct blackish
centres to the feathers ; the hind-neck distinctly hoary, owing
to the edgings of the feathers ; sides of face and under surface
of body rich vinous chestnut with more or less distinct remains
of hoary margins to the feathers ; vent and under tail-coverts
white, the latter tinged with rufous, and having a few black
bars ; sides of body and flanks pure white, the latter with a few
black bars ; under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white ; lower
primary-coverts and under surface of quills light ashy ; bill, legs,
feet, and claws black; iris hazel. Total length, 7 '4 inches j
gujmen, 1-35; wing, 5-3; tail, 1*9; tarsus, 1-15.
THE CURLEW- SANDPIPERS. 241
Adult Female in Summer Plumage. Like the male, but not So
richly coloured, the tint of the under surface being duller chest-
nut and not so vinous. Total length, 7 inches ; wing, 4-9.
Adult in Winter Plumage. Ashy-brown above, slightly mottled
with darker centres to the feathers ; wing-coverts like the back ;
quills as in the summer plumage ; rump and upper tail-coverts
pure white ; tail-feathers ashy-brown, fringed with white, with
white shafts, a sub-terminal bar of dusky-blackish, and the
inner webs having a good deal of white at the base; lores
dusky, with a supra-loral streak of white ; under surface of body
pure white, with tiny lines of dusky-brown on the sides of the
face, sides of neck, lower throat, and fore-neck.
Young in First Autumn Plumage. Similar in general colour to
the winter plumage of the adult, but distinguished by the
absence of rufous colour on the upper surface. On the under
surface the streaks on the fore-neck are almost obsolete, and a
fulvescent shade overspreads the fore-neck and chest, in some
specimens even extending to the breast itself. On the upper
surface it is very similar to the winter plumage of the adult,
but has always some distinct pale edgings to the feathers, these
being generally fulvescent, while the mantle is decidedly
darker, being blackish with pale margins to the feathers.
Kange in Great Britain. The Curlew-Sandpiper is a spring and
autumn visitor to our coasts, being much more plentiful in the
latter season than in the former, and frequenting more parti-
cularly the east coast, both of Scotland and England. In
Ireland, Mr. Howard Saunders states that it has been known
to remain in the southern counties until November, or even
December.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species occurs
in winter in the southern parts of the old world, visiting Aus-
tralia and Tasmania, the Indian Peninsula, and South Africa.
Its nesting habitat, however, is still unknown. It is evident
that it does not follow the summer course of the Knot in its
western range, as it is not known from the Fseroes, Iceland,
Greenland, or Spitsbergen. In Scandinavia it is more plentiful
in autumn and is rare in spring. Specimens have been observed
in June and July at various points of Northern Siberia, and one
was obtained by Dr. Murdoch at Point Barrow in Alaska, in
II R
242 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
June. The breeding home of the species will probably be
found in the New Siberian Islands, as the nesting of the species
on Kolguev, where it was thought that the Curlew-Sandpiper
might breed, has not been verified by the recent explorations
of Mr. Trevor-Battye and the Messrs. Pearson.
Habits. The Curlew-Sandpiper is often found in flocks on
our mud-flats and shingles in the autumn, where they either feed
in company or consort with the Dunlins, from which they can
hardly be distinguished by an ordinary observer. Occasionally
a single bird may be procured, and in the case where it is found
solitary, it is generally a young bird which is wending its way
south alone, or an old bird which is resting on its way to com-
plete its moult, as is evidenced by the number of red feathers
which it has not shed. Its habits and food are so precisely
like those of the Dunlin, that no special description is neces-
sary.
Nest. Unknown.
Eggs. Unknown.
THE PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. GENUS HETEROPYGIA.
Heteropygia, Coues, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1861, p. 191.
Type, H.fuscicollis (V.).
The members of this genus are four in number, and three
of them have occurred accidentally in Great Britain. They
have generally been associated with the Knots and Dunlins in
the genera Tringa and Pelidna, but they differ from these
in the shorter bill, which is not longer than the tarsus, and
thus they are more closely allied to the Stints (Limonites) and
the Sanderling (Calidris). They differ, however, from the latter
genera in having the tarsus longer than the middle toe and
c aw.
i. BONAPARTE'S SANDPIPER. HETEROPYGIA FUSCICOLLIS.
Tringa fuscicollis, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist Nat. xxxiv. p. 461
(1819); Dresser. B. Eur. viii. p. 15, pi. 547 (1873);
B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 168 (1883); Saunders, Man.
Brit. B. p. 567 (1889).
THE PECTORAL SANDPIPERS* 243
Tringa schinzii (nee Brehm), Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 222 (1852) :
Saunders, ed. Yarrell, Brit. B. iii. p. 373 (1883).
Tringa bonaparti) Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 189 (1885).
Adult Male. In appearance like a small Dunlin, but distin-
guished by the generic characters recorded above, and by the
upper tail-coverts being entirely white, so that they contrast
sharply with the dark rump and dark centre tail-feathers ; bill,
feet, and legs greenish-black ; iris dusky-brown. Total length
7 inches; culmen, 0*95; wing, 4*5; tail, 1*95; tarsus, 0*9.
The white upper tail-coverts of this species distinguishes it at
all seasons from any of its near allies.
Range in Great Britain. An accidental visitor from America,
of which some dozen specimens have occurred within our
limits. According to Mr. Howard Saunders, "the first British
example was shot prior to 1839, in Shropshire, while subse-
quently three others have been obtained in Cornwall, two
in the Scilly Islands, four at Instow in North Devon, two in
Sussex, and one at Kingsbury reservoir in Middlesex. There is
also a specimen in the Museum at Belfast, which is believed to
have been killed near that city."
Range outside the British Islands. This is a common North
American species, which breeds throughout the greater part of
the Arctic Regions, becoming rarer in the north-western portion
of the new world. In winter it ranges south through Central
America and the West Indies to the extreme south of South
America.
HaMts. Mr. D. G. Elliot, in his " North American Shore
Birds," writes : "It visits the eastern portion of North America
on its migrations, not making a lengthy stay in any place.
Coues observed it in Kansas migrating northwards in flocks,
and we may suppose it ranges from the Rocky Mountains east-
ward. Along the Atlantic coast it appears at regular periods,
passing northward in May, and back again on its southern
journey in July or early in August. It associates with the
Semi-palmated Sandpiper (E. pusillus\ which it somewhat
resembles, but from which it is easily distinguished by its greater
size. This species is one of the gentlest of all waders, appar-
ently paying little attention to an intruder upon its haunts, but
244 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
allowing one to approach closely, not even suspending its occu-
pation of searching for food. Should a gun be discharged as
the little company draws itself together, the survivors fly a short
distance in a compact flock, uttering a low, soft tweet, exhibit-
ing the upper- and then under-side of the body as they wheel
and turn swiftly, and then frequently alight near the very spot
where their companions were slaughtered. When on the wing
it is recognisable by its white upper tail-coverts, which are very
conspicuous. In Labrador it is very abundant, frequenting
the rocky shores covered with sea-weed or green and slippery
from the flying spray. It also resorts to muddy flats and shal-
low pools, into which it wades up to the breast in search of
marine insects and various animalculae, on which it feeds. It
is rather a common bird at certain seasons on the shores of
Lake Michigan, having been taken in Illinois, and also in
Michigan. In the far north it is a straggler at Point Barrow in
Alaska, and also breeds on the Mackenzie river. MacFarlane
found the nest on the shore of the Arctic Sea, and on the Bar-
ren Ground. This was merely a depression in the ground
lined with a few decayed leaves, and contained three or four
eggs, rufous-drab in colour, blotched with dark brown or black,
confluent at the larger end, and measuring 0*35 inch long by
0*95 broad."
II. THE SHARP-TAILED PECTORAL SANDPIPER. HETEROPYGIA
ACUMINATA.
Totanus acumtnata, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 192 (1821).
Tringa acuminata, Seebohm, Ibis, 1893, PP- 181-183, pi. v.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above sandy-
rufous, streaked with black down the centre of the feathers,
these black centres being much more distinct on the scapulars
and inner secondaries, where the rufous margins are very
bright ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts dusky-black,
the lateral ones sandy-rufous barred with black ; lesser wing-
coverts dull brown ; the median-coverts brown with blackish
centres and ashy fulvous margins ; the greater coverts uniform
dusky-brown with white tips ; bastard-wing uniform brown ;
the primary-coverts blackish, the inner ones tipped with white ;
THE PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. 245
quills brown, dusky-blackish at the tips and along the outer
webs, the shafts for the most part white, brown towards the
bases ; the secondaries brown, with a little white at the base of
the inner webs and narrowly fringed with white near the tips,
the inner ones a little more broadly ; tail-feathers ashy-brown,
fringed with white round the ends, the centre ones blackish
and extended a little beyond the ends of the others ; crown of
head bright sandy-rufous, minutely streaked with black ; lores
and a distinct eyebrow white with narrow streaks of blackish ;
sides of face also white with dusky streaks, the ear-coverts
tinged with rufous ; under surface of body white, the chin un-
spotted ; fore-neck and chest tinged with sandy-rufous and
minutely spotted with dusky-black, which sometimes takes the
form of longitudinal streaks or arrow-head bars, the latter form
of markings being especially distinct on the sides of the body ;
breast and abdomen white, the latter with a few linear streaks of
black ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white, those round
the bend of the wing mottled with blackish bases ; lower pri-
mary-coverts dusky with whitish tips ; quills dusky below ; bill,
black at tip, greenish-yellow at base of mandible ; feet and
tarsi greenish-yellow. Total length, 7 inches; culmen, i'i ;
wing, 5 -4; tail, 2*1 ; tarsus, 1*2.
Adult Female. Similar to the male. Total length, 7 inches ;
wing, 5-4.
Adult in Winter Plumage Much browner than the summer
plumage and without any rufous, except perhaps a slight tinge
on the head ; under surface of body white, the lower throat
and chest ashy-fulvous with a few narrow streaks and lines of
blackish, the flanks slightly washed with brown ; on the under
tail-coverts a few narrow mesial shaft streaks of blackish.
Young Birds. Much more rufous on the upper surface even
than in the breeding plumage, the back much blacker than in
any other age of the bird, intermixed with a great deal of rufous
and distinguished by the conspicuous whitish edgings to the
dorsal feathers, scapulars, and inner secondaries ; the wing-
coverts with broad margins of sandy-rufous, but the quills the
same as in the adults ; crown of head distinctly rufous with
longitudinal black centres to the feathers ; chin white, as also
the breast and abdomen, which sometimes have a tinge of buff;
246 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
lower throat, fore-neck, and sides of breast sandy-rufous, the
fore-neck and chest more ashy and uniform, so that the black
shaft-streaks are confined to the lower throat, sides of neck,
and sides of breast, being here a little broader.
Characters. Distinguished from H. pectoralis (infra, p. 247)
by the characters given below.
Eange in Great Britain. Two specimens of this species have
been procured within our limits. One was obtained near Yar-
inouih as long ago as September, 1848. It remained for many
years in the Norwich Museum, and was supposed to be an
example of H. maculata. The second specimen was shot near
the same place on the 2Qth of August, 1892, by Mr. T. Ground.
Range outside the British Islands. There can be no doubt that
the present species nests in North-east Siberia, and thence
passes on migration by the coasts of Alaska, as well as those
of China and Japan, to the islands of the Malayan Archi-
pelago, as far as Australia and New Zealand, occurring also
in the Friendly Islands in the Pacific.
Habits Mr. E. W. Nelson gives the following note on the
species : " On the north shore of Siberia, near North Cape,
we found these birds very common, scattered over damp grass
flats near the coast, the ist of August, 1881. The ground was
covered with reindeer tracks, and among these the Sharp-
tailed Snipe were seen seeking their food. They were very un-
suspicious, arid allowed us to pass close to them, as they circled
close about us. From their movements, and other circum-
stances, I judged that this district formed part of their breed-
ing grounds, whence they reach the neighbouring coasts of
Alaska in the fall.
"They usually make their first appearance on the shore of
Norton Sound the last of August, and in a few days become
very common. They sometimes remain up to the i2th of
October, and I have seen them searching for food along the
tide-line when the ground was covered with two inches of snow.
When feeding along the edges of the tide-creeks they may
almost be knocked over with a paddle, and when a flock is
fired into, it returns again and again."
$est and Eggs. Unknown,
THE PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. 247
III. THE PECTORAL SANDPIPER. HETEROPYGIA MACULATA.
Tringa maculata^ Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxiv. p. 465
(1819); Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. u, pi. 546(1878); B.
O. U. List Brit. B. p. 168 (1883) ; Saunders. ed. Yarrell,
Brit. B. iii. p. 368 (1883) ; Seebohm, Hist Brit. B. iii. p.
201 (1885); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 201 (1889);
Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part. xiv. (1890).
Adult Male in Breeding Plumag e Similar to H. acuminata, but
never so rufous, with a more blackish head, contrasting with
the ashy-brown of the hind-neck. It may always be distin-
guished from H. acuminata by the greater extent of the ashy-
fulvous colour, which reaches from the upper throat to the
chest, and is thickly and regularly streaked with dusky-black-
ish, instead of being rufous with black spots ; apical half of bill
brownish-black, basal half dull greenish-yellow ; legs and feet
buff. Total length, 8 inches; culmen, n ; wing, 4*9; tail,
i -9 ; tarsus, 1*0.
Adult Female. Similar to the male. Total length, 8 inches ;
wing, 4-9.
Adult in Winter Plumage. Differs very little from the summer
plumage, but is browner and with less rufous on the upper sur-
face, the head and neck being of the same colour as the back;
the character of the throat and fore-neck is exactly the same as
that of the summer plumage.
Young. Much more rufous than either the breeding or winter
plumage, and distinguished by the whitish margins to the
scapulous and inner secondaries. The young birds appear to
have almost as much striping on the throat and breast as the
old ones; in this respect they differ from the young of H. acumi-
nata, where the stripes are confined to the lower threat and
sides of neck.
Characters. The Pectoral Sandpiper may be easily distin-
guished from our other British species by the generic char-
acters above given, and by its brown legs, dark upper tail-
coverts, and by the band across the fore-neck and chest.
Range in Great Britain This American species has often
occurred during autumn and winter, and has been shot alo
248 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
in spring, the presumption being that the bird has remained
here during the winter, having wandered from its home during
the autumn migration, as so many of the waders do. Some
twenty-five instances of its capture were recorded by Mr.
Howard Saunders up to the year 1889.
Range outside the British Islands. The Pectoral Sandpiper breeds
in the tundras of North America, and migrates south in winter
to South America, where it has been obtained even in Pata-
gonia and Chili. It has not yet been noticed on the continent
of Europe.
HaMts. Mr. Nelson gives the following account of the
species in Alaska: "The last of May, 1879, I pitched my
tent in a lonely island in the Yukon delta and passed several
weeks in almost continual physical discomfort owing to the
cold rains and snow-storms which prevailed. However, 1
look back with pleasure upon the time passed here among the
various water-fowl, when every day contributed new and strange
experiences.
"The night of May 24th I lay wrapped in my blanket, and
from the raised flap of the tent looked out over as dreary a
cloud-covered landscape as can be imagined. The silence
was unbroken save by the tinkle and clinking of the disinte-
grating ice in the river, and at intervals by the wild notes of
some restless Loon, which arose in a hoarse, reverberating cry
and died away in a strange gurgling sound. As my eye-lids
began to droop and the scene to become indistinct, suddenly
a low, hollow, booming note struck my ear and sent my
thoughts back to a spring morning in Northern Illinois, and
to the loud vibrating tones of the Prairie Chickens. Again the
sound arose nearer and more distinct, and with an effort I
brought myself back to the reality of my position and, resting
upon one elbow, listened. A few seconds passed and again
arose the note ; a moment later and, gun in hand, I stood out-
side the tent. The open flat extended away on all sides, with
apparently not a living creature near. Once again the note
was repeated close by, and a glance revealed its author. Stand-
ing in the thin grasses ten or fifteen yards from me, with its
throat inflated until it was as large as the rest of the bird, was
a. male T- maailata. The succeeding days afforded oppor-
THE PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. 249
tunity to observe the bird as it uttered its singular notes, under
a variety of situations, and at various hours of the day, or
during the light Arctic night. The note is deep, hollow, and
resonant, but at the same time liquid and musical, and may be
represented by a repetition of the syllables too-ti^ too-u, too-ii^
too-u, too-ii) tdd-U) too-ii) too-ii. Before the bird utters these
notes it fills its sesophagus with air to such an extent that the
breast and throat is inflated to twice or more its natural size,
and the great air-sac thus formed gives the peculiar resonant
quality to the note.
" The skin of the throat and breast becomes very flabby and
loose at this season, and its inner surface is covered with
small globular masses of fat. When not inflated, the skin,
loaded with this extra weight and with a slight serous suffusion
which is present, hangs down in a pendulous flap or fold
exactly like a dewlap, about an inch and a half wide. The
sesophagus is very loose, and becomes remarkably soft and
distensible, but is easily ruptured in this state, as I found by
dissection. The bird may be frequently seen running along
the ground close to the female, its enormous sac inflated and
its head drawn back and the bill pointing directly forward, or,
filled with spring-time vigour, the bird flits with slow but with
energetic wing-strokes close along the ground, its head raised
high over its shoulders and the tail hanging almost directly
down. As it thus flies it utters a succession of the hollow
booming notes, which have a strange ventriloquial quality. At
times the male rises twenty or thirty yards in the air and, in-
flating its throat, glides down to the ground with its sac hang-
ing below. Again he crosses back and forth in front of the
female, puffing his breast out and bowing from side to side,
running here and there, as if intoxicated with passion. When-
ever he pursues his love-making, his rather low but pervading
note swells and dies in musical cadences, which form a strik-
ing part of the great bird chorus heard at this season in the
north."
Nest. Placed in some high and dry situation and built in
the grass.
Eggs. Four in number, of the usual pear-shaped form.
The ground-colour is pale stone-grey, the spotting being very
2fO LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
numerously distributed, and consisting of blackish-brown spots
and confluent blotches, as well as tiny dots ; the underlying
spots are pale grey. Axis, 1*55 inch; diam., i'o5.
THE STINTS. GENUS LIMONITES.
Limonites, Kaup. Natiirl. Syst. p. 55 (1829).
Type, L. minuta (Leisl.).
The Stints consist of five species, of which three belong to
the British list. They are all birds of small size and may be
distinguished from the Dunlins by having the culmen as nearly
as possible of the same length as the tarsus, while the latter is
of about the same length as the middle toe and claw. By this
last character they can be distinguished from the Pectoral
Sandpipers (Heteropygid), in which genus the tarsus is longer
than the middle toe and claw.
L. minuta is the species of Europe and Western Asia, and
is replaced in Eastern Asia by L. ruficollis and L. sub-minuta.
L. minutilla is North American, and L. temmincki is found
both in Northern Europe and Asia, from the Atlantic to the
Pacific. All the species migrate far to the south in winter.
I. THE LITTLE STINT. LIMONITES MINUTA.
Tringa minuta, Leisl. in Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl. Nachtr. i.
p. 74 (1812); Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 227 (1852); Dresser,
B. Eur. viii. p. 29, pi. 549, fig. i. (1871); Saunders, ed.
Yarrell, Brit. B. iii. p. 386 (1883); B. O. U. List Brit.
B. p. 169 (1883) ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 204
(1885); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 571 (1889); Lilford,
Col. Fig. Brit. B.part xix. (1891).
Limonites minuta, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 539
(1896).
Adult in Winter Plumage. General colour above ashy-brown,
slightly darker along the shafts ; lower back, rump, and upper
tail-coverts blackish-brown ; sides of lower back and lateral
upper tail-coverts pure white ; tail feathers light smoky-brown,
the long central ones dark brown, with a very narrow whitish
fringe ; wing-coverts rather darker brown than the back, with
a.shy fringes to the median series, the greater coverts tipped
THE STINTS. 251
with white, forming a wing-band ; bastard-wing and primary-
coverts blackish-brown, edged with white at the tips; quills
dark-brown with white shafts, a few of the inner primaries also
edged with white near the base ; the secondaries dark-brown,
fringed with white at the tips, and having the base of the inner
webs white, forming a continuous band with the one on the
greater coverts ; the long inner secondaries light brown, like
the scapulars, with the shafts blackish-brown ; crown of head
brown, like the back, with darker brown centres to the feathers;
forehead and supra-loral region pure white ; lores dusky-brown ;
ear- coverts and feathers below the eye light brown, with narrow
streaks of dark brown ; above the ear-coverts a streak of white,
lined with brown, forming an indistinct eyebrow; cheeks,
throat, and under surface of body pure white, or slightly ashy
on the throat and fore-neck ; sides of neck and upper breast
brown, with slightly darker centres or shaft-streaks ; under
wing-coverts and axillaries white ; the coverts round the edge
of the wing dark brown with white margins ; lower primary-
coverts dull ashy-brown, forming an inconspicuous wing-patch ;
bill, legs, feet, and claws black ; iris hazel. Total length, 5*2
inches ; culmen, 07 ; wing, 3-8; tail, i'6; tarsus, o'8.
Adult Male in Summer Plumage- Much more rufous than in
winter, the whole of the feathers of the upper surface being
sandy-rufous with black centres and white margins to many
of the scapulars and feathers of the back ; head rufous with
black centres to the feathers ; the neck also rufous streaked
with dusky-blackish, these streaks being smaller and less
distinct on the sides of the face, which are also rufous; a
slight indication of a whitish eyebrow ; under surface of body
white, tinged with rufous on the throat, the chest pervaded
with ashy, and both the throat, fore-neck, and sides of breast
mottled with dusky spots in the centre of the feathers. Total
length, 6'o inches ; culmen, 075 ; wing, 3-8 ; tail, 1-4 ; tarsus,
0-8.
Adult Female in Summer Plumage. Similar to the male, but
somewhat less distinctly spotted on the breast. Total length,
6*0 inches; culmen, 07 ; wing, 3-85 ; tail, 1*45 ; tarsus, o'8.
Young. Blackish above, with rufous edgings to the feathers,
and thus somewhat resembling the summer plumage of the
252 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
adults, but they may always be distinguished by the more
numerous white edgings to the dorsal and scapular feathers, by
the ashy colour of the hind-neck, by the absence of spots on
the fore-neck and chest, both of which are tinged with isabel-
line-buff.
Nestling. Mottled with rufous and black down, the tips
of which are silvery-white or sandy-buff, the hind-neck sandy-
buff, forming a collar ; the crown of the head is black, slightly
mottled with rufous and dotted with silvery-white, the black
extending in a line on the forehead, which is buff, continued
into a somewhat broad eyebrow; a black loral line and a black
spot on each side of the hinder crown as well as on the ear-
coverts ; under surface of body whitish, with a tinge of sandy-
buff on the lower throat.
Range in Great Britain. The Little Stint visits us in autumn
and spring, much more frequently at the former season, when
flocks are sometimes observed on the eastern coasts. It is
never very plentiful in the north, and on our western shores it
is practically unknown. To Ireland it is also a rare visitor,
and is only found on the eastern shores.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species breeds
on the tundras of Northern Europe from Scandinavia to the
Taimyr Peninsular, in Siberia. The late Professor Taczanow-
ski separated the Siberian bird as a distinct race, which he
called Tringa minuta orientalis, but specimens from Lake
Baikal in the Seebohm collection cannot be separated from
true L. minuta. The Little Stint has been found breeding in
Finmark, in the Kola Peninsula, near Archangel, and in the
valleys of the Petchora and the Yenesei, as well as by Mid-
dendorf in the Taimyr Peninsula, where the first authentic
eggs were obtained. In winter the species goes south as far
as the Cape of Good Hope, the Indian Peninsula, and Ceylon.
In Eastern Siberia the Little Stint is replaced by the Red-
necked Stint (L. ruficollis\ which migrates by way of China
and the Malay Archipelago to Australia in winter.
Habits. In its appearance and habits the Little Stint is a
miniature Dunlin, and only its small size distinguishes it from
those birds, with which it is also frequently found in company.
In the autumn, single birds, and those nearly always bir4
THE STINTS. 253
of the year, are to be observed near the edge of the mud-
flats on our tidal harbours. The food of the species is similar
to that of the Dunlins and other small Sandpipers, but Mr.
Seebohm says that in summer its food also probably comprises
berries and small ground-fruits.
The same author has given a most interesting account of the
taking of the nest of this species, during the expedition to the
Lower Petchora made by Mr. J. A. Harvie-Brown and himself.
Mr. Seebohm writes: "We had walked on together a short
distance, when I heard the now familiar cry of a Little Stint
behind me, a sharp wick, almost exactly the same as the cry of
the Red-necked Phalarope or that of the Sanderling. Turning
quickly round, I saw the bird flying past, as if coming up from
its feeding-grounds ; it wheeled round us at some distance and
alighted on the ground about eighty yards ahead. We walked
slowly up towards it, and stood for some time watching it
busily employed in preening its feathers. By-and-bye we sat
down. It presently began to run towards us, stopping now
and then to preen a feather or two. Then it turned back a
few paces, and, lifting its wings, settled down, evidently on its
nest. We gave it three minutes' grace, to be quite sure, and
then quietly walked up to the place, and sat down, one on each
side of the eggs. The bird as quietly slipped off the nest, and
began to walk about all round us, now and then pecking on
the ground as if feeding, seldom going more than six feet from
us, and often approaching within eighteen inches. It was a
most interesting and beautiful sight, and the tameness of the
bird was almost ludicrous. We chatted and talked, but the
bird remained perfectly silent, and did not display the slightest
symptom of fear or concern, until I touched the eggs ; she then
gave a flutter towards me, apparently to attract my attention.
I turned towards her, and she resumed her former unconcern.
I stretched my hand towards her, and she quietly retreated,
keeping about two feet from my hand. She seemed so ex-
tremely tame that I almost thought for the moment that I
could catch her, and getting up on all fours, I crept quietly
towards her. As soon as I began to move from the nest, her
manner entirely changed. She kept about the same distance
ahead of me ; but instead of retreating with the utmost
apparent nonchalance, she did everything in her power to
254 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
attract me still farther; she shuffled along the ground as if lame,
she dropped her wings, as if unable to fly, and occasionally
rested on her breast, quivering her drooping wings and spread
tail, as if dying. 1 threw one of my gauntlets at her, thinking
to secure her without damage, but she was too quick for me.
Piottuch then fired at her, and missed. He followed her
for some distance, but she kept just out of range, and finally
flew away. We waited about a quarter of an hour at the nest,
talking and making no effort to conceal ourselves, when she
flew straight up and alighted within easy shot, and I secured
her. The Little Stint seems to be a very quiet bird at the
nest, quite different from Temminck's Stint. When you invade
a colony of the latter birds, especially if they have young, the
parents chase you from the spot, flying wildly round and round
and crying vociferously, often perching on a stake or a tree, or
hovering in the air and trilling. We observed none of these
habits in the Little Stint. So far as we saw, only the female takes
part in incubation, and only the female is seen near the nest."
Nest. Mr. C. E. Pearson, who accompanied his brother's
expedition to the Arctic Ocean in 1895, has kindly sent me the
following account of the nesting of the species on Kolguev :
" My notes on the breeding habits of the Little Stint were made
last summer on the Island of Kolguev, where we had the rare
good fortune to take fifteen clutches of eggs, the first being found
on July the 6th and the last on the day of our departure, July
1 5th; each clutch, with two or three exceptions, consisting of
four eggs. The nest, as is usual in this tribe, is a very slight
affair, a small cup-shaped hollow scratched in the sod, and very
sparingly lined with a few dead leaves of Arctic willow, &c.
The favourite position appeared to be the lower part of the
grassy bank, which sloped down to the river Gobista, but the
bird is not at all particular on this point, as we found nests in
low boggy ground, in the middle of a clump of Arctic sallow
growing six or eight inches high, and in one case right up
on the bare tundra, without any protection or a scrap of vege-
tation near it. All the nests, however, agreed in one point,
viz., that they were within fairly easy reach of tidal water, the
flats left bare by the receding tide being the birds' favourite
feeding-ground ; above the tidal limit their place is taken by
Temminck's Stint.
THE STINTS. 255
u The sitting bird runs a dozen or twenty yards from the nest
on being disturbed before taking flight, but one has only to sit
down and watch quietly for ten minutes when she will return,*
and, after a few preliminary runs, settle down on the eggs ; this
is the best way to find them, as the nest is very difficult, in fact
almost impossible, to discover without the assistance of the old
bird.
"The behaviour of the bird when the nest was found, was
really extraordinary ; it often ran around our feet while we were
blowing the eggs, looking reproachfully on the operation ; one
time sitting on my gun which lay within easy reach of my hand.
Then it would sit down in the now empty nest a second or two,
after which, pathetic attempts would be made to beguile us
from the spot; the whole scene so touchingly pretty as to
almost induce a hardened collector to give back his treasures."
Eggs. Four in number, and pyriform in shape. Ground-
colour olive-grey to creamy, or dull, brown ; the eggs being
rather remarkable for the boldness of their spotting, which is
chocolate-brown or blackish. Sometimes the spots are reddish-
brown and are distributed over the egg, but the darker mark-
ings are generally near the larger end, and often form confluent
blotches. The underlying spots are light grey. Total axis, 1*1-
1*2 inch; diam., o'S-o'85.
II. THE AMERICAN STINT. LIMONITES MINUTILLA.
Tringa minutilla^ Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxiv. p. 466
(1819); Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 51, pi. 552 figs. 2, 3
(1871) ; B. O. U. List. Brit. B. p. 170 (1883) ; Saunders,
ed. Yarrell, Brit. B. iii. p. 396 (1883); Saunders, Man.
Brit. B. p. 573(1889).
Tringa minuta minutilla^ Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 205
(.885). _
Limomtes minutilla, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 548
(1896).
Adult in Winter Plumage Similar to that of L. minuta, but
the size smaller and further distinguished by the distinct ashy-
brown of the fore-neck and chest, which is mottled with dark
* It is to be noticed that Mr. Pearson found the male to be the sitting
bird, as is the case with L. tctnmincki.
256 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
shaft streaks and spots ; bill and feet black ; iris dark brown.
Total length, 5 inches; culmen, o'8 ; wings, 3*55; tail, r6;
tarsus, 0*75 ; middle toe and claw, 0*75.
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. Similar to Z. minuta, but much
smaller, and blacker on the upper surface, where the rufous is
never so strongly characterised as in L. minuta ; sides of face
dusky-brown with scarcely any tinge of rufous; lower throat and
chest ashy, with strongly-marked streaks and spots of blackish-
brown, with scarcely any tinge of rufous ; bill black ; feet
dark olive-brown; iris dark brown. Total length, 5*2 inches;
culmen, 0*8; wing, 3^4; tail, 1*5; tarsus, 075; middle toe
and claw, o - 8.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage Similar to the male ; " bill
blackish-brown ; feet light clay-brown ; iris dark brown." Total
length, 5-3 inches; culmen, 0-9; wing, 3-35; tail, 1-4; tarsus,
07.
Young. Resembles the summer plumage of the adult, being
black with rufous margins to the feathers, but is distinguished
by the white margins to the feathers of the upper surface, and
by the absence of spots on the lower throat and fore-neck,
which are tinged with buff.
Characters. The American Little Stint is a smaller bird than
L. minuta, and the measurements will serve to distinguish it
in all stages. In colour of plumage, and in its changes, it is, at
all times, similar to the last-named bird, but has a very much
more slender bill.
Range in Great Britain. The present species is only an acci-
dental visitor to our south-eastern coasts, where it has occurred
on three occasions once in Mount's Bay in Cornwall and
twice in North Devonshire.
Range outside the British Islands. Z. minutilla breeds in the
high north of the New World, and migrates south in winter,
when it extends its range over the greater part of the South
American continent.
Habits. These, as might be expected, are very similar to
those of Z. minuta and the other small Stints, and call for no
special description.
THE STINTS. 257
in. TEMMINCK'S STINT. LIMONITES TEMMINCKI.
Tringa temmincki, Leisl. in Bechst. Naturg. Deutsch. Nachtr.
ii. p. 78 (1812); Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 230 (1852);
Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 45, pi. 549, fig. i ; 555 fig. 2
(1871); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 169 (1883); Saunders,
ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iii. p. 398 (1883); Seebohm, Hist.
Brit. B. iii. p. 217 (1885); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p.
575 (1889) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxxi. (1895).
Limonites temmincki, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 555
(1896).
Adult in Winter Plumage. General colour above ashy-grey,
slightly varied with dusky shaft-streaks ; scapulars bronzy-
brown like the inner secondaries ; lower back and rump brown,
with a sub-terminal shade of darker brown ; upper tail-coverts
also dark brown, with longitudinal shaft-streaks of darker
brown ; wing-coverts brown, with a slight bronzy gloss, the
shaft-lines darker with slight indications of paler edges ; the
greater coverts tipped with white, forming a cross-band on the
wing ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills blackish-brown,
the shafts of the primaries pale whity-brown, that of the first
long primary white ; the bastard-primary white, with a brown
centre ; all the primaries white at the extreme base ; secon-
daries brown, white at base of the inner web, and fringed with
white at the ends ; the long inner secondaries Vjronzy-brown,
with dusky centres ; centre tail-feathers dusky-brown, the
remainder ashy-brown with white in the centre, increasing
in extent towards the outer feathers, the two external ones en-
tirely white ; crown of head ashy-brown like the back ; lores
dull brown, surmounted by a streak of white, hardly joined to
a second streak above the ear coverts, which forms an indistinct
eyebrow ; eyelid white ; sides of face and ear-coverts ashy-
brown, streaked with dusky-brown; the cheeks and throat
white, with a few dusky streaks on the cheeks and lower
throat ; fore-neck and upper breast light ashy-brown ; lower
breast, abdomen, sides of body, and flanks pure white ; thighs
brown, white internally ; under tail-coverts white ; under wing-
coverts and axillaries white ; the coverts round the bend'of the
wing dusky-brown with whitish edges, the lower primary-coverts
brown, forming a patch ; quills below ashy-brown, somewhat
II S
258 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
lighter along the inner edge; bill brownish black ; feet brown-
ish-grey ; iris hazel. Toial length, 5-5 inches; culmen, o'6;
wing, 3'8 ; tail, 1*8 ; tarsus, 07 ; mid toe and claw, 07.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Only differs from the winter
plumage in being more mottled above, the feathers having
black centres and being tinged with rufous, especially on the
edges of tlu feathers, the lower throat and chest having also
some distinct shaft-lines ; " bill olive-black, lighter olive-
brownish at base, especially on the lower mandible ; feet
olive-yellow, the joints more dusky; iris dark brown." Total
length, 5*3 inches ; culmen, 075 ; wing, 37 ; tail, rS; tarsus,
0^65 ; middle toe and claw, 07.
Adult Female in Breeding- Plumage. Similar to the male, and
apparently quite as much mottled. Total length, 5-2 inches;
culmen, o'8; wing, 3*9; tail, 1*85 ; tarsus, 0*65 ; middle toe
and claw, 07.
Young Birds. These can always be distinguished from the
adults, in summer or winter plumage, by the narrow sandy-buff
margins to the feathers of the upper surface, and by the ashy-
fulvous tinge on the fore-neck, which is devoid of the dusky
streaks seen in the adults.
Nestling. Covered with golden-buff down, spotted with black,
and spangled with silvery tips to the down ; the black forms a
line down the centre of the back; under surface dull white,
tinged with buff on the fore-neck.
Characters Temminck's Stint is easily recognised from the
other species of the genus Limonites by its smaller size and
white outer tail-feathers.
Range in Great Britain. Like the Little Stint, the present
species visits us in spring 'and autumn as it passes to its
northern breeding-grounds, or to its winter home in the south.
It is, however, not nearly so often observed as the Little Stint,
and is somewhat irregular in its visits, being generally observed
singly. It has been doubtfully recorded from Caithness, and
appears seldom to visit Ireland, as both the Scotch and Irish
records are not altogether satisfactory. On the west coast of
England, too, it has not been often met with, and the principal
counties where the species has been observed are those of the
THE STINTS. 259
east coast, though it has be:n found also along the entire south
coast, and has been obtained on several inland waters.
Range outside the British Islands. Temminck's Stint breeds in
Northern Europe and Asia, above the limits of forest growth,
but in countries further west than those frequented by the
Little Stint, so that its eggs have never been so rare in collec-
tions as those of the latter bird. In winter it visits the Medi-
terranean countries and extends to North-eastern Africa and
to Senegambia, but does not go so far south in the African
continent as L. minitta. It also passes the winter in the
Indian Peninsular, and also migrates by way of China to
the Burmese provinces.
Habits. On the few occasions on which I have met with this
species in England I have always found single individuals,
and those young birds. There was nothing in their ways to
distinguish them from the Littla Stint, but according to Mr.
Seebohm, there is considerable difference in the habits of the
two species in their Arctic breeding-homes, and he says that
Temminck's Stint is less exclusively a marine bird than L.
minuta. "I first made the acquaintance of Temminck's
Stint," he writes, "at Tromso, on the west coast of Finmack,
where it was very common. These charming little birds were
in full song in the middle of June. It was a most interesting
sight to watch them flying up into the air, wheeling round and
round, singing as vigorously, and almost as melodiously, as a
Skylark. Sometimes they were to be seen perched on a rail
or a post, or even on the slender branch of a willow, vibrating
their little wings like a Wood Wren, and trilling with all their
might ; and often the song was uttered on the ground, as they
ran along the short grass with wings elevated over the back.
The song of this bird is not unlike that of the Grasshopper
Warbler, but is louder and shriller; its usual call-note is a
spluttering but very distinct pt r-r-r"
Nest. Mr. Seebohm observes : " It can scarcely be said to
breed in colonies, but I have frequently found several nests
within a few yards of each other. They are mere depressions
in the ground, lined with a little dry grass, and are seldom far
from water. They are not difficult to find, the sitting bird be-
traying its treasures by its peculiar flight. When the nest is
s 2
260 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
discovered, like the Little Stint, the bird appears to assume an
unnatural tameness, walking about and feeding close to the
observer. The nest is often in longish sedge or rushes, and
less frequently in short grass." The male is said to be the
parent which hatches the eggs.
Eggs. Four in number. As a rule paler than in Z. minuta,
and with the markings rather smaller and less distinct. The
ground-colour varies from a coffee-brown to a greyish or olive
stone-colour. The spots are reddish-brown or dull chestnut,
sometimes very minute, in the case of the stone-coloured eggs,
but in other instances the markings are bolder and somewhat
confluent towards the larger end of the egg. The large spots are
often distributed over the egg in equal variety, and the under-
lying spots are grey, and are often as prominent as the over-
lying ones. Axis, i "05-1 '2 inch; diam., o'75-o*8.
THE SANDERLINGS. GENUS CALIDRIS.
Calidris, Illiger, Prodromus, p. 249 (1811).
Type, C. arenaria (Linn.).
The well-known Sanderling is the single representative of the
genus Calidris, which may be described as a three-toed Sand-
piper, for it belongs to the same group as the Stints and Pectoral
Sandpipers, but is distinguished from all of them by the absence
of the hind-toe. The bill is somewhat stout, and the culmen
is about equal in length to the tarsus. The range of the genus
will be found in detail below under the heading of the species.
I. THE SANDERLING. CALIDRIS ARENARIA.
Tringa arenaria, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 251 (1766).
Calidris arenaria, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 237 (1852) ; Dresser,
B. Eur. viii. p. 101, pis. 559, 560 (1877); B. O. U. List
Brit. B. p. 172 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B.
iii. p. 420 (1883); Seebohm,Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 221 (1885);
Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 583 (1889); Sharpe, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 526 (1896).
Adult Male in Winter Plumage. General colour above light
ashy-grey, with more or less distinct hoary white edgings to the
THE SANDERLINGS, 261
feathers, and obsolete blackish shaft-stripes, somewhat more
distinct on the lower back and rump; scapulars like the back;
sides of lower back and rump white ; upper tail-coverts black-
ish, edged and tipped with white, the lateral ones entirely white;
lesser wing-coverts blackish; median ones ashy, broadly edged
with white, and wilh a blackish shaft-line ; greater coverts
blackish, narrowly edged and broadly tipped with white, form-
ing a broad white band across the wing ; bastard- wing and
primary-coverts bLckish ; the outer primaries narrowly, but the
inner ones broadly, tipped with white ; quills with white shafts,
and a broad white base to the feathers ; the secondaries edged
with white at the tip ; the primaries ashy-white for the greater
part of the inner web, the elongated inner secondaries white on
both webs ; centre tail-feathers ashy-grey, blackish towards the
tips, with white shafts and margins to the feathers ; remainder
of tail-feathers dusky-brown, whitish on the inner webs, mar-
gined externally and having white shafts ; crown of head like
the back ; a broad frontal band, lores, eyebrow, sides of face,
and under surface of body pure white; sides of neck light
ashy-grey like the back; under wing-coverts and axillaries pure
white ; quills below dusky whitish along the inner web ; bill
and feet olive-black; iris dark brown. Total length, 7 inches;
culmen, 1*05; wing, 475; tail, i*S; tarsus, o'9 ; middle toe
and claw, 07.
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. Differs from the winter plu-
mage in being mottled and not uniform, the upper surface
being cinnamon-rufous, mottled with black centres to the
feathers, which have hoary whitish or ashy edges ; the inner
secondaries cinnamon-rufous like the scapulars and back; sides
of lower back and lateral upper tail-coverts pure white ; sides
of face, throat, and sides of breast deep cinnamon-rufous,
mottled with black centres to the feathers ; rest of under sur-
face white. Total length, 6*5 inches; culmen, o'g; wing, 4/9;
tail, i '9 ; tarsus, 0*9 ; middle toe and claw, 075.
Adult Female in Summer Plumage. Similar to the male, but has
not quite so much bright rufous in the plumage, the fore-neck
being barred with blackish. Total length, 8 inches ; culmc n,
1*05; wing, 4'9 ; tail, 1*95 ; tarsus, i; middle toe and claw,
0-8.
262 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Young. Somewhat similar to the winter plumage of the adult,
but not so uniform above; the entire under surface of body pure
white, as also the forehead and sides of face, but the centre of
the forehead mottled with blackish to the base of the bill, and
with a dusky streak between the bill and the eye, as well as
along the upper edge of the ear-coverts ; on the sides of the
breast and on the fore-neck there is generally a tinge of vinous
buff or vinous ; the sides of the upper breast and the sides of
the neck are distinctly spotted with black. The upper surface
is for the most part black, mottled with spots of white or sandy
whitish, these spots being mostly terminal on the back and
scapulars ; the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts ashy,
with a sandy-buff tip, and a sub-terminal spot of black, and
fringed at the tips with a narrow blackish line, giving the
rump the appearance of being lined transversely with black ;
the head is also blackish, varied with brown or whitish edges
to the feathers, and forming a more or less distinct cap, which
is separated from the mantle by the light colour of the hind
neck, which is ashy, streaked with dusky-brown ; wings much
as in the winter plumage of the adult, but the greater and
median coverts, as well as the inner secondaries, mottled like
the back.
Range in Great Britain. The Sanderling is a frequent visitor to
our coasts in the autumn, and a few are said to remain during
the winter. The migration, consisting of old as well as of young
ones, commences about the middle of August. In spring,
birds in summer plumage are noticed on their return journey
from April to June, but at this season of the year they are less
frequently observed.
Range outside the British Islands. As regards its breeding- range,
the Sanderling is decidedly a circum-polar species and probably
breeds in most portions of the Arctic tundra, although its eggs
are still very rare in collections. It was found nesting by Sabine
on the Parry Islands in the early part of the century, but no
eggs appear to have been brought back. Colonel Feilden
procured two eggs in Smith's Sound (Lat. 82 35') on the 4th
of June, 1876, while eggs and nestlings of the species have been
found by the German Arctic expedition on Sabine Island in
Eastern Greenland, and on the west side nestlings have been
Hfc SANDERLINGS. 263
captured near Godhaab and also in Lat. 81 38' N. by Dr.
Bessels, of the " Polaris." Mr. Howard Saunders, from whose
"Manual" I have gathered the above records of facts, sums up
the breeding range as follows : " Mr. MacFarlane killed a
female from the first authenticated eggs on the barren grounds
near Anderson River. Westward, it ranges to North Alaska,
and ; following up its circum-polar distribution, it has been found
on the Liakof Islands, Taimyr Peninsula, in the Yenesai delta,
on Waigats and Novaya Zemlya, and it probably breeds near
the mouth of the Petchora."
Habits. When seen at large, the Sanderling bears considerable
resemblance to the Dunlin, and might be taken for that bird
by anyone who is unaccustomed to its appearance and ways.
The generally whiter look of the Sanderling, however, will
distinguish it, as a rule ; its pure white breast giving it a lighter
appearance than the Dunlins, with which it often associates. It
is also found in flocks of considerable size, consisting entirely
of its own species, and isolated individuals are also often seen
running about on the margins of the pools left in the sand by
the receding tide. The species is, indeed, very often to be
found on the extreme margin of the tide, running about on the
edge of the water, and actively picking up its food, which
consists of tiny molluscs, searworms, &c. Colonel Feilden
states that in Grinnell Land he found it, like the Knot, feeding
on the buds of Saxifraga oppositifolia, and on insects. The
note uttered by the bird as it flies off is like the syllable wick,
very different from the " skreaking " note of the Dunlin.
Nest. The one which Colonel Feilden found in Grinnell
Land was discovered by him on the 24th of June, at a height
of several hundred feet above the sea ; it was situated on a
gravel ridge and was merely a depression in the centre of a
recumbent plant of Arctic Willow, and was lined by a few dead
leaves and catkins. The nest found by Mr. MacFarlane, near
the Anderson River in Arctic America, was lined with a little
dried grass and leaves.
Eggs. Four in number. Colonel Feilden's specimen in the
British Museum is of a pale olive-brown ground colour, with
faint spots and mottlings of brown, with violet-grey underlying
spots, very indistinct. All the spots and mottlings are very
slightly indicated. Axis, 1-4 inch; diam. ro.
264 LLOYD'S NATURAL
THE I) U I' F- BREASTED SANDPIPERS. GENUS TRINGITKS.
Tringites, Cat. J. f. O. 1856, p. 418.
Type, T. sub-ruficollis (Vieill.).
In most of the Snipes and Sandpipers the bill is longer than
the tarsus, but in the present genus the bill is very short and
does not equal the tarsus in length. The peculiar black
marbling on the inner web of the quills is also a peculiar feature
of the genus, which contains but a single American species,
which sometimes strays to Europe, and thus finds a place
within the British List.
I. THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. TRINGITES
SUB-RUFICOLLIS.
Tringa subruficoltis, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxiv. p. 465
(1816).
Tringa rufescens, Vieill. N. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. xxxiv. p. 470
(1819) ; Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 194 (1852) ; Lilford, Col.
Fig. Brit. B. part xix. (1891).
Tringites rufescens, Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. iii. pi. 561 (1876) ;
B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 172 (1883); Saunders, ed.
Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 435 (1883); Seebohm, Hist. Brit.
B iii. p. 222 (1885) ; Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 587
(1889).
Trtngttes sub-ruficollis (Vieill.), Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv.
p. 521 (1896).
Adult Male. General colour above mottled, the feathers
being black, with sandy-coloured edges, the scapulars like
the back ; the lower-back, rump, and upper tail-coverts like
the rest of the back, but the sandy margins deeper in colour
and not so distinct, the lateral upper tail-coverts be'ng whitish,
with a sub-terminal line of brown ; outer lesser wing-coverts
black, fringed with white; the remainder of the coveits brown,
with blackish centres and pale edges, the greater series with
some irregular sub-terminal lines of blackish; bastard-wing,
primary-coverts, and primaries brown, tipped with white, with
a sub-terminal shade or bar of black, the inner webs marbled
with black; the secondaries white, marbled with black near
tllE UUFF-BREASTEt) SANDPIPEk. 265
the ends and having a black sub-teiminal bar, the long inner
secondaries blackish, with broad sandy-buff edges ; centre tail-
feathers blackish-brown, the remainder pale ashy-brown tipped
with white, before which is a broad sub-terminal bar of black,
the outer feathers with other interrupted bars of black ; crown
of head like the back, but the black markings smaller than on
the latter ; base of forehead, lores, a narrow eyebrow, sides of
face, and under surface of body rufescent buff, the feathers
slightly obscured by whitish margins ; the chin whitish ; sides
of upper breast spotted with black, the centres of the feathers
streaked and spotted with black ; under wing-coverts white,
the inner ones beautiful rufescent buff; axillares white ; lower
primary coverts marbled with black ; quills below white,
marbled with black along the inner web ; bill dull olive-green,
dusky towards the point ; feet dull yellowish-green, claws
dusky ; iris hazel. Total length, 8 inches ; culmen, 0*95 ;
wing, 5'i ; tail, 2*4; tarsus, 1*2.
Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour, but the black
marblings on the inner web of the primaries not so distinct.
Total length, 7-5 inches ; wing, 5.
Young Birds. Differ from the adults in having whitish edgings
to the feathers of the upper-surface ; the lower back, rump,
and upper tail-coverts with dark sandy-buff margins ; the black
sub-terminal bar on the primary-coverts and bastard-wing not
so distinct, and the secondaries nearly uniform ashy-brown,
with white towards the base of the inner web, but only a little
black marbling near the ends ; the black spots on the sides of
the breast very minute, and the black marbling on the lower
primary-coverts and inner webs of quills much ICFS distinct
than in the adults.
Characters. The Buff-breasted Sandpiper may always be
distinguished by the black freckling on the inner webs of the
primaries.
Range in Great Britain. About sixteen authentic occurrences
of the Buff-breasted Sandpiper in England are admitted by Mr.
Howard Saunders. Nearly all of them have taken place in
autumn, with the exception of a male bird said to have been
killed at Formby, in Lancashire, in May, 1829; while the only
instance of the occurrence of the bird in Europe, outside the
265 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
British Islands, also took place in May, when a specimen was
obtained on Heligoland. The British record is as follows :
Cambridgeshire i, Norfolk 4, Sussex i, Cornwall and the Scilly
Islands 4, Lundy Island i, Cumberland i, Dublin i, Belfast 2.
Range outside the British Islands. This species breeds in Arctic
America and winters to the South, ranging as far as Amazonia,
Brazil, and Paraguay.
HaMts. These, says Mr. D. G. Elliot, "resemble those
of Bartram's Sandpiper (Bartramta longicaud'i], and like that
bird it prefers fields and grassy plains rather than the wet and
swampy lands frequented by other Sandpipers. During the
breeding season they indulge in curious movements, one of
which is to walk about with the wing stretched out to its
fullest extent and held high in the air. Two will spur like
fighting cocks, then tower for about thirty feet with hanging
legs. Sometimes c ne will stretch himself to his full height,
spread his wings forward and puff out his throat, at the same
time making a clucking noise, while others stand around and
admire him. They are silent birds at all times, and, the breed-
ing season over, they quietly disappear, never assembling in
flocks, and by the beginning of August all have gone south.
When fired at, this Sandpiper will fly but a short distance,
performing a half circle along the shore, and alight again near
to the place from which it started, or, if on the plain, drop
down again at a little distance and run about seeking for
insects, without exhibiting any signs of alarm. Its note is low
and weak, merely a tweet once or twice repeated."
Nest. Is like those of most waders, merely a depression in
the ground, lined with a little moss.
Eggs. " Four in number, usually deposited with the small
ends down. They are ashy or olive-drab with stone-grey under-
lying markings, smaller at the pointed, larger and more con-
fluent at the rounded, end."
THE TATTLERS. SUB-FAMILY TOTANIN/E.
The Tattlers agree with the Snipes and Sandpipers in
having the nostril produced nearly to the end of the bill, and
THE LONG-TAILED TATTLERS. 267
they have the tarsus transversely plated with scales both before
and behind. They differ from the Snipes, however, in having
a distinct web connecting the base of the outer toe with that
of the middle one, and a smaller web connecting the inner
toe with the middle one, so that the toes are not distinctly
cleft to the base, as is the case with the Snipes and Sand-
pipers.
THE LONG -TAILED TATTLERS. GENUS BARTRAMIA.
Bartramia, Less. Traite d'Orn. p. 553 (1831).
Type, B. longicanda (Bechst.).
From the other Tattlers the genus Bartramia differs in the
following characters. The bill is short, and the tail is rather
long, so that the latter exceeds the length of the culmen. The
tarsus, on the other hand, is decidedly long, and measures more
than the length of the bill. The bare part of the tibia is exten-
sive, and is equal to half the length of the tarsus. The tail,
moreover, is peculiar in shape, being long and graduated, the
outer feathers falling short of the middle ones. There is a dis-
tinct thickening of the end of the bill, which has a dertral swel-
ling, as in the Plovers ; the feathers of the chin also are pro-
duced forwards, so as to extend considerably beyond the line
of the forehead.
i. BARTRAM'S TATTLER. BARTRAMIA LONGICAUDA.
Tringa longicanda, Bechst. Kiirze Uebers. Latham, p. 453, pi.
184 (iSn).
Actiturus longicauduS) B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 173 (1883).
Bartramia longicauda, Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 440
(1884); id. Man, Brit. B. p. 589 (1889) ; Sharpe, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 509 (1896).
Totanus bartrami, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. no, pi. 32
(1885).
Adult Male. General colour above mottled, the feathers being
black, with sandy-buff or whitish edges, the scapulars barred
with black; lower back and rump uniform black; central upper
tail-coverts also blackish, the lateral ones sandy buff with more
263 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
or less complete black bars, irregular on the inner web ; lesser
wing-coverts blackish-brown, with sandy margins ; median and
greater-coverts sandy-buff in appearance, the feathers ashy-
brown, notched with sandy-buff, and barred with black ; bas-
tard-wing, primary-coverts, and primaries uniform blackish-
brown ; the secondaries dark brown, notched with white,
minutely on the outer web, and more deeply on the inner one;
the long inner secondaries, like the scapulars, barred with black,
and notched and tipped wi;h white ; centre tail-feathers ashy-
brown, barred with black, the sub-terminal bar broader than
the others; remainder of the feathers tawny-buff, broadly tipped
with whitish, before which is a broad sub-terminal bar of black,
the feathers having also some narrower bands of black, not
regular or co-terminous ; crown of head blackish, with a mesial
streak of sandy-buff, all the feathers also edged with sandy-buff;
hind-neck sandy-buff, narrowly streaked with black ; sides of
face and ear-coverts sandy-buff, with narrow streaks and spots
of black; cheeks and throat pure white; lower throat, fore-neck,
and chest tawny-buff, the feathers centred with triangular spots
of black, taking the shape of irregular bars on the latter ; breast
and abdomen creamy-white, the sides of the body and flanks
barred with blackish-brown ; thighs and under tail-coverts uni-
form isabelline-buff ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white,
regularly barred across with black ; quills below ashy, with
numerous bars and notches of white along the inner web ; bill
yellowish-green, the tip dusky, the edges towards the base yellow;
legs and tarsi light yellowish-grey, toes rather darker, claws
brownish-black ; iris dark hazel. Total length, 1 1 inches ;
oilmen, 1-15 ; wing, 6-5 ; tail, 3-3 ; tarsus, 175.
Young. Similar to the adults, but the buff on the head, jugu-
lum, wings, &c., much deeper; the streaks on the fore-neck and
jugulum much less distinct, and the back plain black, the
feathers bordered with buff.
Range in Great Britain. Eight records of the occurrence of
this American species within our limits are considered to be
authentic. Although strictly a bird of the New World, it ap-
pears to wander considerably during its autumn migration,
and has even been found in Australia. In England it has
occurred between October and December in the following
THE LONG-TAILED TATTLERS. 269
counties: Warwickshire, Cambridgeshire, Somersetshire, Corn-
wall (twice), Northumberland, and Lincolnshire, while one in-
stance of its capture in Ireland has been noted. The details
of these occurrences are fully given in the " Manual " of Mr.
Howard launders.
Range outside the British Islands. Bartram's Tattler has been
killed in Italy, and also on the Island of Malta. Its breeding
home is in temperate North America, where it ranges to
Alaska ; it seldom occurs on the Pacific coast on migra-
tion, but follows the line of the Central and Southern United
States to Central America and the West Indies, and thence
south to Buenos Ayres on the east and to Chili on the western
side of South America.
Habits. Mr. D. G. Elliot, who writes of this species as the
"Upland Plover, "gives the following note: " Jt is a bird of the
plains and uplands, rarely seen near water, into which it seldom,
if ever, wades; and in its habits is more of a Plover than a Sand-
piper, frequenting grassy fields and prairie-like stretches, hunt-
ing with active steps the insects that form its chief means of
subsistence It walks well and gracefully ; and
when standing erect, as it watches some suspicious object, with
its slender neck stretched to its full extent and topped by the
well-shaped head, the bird seems much taller than it really is.
" The note of the Upland Plover is a loud, long, yet soft
whistle, and can be heard for a considerable distance. As one
is walking over the grassy plain, there falls upon his ear this
distinct cry, coming from some unknown locality. He stops
and listens, and again, clear and soft, the note is borne to him,
this time distinguished as from above. He looks up, and sees
nothing but the interminable blue, spread all around. But
soon, as he continues gazing, a tiny speck is visible that floats
motionless along ; and from time to time, from out the very
heavens, there descends the soft note of the Plover's voice.
Descrying some suitable ground, the bird begins to lower, and
on fixed pinions, often at an acute angle, it sails downwards,
and alights, sometimes on the ground, or occasionally on a
fence or stake. It stands erect and motionless, with its wings
raised high above the back, exhibiting the beautiful markings
to the greatest advantage, and then slowly folds them into
270 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
their proper place. If on the ground, it then moves forward
slowly and deliberately, nodding at every step as if in emphatic
approval of its surroundings and its sagacity in selecting so suit-
able a spot, and pays its attention to such insects as may catch
its eye, uttering at times a peculiarly mournful sound, quite dif-
ferent from its usual flute-like cry, to be answered possibly
from out the heavens above by some comrade not yet distin-
guishable to the naked eye. The flight of the Upland Plover
is well sustained and swift, and often performed (as will be
imagined from the above) at a great height j indeed, so lofty at
times that its voice alone indicates its presence, the bird being
fairly out of si^ht. It will alight indiscriminately on the ground,
fence, telegraph-pole, or, as has been noticed, even on a barn.
When mated the pair keep close company, seeking food to-
gether, and are rarely separated by any distance."
Nest. " The nest is placed on the plain or prairie in some
open spot, frequently near some water. It is not much of a
structure, just a little grass in a depression of the ground ; but
almost impossible to find at any time, even when the bird is on
the eggs, so admirably does her plumage harmonise with that
of her surroundings."
Eggs. Four in number, clay-colour, spotted all over with
dark brown, and purplish-grey.
THE RUFFS. GENUS PAVONCELLA.
Pavoncella, Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. and Birds, Brit. Mus.
p. 29 (1816).
Type, P. pugnax (L.).
The extraordinary difference in the plumage of the sexes of
the Ruff constitutes, perhaps, the most remarkable characteris-
tic of the genus Pavoncella, which contains but a single species.
It may almost be said with truth that scarcely two males are
alike in plumage. The breast-shield and ruff, which the bird
dons at the period of the nesting- season, is one of the most
striking nuptial garments of any bird in the world.
I. THE RUFF. PAVONCELLA PUGNAX.
Tringa pugnax, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 247 (1766).
THE RUFFS. 271
Machetes pi/gnax, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 171 (1852); Dresser,
B. Eur. viii. p. 87, pis. 557, 558 (1878); B. O. U. List
Brit. B. p. 171 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B.
iii. p. 426 (1883); id. Man. Brit. B. p. 585 (1889).
Totanus pugnaX) Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 113 (1885).
Pavoncella pugnax, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 500
(1896).
(Plate LX XX VIII.']
Adult Male (Ruff). As every male bird varies in this species,
it is impossible to give any exact description of this sex. In
the " Catalogue of Birds," however, I have endeavoured to
classify the different styles of plumage which the males
assume.
The main divisions into which the males may be separated
are two, viz., those with the ruff uniform and those with the
ruff barred. In the former section the ruff is white or black,
orange-buff or chestnut. The occipital plumes vary from
white to black, blue-black, purplish-black, greenish-black,
rufous, chestnut, or sandy-buff.
In those males which belong to the section wherein the ruff
is barred, there are many types. The ruff is glossy greenish-
black, barred with rufous ; or rufous, barred with blue-black ;
or sandy-buff, broadly barred with purplish-black ; or buffy-
white, with purplish-black bars or spots; or white, narrowly
barred or vermiculated with black ; or black, barred with
white ; or purplish-black, streaked with white.
In the barred forms, the occipital tufts also vary. They
may be greenish-black ; rufous ; rufous barred with purplish-
black; greenish-black, barred with sandy-buff and purplish-
black ; buffy-white, barred with black ; white, spotted or barred
with black; pale cinnamon ; pure white; black, narrowly barred
with white; or black, vermiculated with brown.
Between these well-marked variations numbers of inter-
mediate forms may be found, but the above appear to me to
be the main types of plumage indulged in by the Ruff. In ad-
dition to the frill and ornamental ruff, the males also lose the
feathers of the face, which becomes covered with tubercles of
various tints, corresponding, according to Mr. Abel Chapman,
to the colour of the ruff itself.
Adult Male in Winter Plumage. Devoid of all ornamental
272 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
plumes, and looking like an ordinary Tattler or Sandpiper.
Ashy-brown above, the feathers fringed with whitish, the centres
of which are dusky-brown ; lesser and median wing coverts like
the back ; the greater coverts blackish with a slight greenish-
gloss, and broadly tipped with white ; bastard-wing and prim-
ary-coverts blackish ; quills brown, with white shafts, the
outer webs and tips of the feathers blackish, the secondaries
white at the base of the inner webs, and fringed with white at
their ends ; the innermost secondaries browner, like the scapu-
lars ; lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts a little darker
brown than the rest of the back, with darker brown centres to
the feathers ; tail-feathers dark brown, the tips and the shafts
white; crown of head and neck light brown, with dark
centres to the feathers ; lores and cheeks ashy- white ; ear-
coverts and neck light brown with dusky streaks ; under surface
of body white, the lower throat and chest mottled, with ashy
bases to the feathers, and the sides of the body marked in a
similar manner; axillaries and under wing-coverts white, the
lower primary-coverts and quill-lining ashy-grey; bill dark
brown, paler at the gape ; feet yellowish- brown ; iris dark
brown. Total length, 12 inches; culmen, i - 3 ; wing, 7 '4;
tail, 2*6 ; tarsus, i'8.
Adult Female in Winter Plumage. Similar to the male, but much
smaller. Total length, io - 5 inches; culmen, i'2; wing, 6'i ;
tail, 2-15; tarsus, 1-55.
Adult Female in Summer Plumage. Much darker than in winter,
the feathers of the upper surface being blackish with a purplish
gloss, but no ornamental feathers present, as in the male.
Otherwise the summer plumage of the female, as regards the
colour of the body, shows a strong similarity to that of the
male.
Young Birds. Resemble the winter plumage of the male, but
are much more tawny-rufous, and have sandy-buff or whitish
margins to the feathers of the upper surface ; hind-neck more
ashy than the back ; sides of face, lower throat, and fore-neck
pale cinnamon-buff, the chin whiter ; chest and sides of body
ashy-grey, marked with cinnamon-buff, the rest of the under-
parts white. Total wing, 7 -0-7 '3 inches.
THE RUFFS. 273
Adult Female in Winter Plumage. Similar to the male, but dis-
tinguished by its smaller size. Wing only 5 '9-6' 2 inches.
Characters. Reeves and Ruffs in winter or in immature
plumage are often sent to me at the Museum for identification,
and it may be as well, therefore, to state that in winter
plumage the length of wing, combined with the comparatively
short bill and the colour of the feet and toes, will generally dis-
tinguish the species. Mr. Seebohm also adds the following
characters : the ivhite axillaries, and the absence of white on
the primaries ', secondaries^ and central upper tail-coverts.
Range in Great Britain. This handsome wader is now chiefly
a migrant, but in the fens and marshes of our Eastern counties
it used to breed, and might do so still in limited numbers if
protection were afforded to the few birds which still struggle
to nest occasionally in Lincolnshire and Norfolk. In the
present day, however, but few Ruffs come to England in the
spring, though the species is more plentiful in the autumn
migration ; and it sometimes occurs even in winter. It
mostly visits our eastern and southern coasts, and is some-
times found on inland waters ; but on the western side of
England and Scotland, and in Ireland, it is much more rare.
Range outside the British Islands The Ruff breeds in Northern
Europe and Siberia, and is also found nesting in Holland,
Belgium, the north of France, as well as in Poland and parts
of Germany. It migrates south to the Medi:erranean and
occurs on both sides of the African continent as far as Cape
Colony. In the East its winter range extends to India, China,
the Burmese Provinces, and as far as Borneo. Occasional
instances of the occurrence of the species in the Faeroes and
in Iceland have been recorded, and it sometimes visits North
America, and has twice been met with in Barbados and once
in Guiana.
Habits. In autumn single examples are generally obtained
on migration, and these are nearly always young birds of the
year. At least that has been my experience, but the species is
also known to collect in flocks, often of considerable size.
In May the male begins to moult and to put on his elaborate
breeding-dress, and nothing can be more amusing than to see
one of these birds tiying to attract the attention of a Reeve,
274
who all the time appears to be utterly indifferent to the fact
that his pirouetting and dancing is done for her edification.
In the Zoological Gardens at Rotterdam I have seen a dozen
males engaged in showing off, and the antics they play are
very amusing. After springing up into the air and turning
round several times, they always end by standing stock still,
with the bill pointed to the ground, so as to show their neck-
shield and hood to the greatest advantage, and in this position
they remain for two or three minutes at a time. Occasionally
two males will engage in a fight, dancing opposite to each
other, but the combats are bloodless and very few feathers fly.
The habit of the Ruff in selecting some bare knoll of ground
on which to conduct his display has gained for it the ordinary
term of " hill "-ing. Mr. A. C. Chapman has given a good
account of the habits of the birds as observed by himself and
his brother Mr. Abel Chapman in West Jutland. He observes :
"The Ruffs, according to their well-known habit, had
selected certain 'hills' on which to conduct their amorous
conflicts, and it was with the greatest interest that we watched
these singular birds, in congregations of from six to eight to
twenty or thirty individuals, beating their flanks and otherwise
performing the strangest antics. Often a pair of Ruffs would,
with ruff and ear-tufts erect, stand facing each other for
minutes together, their heads lowered, and their bills nearly
touching each other. Then one would spring into the air and
make a desperate rush at his retiring adversary, their aptitude
for running over the ground at a marvellous speed being most
extraordinary. Very frequently no Reeve was present during
these exhibitions, and the persistency with which the birds
refuse to be driven away from their selected ' hills ' merits
attention. Some of these actions of the Ruffs, when at play,
reminded me of the gambols of an old Black-Cock on a
Northumbrian hill-side in the month of April."
The food of the Ruff consists, like that of other wading
birds, of insects and worms, but they will also eat vegetable
substances and rice, as well as the seeds of aquatic plants.
Nest. Mr. Chapman says : " The Reeves seem to breed
quite separately from each other, and invariably choose a tuft
of long rough grass for the nest, which is deep and always
well concealed. In one instance a Red-shank and a Reeve
THE WOOD-tATfLERS. $75
had laid together in the Fame nest." The duties of incubation
and the rearing of the young are left entirely to the female
bird, the male busying himself but little with the bringing up
of his family.
Eggs. Four in number. The ground-colour is generally
olive, but lighter eggs are found in which the ground is clay-
brown or stone-colour. The markings vary much both in size
and intensity, some eggs having the spots elongated and more
like linear streaks, so that the surface of the egg appears to be
marbled. The majority, on the other hand, are rather boldly
spotted and blotched with rufous-brown, almost blackish,
while some of the larger spots are light brown, almost olive.
Although in some the large spots are distributed over the
whole egg, in the majority of specimens they congregate near
the larger end. The underlying markings are faint purplish-
grey, and are never very distinct. Axis, i'6-i'8 inch. ; diam.,
1-1-1-3.
THE WOOD-TATTLERS. GENUS RHYACOPHILUS.
Rhyacophilus, Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 140 (1829).
Type, R. glarcola (L.).
The genus Rhyacophilus belongs to the long-tailed group of
Tattlers, in which the bill is short and the length of the tail
exceeds that of the culmen. The tarsus is long and exceeds
the culmen in length. The tail is nearly square, and the
centre feathers are scarcely produced beyond the others. The
plumes on the chin reach to about the level of the frontal
line.
Only one species of Wood-Tattler is known, confined to the
Old World, where it is very widely distributed.
I. THE WOOD-TATTLER. RHYACOPHILUS GLAREOLA.
Tringa glareola, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 250 (1766).
Totanus glareola, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 346 (1852); Dresser,
B. Eur. viii. p. 143, pi. 565 (1877); B. O. U. List Brit.
B. p. 175 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p.
463 (1884); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 133 (1885);
Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 593 (1889).
T 2
376 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Rhyacophilus glareola, Sharpc, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 491
(1896).
Adult Male in Winter Plunage. General colour above bronzy-
brown, with light ashy-bronze margins to the feathers, which
are slightly spotted with white on both edges ; scapulars like
the back, but with somewhat larger white spots : lower back
and rump uniform brown, the feathers of the latter part edged
with white ; upper tail-coverts pure white, the lateral ones with
blackish shaft-streaks and irregular longitudinal markings ;
lesser wing-coverts uniform brown ; the median and greater
coverts spotted with white on both webs, and resembling the
scapulars ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts and quills blackish-
brown, fringed with white at the ends, the secondaries notched
with white on both webs, with a barred appearance of blackish
intermediary bands ; centre tail-feathers ashy-brown, barred
with blackish-brown, and deeply notched with white ; the
lateral feathers white, barred with blackish, these bars becoming
irregular on the lateral feathers, and reduced to a few freckles
on the outermost ones ; crown of head and hind-neck almost
uniform ashy-brown, slightly mottled with darker brown
centres to the feathers ; lores dusky, surmounted by a dis-
tinct white eyebrow; sides of face white, slightly streaked
with dark brown ; the ear-coverts uniform dark brown along
their upper edge; cheeks and throat white; sides of neck,
lower throat, fore-neck, and chest, ashy, varied with shaft-lines
of brown ; remainder of under surface of body pure white ;
sides of upper-breast ashy-brown ; lateral under tail-coverts
with blackish shaft -streaks, and a few frecklings of black ;
under wing-coverts white, mottled with blackish bases to the
feathers ; axillaries white, with a few irregular bars and
freckles ; lower primary-coverts and quills below dusky-brown,
with whitish spots on the edges of the inner secondaries ;
basal half of bill olive-brown, terminal half black ; legs and
feet pale greenish ; claws dark horn-colour ; iris brown. Total
length, 8-5 inches; culmen, 1*15; wing, 4-6; tail, r85;
tarsus, i '4.
Adult Female. Similar to the male ; bill blackish, olive at
base of lower mandible ; feet olive ; iris very dark brown.
Total length, 8 inches ; wing, 4-9.
THE WOOD-TATTLERS. 277
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. More variegated than in winter,
the back being uniform dark brown, with large notches of white
on both webs, and having very distinct white edges to the sca-
pulars and inner wing-coverts; the long upper tail-coverts barred
with dusky blackish, and resembling the centre tail-feathers;
the head and neck streaked with white, the sides of the face,
lower throat, and fore-neck very distinctly and broadly streaked
with blackish centres to the feathers; the sides of the body and
under tail-coverts mottled with cross-bars of blackish-brown ;
the axillaries also narrowly barred with blackish-brown ; bill
blackish-olive below, at base lighter brownish-olive ; feet light
greyish-olive ; iris dark brown. Total length, 7 inches ; culmen,
1-3; wing, 4-9; tail, 1*85; tarsus, 1-4.
Young after First Moult. Differs from the adults in being
closely spotted on the upper surface, but the spots are more or
less rufescent ; the lower throat and chest are ashy as in the
winter plumage of the adults, but the dusky-brown stripes are
very distinct, and are also visible on the sides of the body; the
axillaries are pure white, or with the merest trace of frecklings
of brown ; bill dusky-brown, inclining to greenish-olive towards
the base ; feet greenish-olive ; iris blackish-brown.
Range in Great Britain. The Wood-Tattler visits our shores on
migration, occurring on our eastern and southern coasts every
autumn with tolerable regularity, and also visiting inland waters.
On the west coast it is decidedly rare, and only one instance of
its capture has been recorded from Ireland. During the spring
migration the species also appears, but is very rare. That it
formerly bred within our limits is certain, and the late Mr.
John Hancock obtained a nest and eggs in June, 1853, on
Prestwick Car in Northumberland, a locality now drained.
" The late Mr. F. Bond received eggs which he considered to
be well authenticated from the vicinity of Elgin " (Cf. Saunders'
" Manual," p. 593).
Eange outside the British Islands. The breeding area of the
present species extends throughout Northern and Temperate
Europe and Asia as far as Kamtchatka, while its winter range
carries it to South Africa, India, and the Malayan Archipelago,
passing through all the intervening countries in its flight.
. The Wood-Tattler is a somewhat late arrival in Europe
278 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
from its winter haunts, and I saw the species still in flocks in
the Han sag Marshes in Hungary towards the end of May.
They arrive still later in their northern haunts, and are not seen
in their Arctic breeding-grounds till early in June. Mr. Seebohm
writes : " I first made the acquaintance of this most interest-
ing bird on the fjelds of Lapland, near the Varanger Fjord in
1874; but in the following year I had much better opportuni-
ties of watching its habits in the valley of the Petchora. On
their first arrival, the birds were absurdly tame, allowing us to
approach within a few yards of them as they frequented the
pools formed by the rapidly-melting snow in the streets of the
town of Ust Zylma. A week later we found them at Haberiki,
thirty miles further north. They were feeding on the edges
of the marshes and the little forest-tarns; and after we had shot
one from the summit of a dead larch-tree, between sixty and
seventy feet from the ground, we became more reconciled to the
name of W^^-Sandpiper. They were excessively tame, and
were in full song. The note which the male utters during
the pairing-season is much more of a song than that of the
Grasshopper-Warbler, which it somehow resembles ; it is a
monotonous til-il-il^ begun somewhat low and slow, as the bird
is descending in the air, with fluttering upraised wings, becom-
ing louder and more rapid, and reaching its climax as the bird
alights on the ground, or on a rail, or sometimes on the bare
branch of a willow, the points of its trembling wings almost
meeting over its head, when its feet find support. This song
is a by no means unmusical trill, and has an almost metallic ring
about it. The alarm-note of the Wood-Sandpiper is somewhat
like the tyii-tyii of the Red-shank, but much softer." The food
of the species consists of worms, insects and their larvae, and
small molluscs.
Nest. According to Mr. Seebohm, the nest of the Wood-
Tattler is exceedingly difficult to find ; it is generally discovered
by accident, in consequence of the female, who is a somewhat
close sitter, flying off, and thus revealing the place where her
eggs are concealed. This is generally in open country, not
absolutely on swampy ground, but not very far from it; a
patch of dry ground, overgrown with heath, sedges, and coarse
grasses, is generally selected, frequently not, far from a few
tunted willow-bushes, on which the bird frequently alights,
THE GREEN-SHANK. 279
The nest itself is a mere hollow in the ground, lined with a few
dry stalks and blades of grass. Mr. Robert Read writes to
me: "This species is exceedingly wary, and although very
demonstrative when an intruder is in the vicinity of its nest, it
is very careful not to betray the whereabouts of the latter. In
June, 1894, on the edge of a reed-covered lake or swamp, I
watched a pair unsuccessfully for more than an hour. They flew
around, uttering the most noisy cries of alarm, and kept on
settling on the tops of the young Scotch fir-trees which grew
here and there amongst the willow-scrub, perching within a
dozen yards of me. It was very curious to observe these
birds, apparently so ill-adapted for perching, clinging some-
times to the side of, and sometimes to the extreme tip of the
topmost shoot or ' leader ' of the tree. So bold were they that
I was able to photograph them as they sat on the summits of
the trees."
Eggs. Four in number, and very handsome. The ground-
colour varies from olive-grey or olive-brown to light clay-
colour or stone-grey, and the markings are reddish or chestnut,
or even blackish, when they form blotches. Although the
.arger spots are congregated near the thicker end of the egg, in
some cases they are distributed fairly evenly over the whole
egg, and the purplish-grey underlying markings are decidedly
distinct. In other examples, however, only the larger end of
the egg shows blotches and spots, and the greater part of it has
only scanty spots distributed over its otherwise uniform surface.
Axis, 1-4-1-55 inch.; diam., 1-0-1-05.
THE GREEN-SHANK. GENUS GLOTTIS
Glottis, Koch, Syst. Baier. Zool. p. 305 (1816).
Type, G. nebularius (Gunn.).
Our Green-shank is the only representative of this Old-
World genus, and is distinguished from the other British
members of the Sub-family by having an upturned bill,
in which respect it resembles the Terek Tattler (Terekia
cinerea] and Haughton's Tattler (Pseudoglottis guttifer).
The outer toe is united to the middle one by a basal mem-
280 LLOYD'S NATURAL HisTOnr.
brane, but tnere is scarcely any indication of a web between
the latter and the base of the inner toe.
Only one species of the genus Glottis is known.
I. THE GREEN-SHANK. GLOTTIS NEBULARIUS.
Scolopax nebularius, Gunner. Leem. Lapp. Beschr. p. 251
(1767).
Glottis chloropus, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 319 (1852).
Totanus canescens. Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 173, pi. 570 (1871) ,
B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 177 (1883); Saunders, ed.
Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 483 (1884); id. Man. Brit. B. p.
605 (1889).
Totanus glottis, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 149, pi. 29
(1885).
Glottis ncbulariuS) Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 481
(1896).
Adult Male in Winter Plumage. General colour above ashy-
brown, mottled with whitish edges to the feathers, which are
freckled and sub-terminally lined with darker brown, the shafts
being also well marked ; scapulars clearer ashy-grey, with an
interrupted sub-terminal line of blackish-brown ; lower back,
rump, and upper tail-coverts, pure white ; exterior wing-coverts
uniform blackish-brown ; median and greater coverts lighter
brown, fringed with white ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and
quills blackish, the latter fringed with white at the end of the
inner web ; the secondaries ashy-brown, edged with white, the
long innermost secondaries spotted with black on the margins ;
tail-feathers white, the centre ones crossed with regular but
somewhat interrupted bars of brown, the other feathers with a
few broken spots and bars of brown on the outer web ; crown
of head and hind-neck greyish-brown, the feathers edged with
white, imparting a streaked appearance, more marked on the
head ; forehead, lores, and sides of face pure white ; the sides
of the neck narrowly streaked with ashy-brown, as well as the
upper margins of the ear-coverts ; entire under surface of body
pure white ; sides of upper breast irregularly freckled with
bown ; under wing-coverts white, with a sub-terminal bar of
bown, or a central arrow-head line of the latter colour ; axillaries
white, with a few remains of brown spots ; lower primary-
THE GREEN-SHANK. 281
coverts ashy, with whitish edgings ; quills below ashy, the
lateral markings of the secondaries indicated below ; bill and
feet light slate-colour; iris dark brown. Total length, 13
inches; oilmen, 2*2 ; wing, 7*2 ; tail, 2-85; tarsus, 2*15.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Of a more ruddy-brown than
in the winter plumage, and with black centres to the feathers of
the upper surface; the head and neck also streaked with black;
sides of face white, narrowly streaked with black ; under surface
of body white, the lower throat, fore-neck, and chest with
numerous ovate spots of black ; the flanks with a few irregular
bars of black; under wing-coverts and axillaries white, barred
with black, the bars on the latter somewhat interrupted;
lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white, the lateral
coverts barred with black ; two central tail-feathers ashy-grey,
slightly freckled with dusky, and notched with black on the
margins ; remainder of tail-feathers white, barred with blackish,
the bars becoming more irregular on the lateral feathers, which
have distinct bars only on the outer webs ; bill blackish-brown
lighter brownish-grey towards the base, especially on the lower
mandible ; feet yellowish-grey, the joints bluish. Total length,
12 inches; oilmen, 2-1 ; wing, 7-5 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 2-2.
Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour ; bill blackish-
brown, the basal half lighter, on the upper mandible with a
bluish tinge, on the lower one, with a reddish-grey one ; feet
dirty olive-grey, the joints darker and more bluish-grey.
Young after First Moult. Similar to the winter plumage of the
adults, but much more tinged with rufous- brown ; the
feathers spotted with whity-brown on both webs ; centre tail-
feathers white, distinctly barred across with black, the chest
also distinctly streaked with dusky; the sides of the breast
spotted and mottled with dusky-brown.
Range in Great Britain. The Green-shank breeds in the north
of Scotland and in the Hebrides, also in the Isle of Skye and
some of the other islands off the west of Scotland. In Eng-
land it is a migrant only, occurring sparingly in its northward
journey, but more frequently during the autumn migration,
seldom remaining through the winter. In Irelnnd, it appears
to stay throughout the cold season.
282 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Range outside the British Islands. The breeding-area of the
Green-shank extends from Great Britain to Scandinavia,
Northern Europe generally, and Northern Asia to the Stanovoi
Mountains in Eastern Siberia. In winter this species visits
South Africa, India, and China, and even reaches Australia,
passing through the intervening countries on its passage.
Habits. I have always found the Green-shank a very shy
bird, and extremely difficult to whistle within range. The few
specimens which I was able to procure in the tidal harbours of
the south coast have always been birds of the year, and I have
never seen the species in flocks, but always singly. Nor have
I seen it consorting with Red-shanks or other shore-birds. It
nests on hilly ground, and in the breeding-season is as wary as it
is during its migration to and fro in England. Its food consists
of the usual fare common to waders, but from its large size it
is able to capture prey unattempted by its smaller relations.
Thus tadpoles and frogs have been discovered to form part
of its diet, and even small minnows have been found in its
stomach.
Nest. Sometimes built in a tuft of grass, or concealed
amongst the heath and short herbage ; it is, according to Mr.
Seebohm, very slight, being a mere depression in the ground,
lined with a few bits of dry grass or withered leaves.
Eggs. Four in number, and like large Wood-Tattlers' in
appearance. The ground-colour varies from creamy-buff to
deep clay-brown. The spots and blotches are deep chestnut,
often blackish, and, as a rule, congregated round the larger
end of the egg. When distributed over the surface of the
latter they are smaller, and are accompanied by numerous
little dots and freckles, and the underlying grey spots and
blotches are almost as much in evidence as the dark over-
lying ones. Axis, rS-2'i inches; diam., i'25-i'35.
THE SUMMER-SNIPES. GENUS TRINGOIDES.
TringoideS) Bp. Saggio distr. Met. An. Vert. p. 58 (1831).
Type, T. hypokucus (Linn.).
The Summer-Snipes, of which our " Common Sandpiper,"
as it is usually called, is the type, belong to the short-billed
section of the Tattlers. The bill is not so long as the tail.
a tf
K w
pu Q,
Q Q
z s
? b
THE SUMMER-SNIPES. 283
though the culmen exceeds the length of the middle toe and
claw. It is nearly straight, with only a slight curve at the end,
but the tarsus is comparatively short and is not longer than the
middle toe and claw. Thus the Summer-Snipes never stand
so high on their legs as Red-shanks or Green Sandpipers, and
are expert swimmers, like the Phalaropes.
Two species of Tringoides are known, our British T. hypo-
kucus and the American T. macularius, which also visits us
occasionally.
I. THE SUMMER-SNIPE, OR COMMON SANDPIPER.
TRINGOIDES HYPOLEUCUS.
Tringa hypoleucus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 250 (1766).
Actitis hypoleucus, Macgill. Brit. B. iv p. 351 (1852).
Totanus hypoleucus, Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 127, pi. 563
(1877) ; Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 446 (1883) ;
Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 117, pi. 30, figs 7-9 (1885);
Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 591 (1889).
Tringoides hypoleucus, B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 173 (1883);
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 456 (1896).
(Plate LXXXIX. Fig. i.)
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above bronzy-
brown, the feathers with arrow-shaped central markings of
black, which take the form of bars on the scapulars and inner
secondaries, which are like the back; wing-coverts bronzy-
brown like the back, but regularly barred across with blackish,
the median and greater coverts with ashy fringes, the latter
rather broadly tipped with white ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts,
and quills brown with an olive gloss, the secondaries tipped
with white and having a bread white base ; lower back, rump,
and upper tail-coverts like the back, the lateral coverts barred
with blackish and with white on the outer web ; tail-feathers
bronzy-brown, with irregular cross-bars of blackish-brown, the
middle feathers narrowly, but the outer feathers broadly, tipped
with white, the penultimate feather barred with white on the
outer web, the outermost feather almost entirely white, with a
little brown on the inner web, which is barred with blackish ;
crown of head and neck bronzy-brown, with narrow mesial
shaft-lines of blackish-brown; a narrow superciliary line of
*4
whitish, extending from the base of the bill ; sides of face
bronzy-brown, with blackish shaft-lines to the feathers ; fore-
part of cheeks and under surface of body pure "White, with
dusky streaks on the throat, these being a little larger on the
chest, the sides of the latter and sides of upper-breast brown ;
under wing-coverts white, mottled with blackish bases to the
feathers, especially distinct on the edge of the wing ; axillaries
pure white ; quills dusky below, white towards the base of the
inner web ; bill dusky above, grey beneath ; feet greyish,
tinged with green, claws black; iris brown. Total length,
8 inches; culmen, n ; wing, 4-1 ; tail, 2 ; tarsus, 0*96.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Similar to the male in
colour, but not quite so heavily marked, and the streaks on
the fore-neck and chest less pronounced. Total length, 7
inches; culmen, ri ; wing, 4-3 ; tail, 2-4.; tarsus, 0-85.
Adults in Winter Plumage. A little more bronzy-olive than in
the summer, and uniform above, without the black central
streaks and black spear-shaped spots, which are characteristic
of the summer dress ; the streaks on the throat are also much
narrower and not so distinct.
Young Birds. Easily distinguished by the cross-bars of sandy
or reddish-buff and dusky-brown, which give the upper surface
a freckled appearance; the throat uniform, with scarcely any in-
dication of streaks on the lower part.
Range in Great Britain The Summer-Snipe visits us in spring,
and remains to breed ; and in the autumn migration it is one
of the commonest of our wading birds, occurring both on the
inland rivers and lakes, and also in the tidal harbours. It breeds
in the north of England and Scotland, as well as in Wales and
the south-western counties of England. Mr. Ussher states that
it breeds in every county of Ireland, except perhaps, Kilkenny.
It only breeds locally in Wexford and the north of Waterford,
and is very common on the lakes throughout Ireland.
Range outside the British Islands. The Summer-^nipe breeds
throughout temperate Europe and Asia, and passes in winter
to Africa, the Indian Peninsula, and even as far as Ausu Jia.
Habit* That the Summer-Snipe passes across England,
froth in i s northward and southward migration, is proved by
HE StTMMEfc-SNlPES. 2 #5
the variety of places in which the species is encountered. In
May I have found it in pairs, in full breeding plumage, on
the sides of the lake in Avington Park in Hampshire ; and the
specimens which my friend, the late Sir Edward Shelley,
allowed me to procure for the British Museum, are pre-
served in the national collection. On its arrival in spring
the species is not shy, and I found several pairs at Avington,
where they frequented the shores of the lake for several days
before passing northward. The habits of the old birds in
spring are exactly similar to those of the species in autumn, ex-
cepting that, at the latter time of year, it is possible to see
family parties of five or six together. A certain number of
non-breeding birds remain in the south, for I have met with
solitary individuals on the shores of the Thames in June.
Towards the end of July and early in August the migrants
arrive from the north, and small flocks of half-a-dozen or more
frequent the edges of the river, or retreat on to the adjacent
grass-lands, where they run about among the cows, catching
insects and bobbing their tails after the manner of Wag-
tails. In fact, when feeding or running on the mud, the tail
of the Summer-Snipe is always in motion. Excepting in the
case when family parties keep together, and are somewhat
easily approached, the Summer-Snipe is decidedly a shy bird,
and the isolated individuals which are met with are not only
difficult to get within gun-shot, but are always wary in the ex-
treme. And this is true, not only of those one may encounter
on the river-side, but also of the stray birds that one meets
with on the muddy creeks of a tidal harbour. Another aid to
escape is exhibited by the excellent diving powers of this little
bird. I well remember how, in Romney Hoy, I shot at a Summer-
Snipe, and only wounded it ; so the bird commenced to swim,
and paddled away at a great rate. Not liking to shoot a bird and
not preserve it, I waded into the water, fancying that I knew
every step on the green saltings then covered by the sea ; but
the bird swam as fast as I could walk, and I was soon knee-
deep and more in the water. Holding my gun well up, and
lifting my coat to keep my upper garments dry, I waded
on to try and head the bird, when in a second I stepped into
a deep hole, and went head-over-heels beneath the water.
After that I became reckless, and determined to catch my
286 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
bird, as my cartridges were soaked, and my day's collecting
over ; but I often look at the skin of my little friend in the
cabinet in the British Museum, and remember how well he
swam, and how bravely he dived, ere I was able, after being
half drowned, to capture him at last.
The note of the Summer-Snipe is a somewhat shrill ivheet,
and is generally uttered as it rises, and develops into a piping
cry of several syllables as the bird hurries along, just above
the surface of the water, with rapid vibrating strokes of the
wing, this motion being sometimes exchanged for a steady
sail for a few yards at a time.
Mr. Seebohm writes : "Shortly after their arrival at their
breeding-grounds the males are very demonstrative and ex-
cessively noisy. In early summer they may often be seen
running along the rough ctone walls near the water, with
drooping wings, as if displaying their charms to the females
crouching amongst the herbage below. At this season the
cock birds sometimes soar into the air. and utter a short trill,
as is the case with most other waders. It is said sometimes
to perch on bushes ; and Mr. Carter informs me that he once
saw one perched on the top branch of an ash tree thirty feet
from the ground. The food of the Common Sandpiper is
composed largely of worms and insects, with their larvae. It
may sometimes be seen searching for beetles amongst the
droppings near water where cattle drink, and it also catches
many insects as they flit past, as well as takes them from the
water or the stems of plants. It is very possible that it also
eats mountain-fruits, such as bilberries, and small bits of gravel
are found in its gizzard."
Nest and Eggs. Mr. Robert Read writes to me: "A sloping
bank near the shore of an inland loch or river is the favourite
breeding-place of the Common Sandpiper. Alongside Loch
Tay I found six nests one afternoon. I have known eggs to be
taken near Glasgow as early as May 6th. The weight of nor-
mal eggs of the Common Sandpiper is about 178 grains, but in
1891 I took a miniature set (still in my collection), complete
as to shell and markings, containing a yolk, and perfect in every
respect, averaging only 90 grains; whilst in Sweden, in 1894, I
took a large light-coloured set, averaging 202 grains per .egg."
Eggs. Generally four in number, varying in colour from pale
THE SUMMER-SNIPES. 287
clay-colour to greenish-white, with chocolate-brown spots and
blotches, as a rule equally distributed, but sometimes more
thickly round the larger end, the underlying spots purplish-grey.
Axis, 1*3-1-6; diam., 0-95-1-05.
II. THE AMERICAN SUMMER-SNIPE, OR SPOTTED SANDPIPER.
TRINGOIDES MACULARIUS.
(Plate LXXXIX., Fig 2. )
Tringa macularia. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 249 (1766).
Actitis macularia, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 356 (1852).
Totanus macularius, Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 452
(1883) ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 122, pi. 30 (1885) ;
Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 592 (1889).
Tringoides macularius, B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 174 (1883);
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 468 (1896).
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Similar to T. hypohucus, but
much more strongly barred with black on the upper surface,
and thickly spotted with black underneath ; the size is also
smaller, and, in the skin, the bill is almost entirely fleshy-yellow;
the inner secondaries likewise show less white than in the allied
species ; bill greenish-olive above, yellow beneath, the point of
both mandibles black ; feet pale yellowish flesh-colour, claws
black ; iris hazel. Total length, 6-5 inches; culmen, i ; wing,
4; tail, 1*85 ; tarsus, 0-85.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Similar to the male, and
quite as heavily spotted below. Total length, 6*5 inches ; wing,
4-1.
Young. Differs from the adult in being more olive-brown,
and entirely wanting the black spots of the under-surface ; the
upper surface barred across with reddish-brown and black.
Adult in Wintor Plumage. More olive-brown than in summer,
and lacking the bronzy shade ; the under surface of the body
white, with few or no shaft-lines of brown on the fore-neck and
chest, and having the sides of the upper-breast ashy-brown.
Characters. The spotted breast of the adult readily distin-
guishes this species from T. hypoleucus^ but specimens in winter
288 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORV.
plumage or in immature dress are difficult to distinguish from
the same phases of our Common Summer-Snipe. The Ameri-
can species, however, may be distinguished by the greater
amount of yellow on the under mandible, and by the broad sub-
terminal band which is continuous throughout the secondary
quills. In T. hypokucus the inner secondaries are, for the most
part, white.
Range in Great Britain. This species has a very doubtful right
to be included in the British List, and Mr. Howard Saunders
considers that, of all the recorded instances, only two are pos-
sibly genuine. I have retained it simply because, like so many
other American waders which visit us, it is a bird which may
occur accidentally.
Eange outside the British Islands. The American Summer Snipe
breeds throughout North America, generally not beyond the
Arctic Circle, and visits, in winter, Central America, the
West Indies, and the northern part of the South American
Continent.
Habits. We quote the following note from Mr. D. G.
Elliot's recent work : " It arrives in April from the far
southern lands where it has passed the winter, and soon com-
mences the courtship preparatory to the nesting season. The
'Tilt-up,' or 'Peet-weet' as it is also called, does not go in
flocks of any size, but is rather solitary in it?, disposition, an
individual or pair seeming to appropriate a certain amount of
the shore, where they dwell contentedly, only flying when dis-
turbed higher up or lower down the river, as the case may be ;
and then if any * Tilt-up ' is on the particular spot near where
they desire to alight, they move on to some other part of the
bank or beach. The flight is rapid, performed with quick,
stiff beats of the wings, and the bird utters frequently its cry
otpeet-iveet as it passes alons^. It is a most comical species to
watch upon the shore. When it alights after its short flight,
it may stand for an instant motionless, contemplating its sur-
roundings, and then it makes a profound bow, inclining both
head and neck, at the same time elevating its hindquarters in
a seeming derogatory manner, very disrespectful to the on-
lookers ; and as if to emphasise the fact that the motion was
intended for each and all of those present, it deliberately
THE GREEN-LEGGED TATTLERS. 289
moves around onits feet, presenting head and tail alternately
to first one point of the compass and then to another. It is
usually silent during this performance, its importance and
solemnity doubtless precluding any such thing as idle remarks.
So long as it remains upon the shore, these depressions and
elevations of alternate ends occur frequently, and sometimes
the bird stops even when in chase of some elusive insect to
repeat this mark of its distinguished consideration for its
observer."
Nest. "The nest, lightly built of straws and grasses, is
placed in open spots, either along the borders of streams or
ponds, or in fields among the stubble."
Eggs. Four in number, the ground-colour being generally
stone-colour or pale clay, and sometimes olive, with blackish-
brown or reddish-chocolate over-lying spots and blotches, the
small spots being equally distributed over the whole surface,
while the blotches are more often clustered round the larger
end, where they are sometimes confluent, the under-lying
markings pale grey. Axis, i'2-i'4; diam., 0-85-1-0.
THE GREEN-LEGGED TATTLERS. GENUS HELODROMAS.
Helodromas, Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 144 (182 9).
Type, H. ochropus (Linn.).
The genus Helodromas contains two species, one belonging
to the Old World and one to America. In structure the genus
closely resembles the genus Tetanus, with which it has usually
been associated, but the tarsus is much shorter, and is scarcely
longer than the middle toe and claw, whereas in Totanus it is
much longer. Helodromas has a moderately long bill, not ex-
ceeding the length of the tail, the tarsus longer than the middle
toe and claw, and the outer toe is connected to the middle
one by a perceptible web at the base, the inner toe having
scarcely any broad web and being cleft almost to the base.
I. THE GREEN-LEGGED TATTLER. HELODROMAS OCHROPUS.
Tringa ocropus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 250 (1766).
Totanus ochropus, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 342 (1852); Dresser,
B. Eur. viii. p. 135, pi. 564 (1875); Saunders, ed. Yarrell's
TT u
290 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Brit. B. in. p. 457 (1884) ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p.
126, pi. 30, figs. 1-3 (1885); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p.
595 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxvi. (1893).
Helodromas ochropus, B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 174 (1883);
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 437 (1896).
Adult in Winter Plumage. General colour above uniform olive-
brown, with a slight gloss of bronzy-olive ; scapulars and wing-
coverts like the back, but having a few tiny white spots on the
margins ; lower-back and rump darker, blackish-brown with
whitish edges to the feathers ; upper tail-coverts pure white ;
lesser wing-coverts as well as the outer median and outer
greater coverts uniform olive-brown ; bastard-wing, primary-
coverts, and quills blackish-brown; the secondaries like the
back and freckled with tiny white spots on the edges; tail-
feathers white, the centre ones with three black bars on the
terminal half, these bars gradually disappearing on the lateral
feathers, the outer ones being entirely white ; crown of head,
hind neck, and mantle, uniform ashy-brown ; a supra-loral streak
of white ; lores dusky, surmounted by an indistinct white eye-
brow, lined with blackish streaks; sides of face, ear-coverts, and
cheeks white, rather broadly streaked with blackish-brown ;
throat white, streaked with brown on the sides ; lower throat,
sides of neck, and fore-neck also distinctly streaked with brown ;
remainder of under surface of body pure white; sides of upper
breast brown, slightly mottled with white; under wing-coverts and
axillaries blackish, barred very plainly with white ; lower prim-
ary-coverts and inner lining of quills uniform, with white dots
along the inner edge of the secondaries ; bill dusky above, red-
dish beneath ; feet greyish-blue, tinged with green ; iris dusky.
Total length, 9 inches; culmen, 1-4; wing, 5-4; tail, 2*2;
tarsus, 1*3.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Differs from the winter plu-
mage in being much more variegated, the whole of the back
being spotted with white, the spots being arranged in pairs on
the edges of the feathers, which are also tipped with a bar or
twin spots of white ; the whole of the head and neck streaked
with white, and the brown streaks on the side of the face, fore-
neck, and chest, broad and distinct, the sides of the upper-breast
being brown, very much mottled with bars of white. Total
THE GREEN-LEGGED TATTLERS. 2QI
length, 9-3 inches; oilmen, 1-4; wing, 5-4 ; tail, 2-15 ; tarsus,
I'2.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage, Does not differ from the
male in colour, but is not quite so strongly marked. Total
length, 9 inches; wing, 5'6.
Young in Autumn Plumage. Scarcely differs from the winter
plumage of the adult, but, when freshly moulted, it has indis-
tinct margins of ashy-bronze on the feathers of the upper sur-
face; the tail-bands are narrower on the centre feathers of
the upper surface, while the sub-terminal band is broader than
in the adults.
Range in Great Britain. The present species is not known to
breed within our limits, but is noticed during migration, being
most commonly observed in the autumn. It is rarer on our
western coasts than in the eastern counties, and in Ireland
occurs chiefly during the autumn migration.
Eange outside the British Islands. The Green Tattler, or Green
Sandpiper, as it is usually called, breeds throughout the nor-
thern parts of the Old World, from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
and is found from the Arctic Circle to most parts of Northern
Europe, being known to nest from Holstein to Northern Ger-
many, Poland, and Central Russia. In winter it visits Africa,
India, and China, but in many parts of its northern range a few
individuals remain during the cold season.
Habits. This species is generally met with singly, at least
on the river Thames, where I have procured a few specimens,
young birds in autumn plumage. On the south coast of Eng-
land I have met with it in small parties, frequenting, throughout
the autumn, the muddy dykes in the vicinity of our southern
harbours. It is, according to my experience, a singularly shy
bird, and one which needs most careful stalking, whether by
the river-side or in the mud-gullies near the sea-shore. It flies
off with a note very much like that of the Summer-Snipe, but
the flight is more steady, and not of such a " skimming " char-
acter as that of the last-named bird. In fact, in its ways it
more resembles a Red-shank than a Summer-Snipe. "Its
note," says Seebohm, "is very soft and musical, not nearly so
loud as that of the Red-shank, and may be represented by the
U 2
292 LLOYD S NATURAL HISTORY.
syllables tye-tye-tye, which, when the bird is alarmed, becomes
a loud excited tyuk-tyiik-tyiik"
Nest The present species has the curious habit of nesting
on trees, at a height from three to thirty feet above the ground.
Mr. Seebohm states that, although it does not build a nest of
its own, its eggs are placed in the fork of a tree-trunk, on the
leaves, or lichen and moss which may have accumulated there.
The eggs have been found in the old nests of the Song-
Thrush, Mistle-Thrush, and Fieldfare, while those of the Ring-
Dove, Jay, Red-backed Shrike, and even old Crows' nests
or deserted Squirrel's dreys have been utilised by the Green
Tattler. He writes : "On the 3oth of May, 1882, as I was
walking in a forest about twenty miles south of Stolp in Pome-
rania, with my friend Dr. Holland, we passed a small swamp,
where a Green Sandpiper attracted our attention by its loud
cries. A few stunted larches and alder-bushes still grew in the
swamp, and the bird flew from branch to branch and bush to
bush in the most excited manner, having, no doubt, young for
whose safety it was so anxious. Hintz says that he has known
the nest to be in a hole in a fallen tree-trunk, on the stump of a
felled or broken-down tree, but most commonly in old nests from
three to twelve feet from the ground, though, on one occasion,
he took the eggs from an old Squirrel's nest in a birch tree at
a height of thirty feet." It would be interesting to know the
way in which the old birds carried their young to the ground
from such an elevation.
Eggs. Four in number. The ground-colour varies from
greenish-white to pale clay and stone-colour ; the overlying spots
are chocolate or reddish-brown, and are distributed over the
entire surface, but more numerously at the larger end; the
underlying spots are of a purplish-grey, and are equally dis-
tributed. Axis, 1-5-1-65; diam., 1-05-1-2.
II. THE SOLITARY TATTLER. HELODROMAS SOLITARIUS.
Tringa solitaria, Wilson, Amer. Orn. vii. p. 53, pi. 58, fig. 3
(1813)-
Totanus solitarius, B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 175 (1883); See-
bohm, Hist. Brit. B. Hi. p. 130 (1885); Saunders, Man.
Brit. B. p. 597 (1889) ; Lilford. Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxvi.
(1893).
THE GREEN-LEGGED TATTLERS. 293
Helodromas solitarius, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p 444
(1896).
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Similar to H. ochropus, but
smaller, and wanting the white rump of the latter species ; the
rump, as well as the mesial upper tail-coverts dusky-blackish ;
the lateral upper tail-coverts white, broadly barred with black,
exactly like the tail-feathers, all of which have broad black bars;
under surface of body resembling that of H. ochropus, but the
white bars on the axillaries and under wing-coverts much wider
than in that species ; bill greenish-black ; the edges of the eye-
lids dark grey ; feet greenish-grey, claws brownish-black ; iris
bro.vn. Total length, 7 inches; culmen, i'2 ; wing, 5-1 ; tail,
2-1 ; tarsus, ri5.
Wiator Plumage. Differs from the winter plumage of H. ochro-
pus exactly in the same way as the summer plumage of the two
birds differ. From the summer plumage it is distinguished by
being more uniform above, with scarcely any white spots, the
head uniform and not streaked with white; eyelid and a supra-
loral streak white; lower throat, fore-neck, and sides of neck
ashy-brown, slightly mottled with darker brown spots or bars.
Young after the First Moult. Similar to the winter plumage of
the adults, but all the margins of the feathers of the back and
wings are notched or spotted with light rufous-brown ; under
surface of body pure white, the lower throat streaked with brown,
and the sides of the fore-neck and of the b:ea.st nearly uniform
dark brown.
Range in Great Britain. Three specimens of this species are
recorded as having been procured in the British Islands. The
first was obtained on the banks of the Clyde, the second in the
Scilly Islands, and the third in Cornwall.
Range outside the British Islands. The " Solitary Sandpiper"
or " Wood-Tattler," as it is called by the American ornitholo-
gists, is generally distributed throughout North America during
the nesting-season, breeding, in suitable localities, from Alaska
to the Atlantic coast, ranging south, in winter, through Central
America, the West Indies, to Brazil and Paraguay.
Habits. The following is taken from Mr. D. G. Elliot's recent
work on American Shore-birds : '' While loving soJ'tude, it is
294 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
not a morose or monkish species, shunning its kind, but is fre-
quently met with in small companies of five or six individuals,
on the banks of some quiet pool in a secluded grove, peacefully
gleaning a meal from the yielding soil or surface of the placid
water. As they move with a sedate walk about their chosen
retreat, each bows gravely to the others, as though expressing
a hope that his friend is enjoying most excellent health, or else
apologising for intruding upon so charming a retreat and such
select company. At times they run rapidly along the margin
of the pond, often with wings raised high above the back, occa-
sionally rising in the air to pursue some flying insect, which is
caught with much skill and agility. The actions are light, quick
at times, and graceful, and the bird flies rapidly, its neat plu-
mage showing to great advantage when the wings are outspread,
as it skims swiftly over the surface of the water, across open
glades, or amid the trunks and branches of the trees. In addi-
tion to such places as the one described, the Solitary Sandpiper
frequents tidal creeks, and rivulets away from the sea, and, occa-
sionally, salt marshes ; but I have never seen it on the beach,
although I believe it does visit the borders of the ocean at rare
intervals. It is often seen at high elevations in damp meadows
or margins of springs and pools among the mountains; where
its low soft whistling note sounds mournfully amid the stillness
of the surrounding forest. When startled, as a rule they do not
fly far, but settle soon again, and regard the cause of their tem-
porary alarm with quiet, indifferent gaze. It feeds on insects,
larvae, worms, small crustaceans, &c., such as compose the daily
bill of fare of the members of the Snipe family, and when it has
satisfied its hunger, it will remain standing often up to its breast
in the water, or drawn into a small compass on the shore. It
frequently may be seen walking calmly in the water with slow
measured steps, like the Heron does when looking for a good
place to exercise his piscatory abilities."
Nest. According to Mr. Elliot, only one authentic instance
of the finding of the nest of this species is known, Mr. Richard-
son having discovered a nest, on the ground.
Eggs. Those taken on the above occasion are described as
pyriform in shape, light drab in colour, spotted with various
shades of brown. They measured 1-37 by 0-95 inch, and re-
sembled those of the Piping Sand-Plover (^Egialitis meloda).
THE TRUE TATTLERS. . 295
THE TRUE TATTLERS. GENUS TOTANUS.
Tetanus^ Bechst. Orn. Taschenb. ii. p. 282 (1803).
Type, T. calidris (Linn.).
The representatives of this genus are distinguished from the
foregoing by their shorter bill, which never exceeds the length
of the tail, though the culmen is longer than the middle toe
and claw. The bill is nearly straight, but with the tip slightly
curved downwards, and the tarsus is longer than the middle
toe and claw. The outer toe is joined to the middle one by a
basal membrane, but the inner toe has only a slight web, and
is cleft nearly to the base.
Five species of the genus Totanus are known, of which three
are found in the Old World, viz., T. fuscus, T. calidris, and T.
otagnatilis, while America has two species, T. melanolencus and
T. flavipes.
I. THE SPOTTED RED-SHANK. TOTANUS FUSCUS.
(Plate XC.)
Scolopax fusca. Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 243 (1766).
Totanus fuscus, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 328 (1852); Dresser, B.
Eur. viii. p. 165, pis. 568, 569 (1875); B. O. U. List Brit.
B. p. 176 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iii. p. 474
(1883); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 145, pi. 32, figs.
4-6 (1885); Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 603 (1889);
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 409 (1896).
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above sooty-
black, the head uniform ; the hind-neck varied with white
fringes and spots on the feathers, many of which are barred
with brown ; scapulars also blackish, with broader white spots
and edges; wing-coverts blackish, edged with white, and
notched with white on both webs ; the greater coverts more
distinctly barred and notched with white; bastard-wing, pri-
mary-coverts, and primaries bronzy-brown, the latter white on
the inner web and freckled with brown ; the secondaries barred
with white and brown, the brown bnrs irregular in shape, and
producing a mottled appearance ; the innermost secondaries
bronzy-brown, notched with white or brownish-white on both
webs 1 : the lower back pure white; rump and upper tail-coverts
296 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
regularly and distinctly barred with black and dull white ; tail-
feathers also blackish, narrowly barred across with white, the
bars somewhat interrupted on the outer feathers ; sides of face,
throat, and under surface of body sooty-black, with the remains
of whitish margins, these being more distinct on the abdomen ;
the under tail-coverts distinctly barred with black and white ;
under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white, the edge of the
wing and lower primary-coverts barred with black ; bill very
dark brown, the basal half of the lower mandible dusky-red ;
legs and toes orange-red ; claws black ; iris brown. Total
length, 12 inches; oilmen, 2*4; wing, 6-25; tail, 2-4; tarsus,
2'I.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Not to be distinguished
from the male. Total length, 12 inches; oilmen, 2-3; wing,
6-45; tail, 2-5; tarsus, 2-1.
Adult in Winter Plumage. Entirely different from the summer
plumage, but with red legs; upper surface grey, the lower
back white ; the rump and upper tail-coverts barred with black
and white ; wings bronzy-brown, all the coverts and secondaries
edged or notched with white, the secondaries as plainly barred
with black and white as in the breeding-plumage ; the inner-
most secondaries bronzy-brown, with imperfect bars of black on
the margins ; head grey like the back, with a supra-loral mark
of white ; lores ashy ; sides of face white, streaked with ashy-
grey ; under surface of body white, with streaks of dusky-
grey on the fore-neck ; sides of upper breast also ashy-grey ; on
the flanks and under tail-coverts a few incomplete dusky cross-
bars.
Young Birds in First Plumage Similar to the winter plumage of
the adults, but darker and more bronzy-brown, with white spots
on the edges of the feathers, very distinct on the scapulars and
wing-coverts ; centre tail-feathers regularly barred with dusky ;
under surface of body broadly barred with dusky black-
ish on the breast, flanks, and under tail-coverts; the lower
throat, fore-neck, and chest thickly mottled with dusky grey ;
the secondaries not so distinctly barred with white as in the
adults, the white bars not being continuous across the feathers
bill olive, the base of the lower mandible orange; feet
orange, claws olive ; iris hazel.
THE TRUE TATTLERS. 297
Characters. The Dusky Red-shank can always be recognised
by its white lower back and rump. It is the largest of all the
genus Totanus, with white lower back and rump, and it may
be distinguished from the Common Red-shank by having the
secondaries regularly barred with white and dusky-blackish,
none of them being entirely white.
Range in Great Britain. The present species is an occasional
visitant on migration, seldom occurring on the western coasts
at all, and is decidedly rare in Scotland and Ireland, where but
few have been obtained. It is principally met with in the
eastern and southern counties, and more often in autumn than
in spring.
Range outside the British Islands. The Spotted Red-shank nests
in the high north, within the Arctic Circle, from Scandinavia to
Eastern Siberia. It migrates south in the autumn, and winters
in the Mediterranean countries, and apparently in other parts
of Europe, as Mr. W. E. De Winton recently presented the
Museum with four specimens killed near Harlingen in Hol-
land, in December. It also visits, during the cold season, the
Indian Peninsula, the Burmese Provinces, and China.
Habits. I have only once seen the Spotted Red-shank alive,
and the specimen which I shot on the 3rd of September at
Pagham was a solitary bird which I mistook for an ordinary
Red-shank at the time. I am, therefore, obliged once more
to quote the observations of Seebohm and other writers.
The above-named author writes: "The Dusky Red-shank
is not so much of a shore-bird as the Common Red-shank, and
is rarely found upon the coast except at the two seasons of
migration. It loves to haunt inland marshes and the vast
swampy ground near large rivers, where the water lies in small
pools. It is also partial to the low banks and dry parts of the
beds of rivers. Its habits do not differ much from those of
the other waders. It runs along the marshy shores, or wades
into the shallow water, in search of food. It is rather shy, and
when alarmed, it generally flies off for some considerable dis-
tance. Its flight is rapid, and, as is customary with so many
wading birds, it sometimes skims along before it alights. Dur-
ing migration it keeps in small parties and flocks, which do not
scatter much whilst feeding. It is said to be fond of wading,
298 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
and, when it gets beyond its depth, to swim with ease, siting
gracefully on the water, and bowing its head, like a Phalarope,
with every stroke of its feet. When wounded it has been
known to dive for some distance."
Nest. Our best information regarding the breeding of the
Spotted Red-shank is derived from the researches of the late
John Wolley, from whose account I make a short extract :
" This bird not unfrequently lays its eggs in a part of the forest
which has formerly been burnt ; and here is one of its most
unexpected singularities a marsh bird choosing the dryest
possible situation, even hills of considerable height, and
covered with forest timber. I have myself seen t\vo nests so
placed, and one of them at least was on ground which, from
the charred wood lying about, had evidently been burnt at
some former period. They were nearly at the top of long hills,
many hundreds of yards from any marshy places, with good-
sized fir-trees on all sides ; but they were not in the thickest
part of the forest, and the vegetation on the ground about was
very scanty, diminutive heather and such-like plants growing
thinly amongst short rein-deer lichen, slight depressions in the
ground, placed near some little ancient logs, so nearly buried,
however, as to afford no shelter ; the bedding only a few dry
leaves of the Scotch fir. The bird sits sometimes so close that
one is tempted to try and reach it with the hand. Its white
back is conspicuous as it crouches with its neck drawn in ; it
either gets up direct, or runs a short way before it rises, and
then it flies round, with an occasional ' tjewtyj or stands upon
the top of a neighbouring tree, showing the full length of its
slender legs, neck, and bill. But it is not until it has young
that all its powers of eloquence are fully brought into play ; it
then comes far to meet any intruder, floating over him with a
clear cry that echoes through the forest, or is heard over a great
extent of marsh ; or it stands very near one, bowing its head
and opening its beak in the energy of its gesticulation."
Eggs. Four in number, of a rich green ground-colour, when
fresh, according to Wolley ; or sometimes of a bright brown,
with reddish-brown blotches and scribblings, which are con-
gregated principally at the larger end, while in some they are
almost equally distributed over the entire surface. Axis, 175-
1*85; diam , i*2-i'3.
THE TRUE TATTLERS. 299
II. THE COMMON RED-SHANK. TOTANUS CALIDRIS.
Scolopax calidris, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 248 (1766).
Totanus calidris, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 333 (1852) ; Dresser, B.
Eur. viii. p. 157, pi. 568, fig. i, pi. 569, fig. 2 (1875);
B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 176 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yar-
rell's Brit. B. iii. p. 469 (1883) ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B.
iii. p. 140, pi. 32, figs. 1-3 (1885) ; Saunders, Man. Brit.
B. p. 60 1 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xviii.
(1891) ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 414 (1896).
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. General colour above brown,
with more or less of a reddish hue, the feathers mottled with
black centres, and notched or barred with black on the mar-
gins ; scapulars brown, barred with black; lower back and rump
pure white, with a few black spots on the latter; upper tail-
coverts ashy-white, barred across with black ; wing-coverts uni-
form, excepting the median and greater coverts, which are bar-
red with lighter brown and notched with white at the ends ;
bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and primaries uniform blackish-
brown ; the inner primaries white towards the ends, freckled
with brown ; secondaries white, with blackish bases ; the inner
secondaries brown, notched with whity-brown, and more or
less distinctly barred with black; centre tail-feathers brown,
barred with darker brown, the remainder white, barred across
with blackish ; crown of head dark brown, the feathers edged
with lighter brown ; lores blackish ; sides of face and ear-
coverts white, streaked with blackish-brown ; cheeks, throat,
and under surface of body white, streaked with broad central
markings of blackish-brown, most of the breast-feathers with
more or less concealed bars of brown ; abdomen white ; sides
of body and flanks with arrow-shaped bars and streaks of
brown ; under tail-coverts white, barred across with brown ;
under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white, with a few narrow
brown bars near the edge of the wing ; quills below dusky-
brown, ashy on the inner web, many of the quills freckled or
barred with brown ; bill black, red near the base ; feet bright
orange-red; iris brown. Total length, 9-5 inches; oilmen, 1*55;
wing, 5-85 ; tail, 2-4; tarsus, 1-65.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but not quite so strongly
mottled with black above, and somewhat less spotted below.
300 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Total length, 10 inches.; oilmen, 1*5; wing, 6'2 ; tail, 2*45;
tarsus, 1-65.
Adult in Winter Plumage. Differs from the summer plumage in
being more uniform both above and below. The upper sur-
face is dark ashy-brown, the wing- coverts and inner secondaries
are also uniform brown, excepting for a few whitish notches and
bars at the end of the greater coverts and on some of the inner
secondaries ; otherwise the quills and tail-feathers are the same
as in the summer plumage ; throat and underparts white ; the
sides of the face and lower throat narrowly streaked with
blackish ; the fore-neck, chest, and sides of breast uniform
ashy-brown; the sides of the body, flanks, and under tail-
coverts white, with wavy bars of blackish-brown ; the centre of
the breast also mottled with a few spots and bars of brown ;
bill dark brown ; feet yellow iris dark brown.
Young after First Moult. Similar to the winter plumage of the
adults, but more spangled above, with reddish-brown edges to
the feathers, and white or fulvous notches or bars on the wing-
coverts and inner secondaries ; under surface of body with
triangular spots of brown on the fore-neck and breast, and the
sides of the body irregularly barred with brown.
Nestling. Reddish above, longitudinally streaked with black;
the sides of the crown and sides of face buff, with a black line
through the eye ; down the centre of the crown rufous, with a
median line of black ; the nape and hind neck for the most
part black ; down the back a central line of black mesially mot-
tled with buff, and on each side of the back a broad line of pale
buff intersected by a line of black.
Characters. The present species is easily told from the
other Tattlers by its white rump and white inner secondaries.
No other species of Totanus offers the above combinations of
characters.
Range in Great Britain. The Red-shank breeds in suitable
places throughout the greater part of the United Kingdom,
affecting the marshy country, especially on the Broads and near
the coast rivers. It nests less commonly in Wales, and is rare
on the outer Hebrides, but occurs nearly everywhere else, either
as a nesting species or as an autumn visitor to tru coasts and
THE TRUE TATTLERS. 301
tideways. Mr. R. J. Ussher states that it is reported to breed
in every county in Ireland, except Dublin, Carlow, and Water-
ford. On the callows of the Shannon, and in marshy districts,
it often breeds numerously.
Kange outside the British Islands. This species breeds through-
out the greater part of Europe and the Mediterranean, to
the Faeroes and Iceland, in Scandinavia up to 70 N. lat.
and in Northern Russia near Archangel. It is also found nest-
ing in Central Asia as far east as Mongolia, and north to about
55 N. lat. in Siberia. In winter the Red-shank visits Africa as
far as the Cape, India, and the Burmese provinces, Japan, and
China, and extends to the islands of the Indo-Malayan Archi-
pelago.
Habits. In autumn the Red-shanks are met with on most
of our tidal harbours, either singly or in flocks, and they are
generally seen frequenting the saltings or the green margins of
the harbours left by the receding tide. Even at full tide they
are fond of resting on the very edge of the saltings, standing
motionless on one leg, and keeping a sharp look-out. Their
clear and liquid note is not difficult to imitate by whistling, and
small flocks may be decoyed within shooting range, especially
when the tide has begun to ebb, and the green land becomes
once more uncovered. The call-note is a syllable, pi-u y
generally uttered three times, pi-u, pit, /, in a minor key.
During the breeding-season the love-note of the male is a lively
flute-like whistle, and is often heard as he accompanies his
mate in a short flight. The species may be said to nest in
communities, as many pairs are found in close proximity on the
marshy ground which they love to frequent. Like many other
waders, the male often soars into the air with a trill, and he
also indulges in many bowings and scrapings, opening and clos-
ing his wings, and spreading out his tail. Mr. Seebohm says that
at this time of year the bird will often settle on a tree or a post.
Nest. Generally well concealed in the centre of a hummock
of long grass, the bents of which bend over and hide it. A few
scraps of moss or bents are sometimes used as lining, but the
nest is often nothing but a depression in the ground.
Eggs> _Four in number, pear-shaped, and rather large for the
size of the bird. They are laid in April in the south, but later
302
LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
in the north of Europe, and Mr. Seebohm relates that he took
fresh eggs in the north of Norway on the 22nd of June. The
ground-colour varies from stone-colour to warm clay-brown or
pale cinnamon; the overlying spots and blotches are of a
blackish-brown generally, though sometimes reddish, and vary
considerably in their distribution. Axis, 17-1-9 ; diam, 1-1-1-2.
III. THE MARSH GREEN-SHANK. TOTANUS STAGNATILIS.
Tetanus stagnatilis, Bechst. Orn. Taschenb. ii. p. 292, cum tab.
(1803); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 422 (1896).
Adult Male in Winter Plumage. General colour above nearly
uniform ashy-brown, some of the feathers slightly margined
with white ; scapulars like the back ; lower back and rump
pure white; upper tail-coverts white, mesially streaked and
transversely barred with black ; lesser wing-coverts darker
brown than the back ; median and greater coverts ashy-brown
like the back, with narrow margins of paler brown ; bastard-
wing brown like the coverts; primary coverts and quills blackish,
fringed with white at the end of the inner web ; secondaries
ashy-brown like the greater coverts, and fringed with white at
the ends ; the inner secondaries ashy-brown, irregularly spotted
with black ; centre tail-feathers ashy, irregularly barred with
black, the remainder white, freckled on the outer web and
barred on the inner one with blackish ; crown of head ashy-
brown like the back, mottled with blackish centres to the
feathers; forehead and an indistinct eyebrow hoary-white;
lores white ; sides of face, ear-coverts, and cheeks white, spotted
or streaked with ashy-brown ; chin, throat, and under surface
of body pure white, with a few dusky streaks and bars on the
sides of the upper breast; under wing-coverts and axillaries
pure white, the lower primary-coverts grey, edged with white ;
quills below ashy, with white fringes to the secondaries ; bill
black, olive-brown at base ; feet yellowish-brown with an olive
tinge; claws dark brown; iris brown. Total length, 9-5
inches; culmen, r6; wing, 5-2; tail, 2-1; tarsus, 2'i.
Adults in Summer Plumage. Differ from the winter plumage
in having black bars and centres to the feathers of the upper
surface; on the throat and breast are some spots and streaks
of black, as well as some arrow-head markings, these being less
distinct on the flanks.
THE TRUE TATTLERS. 303
Characters. The Marsh Tattler is distinguished from the
Red-shanks by its smaller size, the wing scarcely exceeding
five inches. The outer tail-feathers are white, freckled with
brown on the outer web, but not barred as in the above-men-
tioned birds.
Range in Great Britain. The Hon. Walter Rothschild informs
me that he himself shot a specimen of a Marsh Sandpiper on
the Tring Reservoirs in October, 1887. He identified it from
Dresser's " Birds of Europe," and believes the identification to
have been correct. As, however, the specimen was burnt in a
fire, along with other valuable birds, he has been unable to
submit it to me for examination.
Range outside the British Islands. The Marsh Green-shank oc-
curs throughout Southern Europe, across Central Asia to
Eastern Siberia, and migrates in winter to South Africa, the
Indian Peninsula, and the Moluccas as far as. Australia.
IV. THE YELLOW-SHANK. TOTANUS FLAVIPES.
Scolopax flavipes, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 659 (1788).
Totanus flavipes, B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 176 (1883); Saun-
ders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 480 (1883); Seebohm
Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 136, pi. 32, fig. 8 (1885); Saunders,
Man. Brit. B. p. 599 (1889); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxiv. p. 431 (1896).
Adult in Winter Plumage. General colour above uniform ashy-
brown, with obsolete white fringes to the feathers ; scapulars
like the back ; lower back and rump black, the feathers edged
with white ; upper tail-coverts white, the lateral ones with a few
irregular bars of black; lesser wing-coverts blackish, fringed
with white ; median and greater coverts brown, rather broadly
edged with white, and sub-marginally barred with black in an
interrupted manner ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills
blackish, the inner primaries and the secondaries browner,
fringed with white ; the long inner secondaries like the greater
coverts, and sub-marginally spotted with black; tail-feathers
white, barred with black, the bars more numerous and distinct
on the outer webs, though closer together, and more broken on
the inner webs, which are mostly white for the basal half; the
centre feathers ashy towards the ends, with broad dusky bars ;
304 LLOYD S NATURAL HISTORY.
crown of head uniform, like the back, or only slightly streaked
with blackish ; lores dusky-blackish, surmounted by a broad
streak of white; eyelid white; sides of face and ear-coverts
brown, streaked with white ; cheeks, throat, and under surface
of body white, the throat with hair-like blackish streaks ; sides
of neck, fore-neck, and chest ashy-brown, with whitish vermi-
culations, or whitish mottled with ashy-brown; breast and ab-
domen pure white, freckled with bars and vermiculations of
ashy-brown on the sides of body and flanks ; thighs and under
tail-coverts white, the latter with a few bars of blackish; under
wing-coverts white, barred with sub-marginal markings of black-
ish; axillaries white, with dusky bars, not very perfect, of brown ;
lower primary-coverts and quills below ashy, the former with
whitish bars near the end. Total length, 9 inches ; culmen,
1-45 ; wing, 67 ; tail, 2-3 ; tarsus, 2.
Adult Female. Similar to the male. Total length, 9-5 inches;
culmen, r6; wing, 6*5; tail, 2-2; tarsus, 2-25.
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Differs from the winter
plumage in being mottled with black, the centres to the
feathers being black ; median and greater wing-coverts being
more or less conspicuously barred and notched with black ;
centre tail-feathers ashy-brown, barred with black, the lateral
ones white with less complete blackish bars ; head black,
streaked with white; under surface of body white, with
blackish streaks on the sides of the face, throat, and breast,
the latter broader and more arrow-shaped; the sides of the
breast distinctly barred with black; axillaries with only a few
blackish bars; bill black; feet bright yellow ; iris dark brown.
Total length, 9 inches; culmen, 1*4; wing, 6*4; tail, 2*45;
tarsus, 1*9.
Young after First Moult. Much more mottled than the winter
plumage of the adult, which it otherwise resembles ; all the
feathers having spots or notches of brownish- white on the mar-
gins ; the throat and chest minutely streaked with ashy-brown,
and the sides of the breast mottled with larger spots of ashy-
brown ; axillaries almost entirely white, with scarcely any evi-
dences of dusky bars.
Characters. The Yellow-shank is distinguished from both of
the Red-shanks by having the lower back and rump dusky-
SNIPE-TATTLERS. 305
brown instead of white, and by the upper tail- coverts being
white, with the longer ones banded. Its yellow legs are also a
specific character.
Range in Great Britain. Only two specimens are recorded as
having been met with in this country : one in Nottingham-
shire some years ago, and another in Cornwall, in September,
1871.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species breeds in
Arctic America, from Hudson's Bay to Alaska, and south to
Lake Superior, and probably to the vicinity of Chicago. In
winter it migrates to Central and Southern America as far as
Patagonia and Chili.
Habits. Mr. D. G. Elliot writes: "This Snipe is very soci-
able, goes in flocks of considerable size, and is always calling foi
others to come and join it. It is easily decoyed, more so than
T. melanoleucus, and as it approaches the lures, it lowers its
long legs and hovers over them. On the sea-coast, like all the
waders, it is apt to have a sedgy flavour, but this is not ap-
parent in the birds obtained in the interior away from salt-
water."
Nest. "A depression in the ground, placed amid the grass
near water, lined with twigs and leaves."
Eggs. " Four in number, of a light drab-colour or brown,
blotched with chocolate or rufous, sometimes with a much
paler tint, pyriform in shape. Axis, 1-5-1 7 5 inch; diam.
i -25 "(Elliot).
THE SNIPE-TATTLERS. GENUS MACRORHAMPIIUS.
MaerorhamphuS) Leach, Syst. Cat. Mamm. and Birds Brit Mus.
p. 3i (1816).
Type, M. griseus (Gm.).
This genus has generally been considered to be closely re-
lated to the true Snipes, but I think that its most natural place
will be found to be near the Godwits. Like these birds, it has
a very long bill, with the culmen exceeding the tail in length.
In appearance the bill is Snipe-like, and is slightly widened at
II X
306 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
the end of both mandibles, which are pitted. The female has
a longer bill than the male.
Two species of Macrorhamphus are recognised, one being
North American and the other inhabiting Eastern Siberia. It
is the former which has visited Great Britain on several occa-
sions.
I. THE RED-BREASTED SNIPE-TATTLER. MACRORHAMPHUS
GRISEUS.
Scolopax grisea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 658 (1788).
Macrorhamphus griseus, Macgill. Brit. B, iv. p. 275 (1852);
Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 187, pi. 571 (1878); B. O. U.
List Brit. B. p. 177 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit.
B. iii. p. 357 (1883); id. Man. Brit. B. p. 561 (1889);
Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 394 (1896).
Ereunetes griseus, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 168 (1885).
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above very
dark, the feathers being black, with pale cinnamon or buffy-
white spots on either web of the feathers, the scapulars barred
with rufous or buffy- white like the long innermost secondaries;
wing-coverts like the back, with white tips to the greater series,
the coverts uniform brown where the rufous spotting of the sum-
mer plumage has not commenced; bastard-wing, primary-
coverts, and quills blackish, the latter with brown shafts, except
the first one, which has a white shaft ; the inner primary-
coverts and inner primaries tipped with white, the latter with a
whity-brown longitudinal streak along the terminal region of
the shaft ; the secondaries margined with white externally and
round the tip, with a white shaft-streak also; the innermost
secondaries like the back; lower back and rump white, the
latter with black spots or horseshoe-shaped bars ; the upper
tail-coverts and centre tail-feathers white, washed with rufous,
and barred across with dusky black, the former with a sub-ter-
minal black spot as well; remainder of the tail-feathers blackish-
brown, barred with white, these bars narrower than the dusky
ones and somewhat irregular in shape ; crown of head nearly
uniform blackish, except for a few spots of pale cinnamon, the
hinder-neck streaked with the latter colour and dusky blackish;
a broad eyebrow of sandy-buff; sides of the face of the same
THE SNIfE-TATfLERS. 307
colour, with tiny streaks of dusky-brown ; lores dusky-brown ;
cheeks and under surface of body light cinnamon-rufous, with
a few dots of dusky black, mostly on the sides of the upper
breast, the sides of the body with dusky-blackish bars ; under
tail-coverts again spotted ; axillaries white, barred with blackish;
under wing-coverts also white, barred with horse-shoe markings
of blackish ; bill dark olive ; feet light yellowish-olive ; iris red-
dish-hazel. Total length, 10 inches ; oilmen, 2-2 ; wing, 5*5 ;
tail, 2'o ; tarsus, 1*3.
Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour, but apparently
with a longer bill. Total length, n inches; oilmen, 2*9 ; wing,
5*65; tail, i "9; tarsus, 1*15.
Adult Male in Winter Plumage. Uniform ashy-grey above, with
a few blackish shaft-lines on the feathers of the mantle ; wing-
coverts darker brown than the back, and fringed with white ;
quills as in the summer plumage ; centre of the back white; the
lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts white, barred with
black, the bars not always transverse, but sometimes horse-shoe-
shaped ; tail barred with black and white, the bars complete on
the centre tail-feathers, but somewhat broken up and irregular
on the other ones ; crown of head and hind-neck uniform ashy-
brown ; lores and sides of face dull ashy, with a tolerably broad
streak of white above the lores, minutely streaked with dusky ;
the sides of the face also with dusky streaks ; throat, chest, and
sides of the body white, with dusky streaks on the former and
small bars on the latter, the lower throat and fore-neck shaded
with ashy ; lower breast and abdomen pure white, unspotted ;
under tail-coverts white with distinct black spots; under wing-
coverts and axillaries white, with black spots on the former, the
greater series with bars of an irregular form, the cross-markings
on the axillaries broken up into spots and irregularly shaped
bars, some of which are sub-marginal.
Young Birds. Are like the winter plumage of the adults, but
are very much darker ashy-brown ; the feathers of the back black,
edged with rufous, before which is a mark of black ; the grey on
the throat is altogether darker, and is washed with rufous, and
there is a distinct wash of rufous all over the breast and on the
under tail-coverts ; the bars on the axillaries are distinct, but
are fewer in number than in the adult.
X 2
308 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Kange in Great Britain. Some sixteen occurrences of this
species have been recorded, and others, Jess genuine, have
been noted. It is evident that stray individuals visit us occa-
sionally in the autumn, and naturally most of them have been
captured on our western coasts, though examples have been
obtained in Norfolk, Lincolnshire, and Middlesex. In 1889
Mr. Howard Saunders knew of no specimens from Ire-
land, but the occurrence of the species in that country
was recorded in 1894 by Mr. Barrett-Hamilton, two examples
having been procured in Queen's co. and Tipperary respec-
tively in November, 1893. The latter were supposed to
belong to the western race, M. scolopaceus. I may remark
that I have been unable to recognise the distinctions between
M. griseus and M. scolopaceus, for it seems to me that long-
billed and short-billed examples of the Red-breasted Snipe-
Tattler occur, just as they do with the Dunlins and other
waders, and that specific differences founded on these charac-
ters cannot be defined.
Range outside the British Islands. The present species inhabits
Arctic America, and breeds there, both long and short-billed
forms being found in the north, and occurring together in their
winter-homes in Texas and elsewhere in Central and South
America.
Habits. Mr. Elliot describes this species as a tame and
unsuspicious bird, and one which is easily allured to its fate
by means of decoy birds and an imitation of its note. Mr. E.
W. Nelson writes : " They are very demonstrative birds in
their love-making, and in the last of May and first of June
their loud cries are heard everywhere about their haunts,
especially in morning and evening. Two or three males start
in pursuit of a female, and away they go twisting and turning,
here and there, over marsh and stream, with marvellous swift-
ness and dexterity. At short intervals a male checks his flight
for a moment to utter a strident peet u iveet ; ivee-too, wee-loo ;
then on he goes full tilt again. After they have mated, or
when a solitary male pays his devotions, they rise fifteen or
twenty yards from the ground, where, hovering upon quivering
wings, the bird pours forth a lisping but energetic and fre-
quently musical song, which can be very imperfectly expressed
by the syllables peet-peet ; p'ee-ter- wee-too ; wee-too ; pee-ter-wee-
THE GODWITS. 309
too ; pee-ter-wee-too ; wee-too ; wee-too. This is the complete
song, but frequently only fragments are sung, as when the bird
is in pursuit of the female."
Nest. According to Mr. E. W. Nelson, "it is merely a shal-
low depression in the ground formed by the bird's body in the
soft moss, and without a trace of lining."
Eggs. Four in number. Of these Mr. Nelson gives the
following description : " The ground-colour varies from a
greenish-clayey-olive to a light greyish or clay-colour. The
spots are large, well-defined, and scattered sparsely, except
about the tip of large end, where they are crowded. These
spots are dark umber-brown, and present a striking contrast to
the ground-colour." Axis, i'8; diam., 1*2.
THE GODWITS. GENUS LIMOSA.
Limosa^ Briss. Orn. v. p. 261 (1760).
Type, L. lapponica (L.).
The Godwits are distinguished from the Curlews by their
straight bill. This is very long, and exceeds the tail in length ;
it is also slightly upturned, and is longer in the female than in
the male.
Five species of Godwits are recognised, of which two are
British, though neither of them breed within our limits. The
Bar-tailed Godwit (L. lapponica) has an eastern representative,
L. nova zealandia, and L. limosa is also an Old World species,
while two, L. hudsonica and L. fedoa, are American. These
birds breed in the high north, but migrate so far south in
winter that the range of the genus may be said to be almost
cosmopolitan.
I. THE BAR-TAILED GODWIT. LIMOSA LAPPONICA.
Scolopax lapponica^ Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 246 (1766).
Limosa rufa, Briss.; Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 260 (1852).
Limosa lapponica, Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 203, pi. 573, fig. i
pi. 574, fig. 2 (1872); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 177
(1883) ; Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 494 (1883) ;
id. Man. Brit. B. p. 607 (1889); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit.
B. part xxii. (1892); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxjv.
P- 373 (1896).
3 TO LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Totamti sufuS) Briss. ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 156
(1885).
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above t>fack-
ish, mottled with chestnut-red, with which each feather is
notched or margined ; wing-coverts dark brown, with white
edgings to the feathers, a little broader on the inner webs ot
the greater series, many of the coverts tinged with chestnut,
especially on the inner greater coverts ; bastard-wing, primary-
coverts, and quills blackish, the primaries lighter brown on the
inner web, freckled towards its base, which is whitish, the first
primary with a white shaft, the rest with brown shafts ; secon-
daries brown, edged with white, and with a longitudinal sub-
terminal mark of white along the inner web ; the innermost
secondaries like the back, blackish notched with rufous ; lower
back and rump white, mottled with spear-shaped spots of
black ; the upper tail-coverts barred with black and white 01
chestnut and black ; tail-feathers brown or greyish-brown,
tipped with white and barred across with white, the white bars
sometimes tinged with chestnut; crown of head chestnut,
streaked with blackish-brown centres to the feathers, narrower
on the hind-neck ; a broad chestnut eyebrow ; lores and sides
of face chestnut, with numerous blackish spots on the former ;
under the eye a whitish spot ; entire under surface of body
chestnut, with blackish streaks on the sides of the upper breast ;
under wing-coverts and axillaries white, with indistinct spots
on the former, and bars on the latter of dusky brown ; quills
dusky below, with more or less white on the inner webs ; bill
flesh-colour, dusky on its terminal half; feet greyish -blue, toes
darker, claws black ; iris brown. Total length, 18*5 inches,
culmen, 2-65; wing, 7-9; tail, 2'8; tarsus, r8.
Adult Female. Similar to the male, but with a longer bill,
and apparently never becoming so entirely chestnut below or
on the sides of the face and neck. Total length, 16 inches;
wing, 8-25.
Adult in Winter Plumage. Ashy-brown above with longi-
tudinal black centres to the feathers, and evident ashy-white
margins, the wing-coverts like the back, and the white edges
very strongly marked; wings and tail as in the breeding
plumage, but the bars lighter brown and not so black, and
THE GODWITS. 311
those on the outer tail-feathers considerably broken up ; lower
back, rump, and upper tail-coverts pure white with a few
arrow-head-shaped markings and bars, more distinct on the
upper tail-coverts ; head and neck light ashy-brown, streaked
with lines of darker brown, the sides of the face speckled with
light-brown ; under surface of body pure white, with a few
streaks of brown on the lower throat, sides of breast, and sides
of body, where the streaks take the form of arrow-head-shaped
markings; on the chest a few obsolete dusky cross-bars;
axillaries and under-wing coverts white, the former with twin
spots of blackish-brown ; the centre tail-feathers ashy-brown
with a few remains of darker brown mottlings, the rest of the
feathers notched and barred with white on the inner webs, and
usually uniform on the outer webs.
Young Birds. Resemble the adults in winter plumage, but
are much more fulvescent, and especially of an ashy-fulvous
shade over the lower throat and chest, and more decidedly
fulvous on the sides of the body. The* whole of the upper
surface is mottled with rufous-buff in the shape of tawny
notches to most of the feathers, and the whole of the tail is
regularly barred across with dusky-brown and buffy-whitish,
the bands being about seven in number.
Range in Great Britain. Although the present species does
not breed in Great Britain, it passes on migration in con-
siderable numbers, especially in autumn. It is, however, some-
what local in its distribution, for while this Godwit is found in
winter sparingly in the eastern and southern counties of Eng-
land, Mr. Abel Chapman has observed it in thousands on the
coast of Northumberland, even in very severe weather. On
the return migration in spring it is often seen in the south-
eastern counties of England, and as far north as Norfolk ; but
it becomes rarer in Scotland, on the west coast of which country
it is very local, though it is tolerably plentiful in Ireland during
autumn and winter, receiving ah accession of numbers in the
spring, particularly on the west coast. (Cf. Saunders, " Manual,"
p. 607.)
Range outside the British Islands. The Bar-tailed Godwit
breeds as far west as Finland and Lapland, and occurs as
far east as the Yenesei Valley. In winter it migrates to the
3i2 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
Mediterranean and extends to Senegambia in West Africa, and
to the Somali coast in East Africa, its eastern winter range
being apparently Sind. In Eastern Siberia, east of the
Taimyr Peninsula, its place is taken by an allied species, Z.
novce zealandice, which passes in winter, by way of China and
Japan, as far south as Australia and New Zealand.
Habits. The present species is by no means rare on the
mud-flats and tidal harbours on our coasts in autumn, and I
have found it either singly or in small flocks. At this time of
year the specimens obtained are nearly all young birds, and
they may be decoyed down from an immense height in the air
by imitating their note. I have sometimes whistled a little
band till they settled on the mud within twenty paces of me,
and they seemed so hungry as to disregard my presence
entirely, and begin at once to feed voraciously, digging their
bills down into the mud up to the hilt. I have never ob-
served Godwits scooping with their bills in the sand or mud,
or working their bills from side to side like an Avocet, as
described by Seebohm, though I agree with the last-named
writer that in its ways the Godwit is very like a Green-shank,
or, for that matter, any other member of the genus Totanus.
In the spring the Godwits frequent the tidal harbours and
mud-flats, feeding out on the latter at low-tide, and wing
their way to the neighbouring fields when the tide begins to
flow and cover their feeding grounds. They are then very
wary, and fly to and fro at a considerable height, nor will any
amount of whistling induce them to settle within shooting
distance. The red-plumaged birds which I have obtained for
the British Museum were shot by me in May after a great deal
of trouble, and I only obtained them by watching their line of
flight to the pasture-lands, and waiting patiently till they flew
over. Even in the spring-time they were in companies, and quite
a goodly number of birds in their full nesting plumage could be
seen with a glass, sitting out on the fields and engaged in doz-
ing on one leg or preening their feathers. In autumn the young
birds which arrive on our coasts are exceedingly unsuspicious,
and they migrate right across country, for I have heard their
call-notes high in the air, when standing on Primrose Hill in
North London on a September night ; and I have also heard
them pass quite low down over Bournemouth in the night.
THE GODWITS. 313
Their food is of the usual kind devoured by wading birds. Ac-
cording to Mr. Wolley, the species breeds in marshes chiefly in
the neighbourhood of mountains, and the nest is very difficult
to find.
Nest. Like that of the next species.
Eggs. Four in number, of an olive or olive-brown colour,
somewhat sparsely-marked with light brown and underlying
purplish-grey spots in about equal intensity. In some
examples the spots are of a richer brown, and congregate
somewhat towards the larger end of the egg. The form
varies from a stout to an elongated pear-shape. Axis, 2-05-
2-35 inches; diam., 1-45-1-55.
II. THE BLACK- TAILED GODWIT. LIMOSA LIMOSA.
Scolopax limosa^ Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 246 (1766).
Limosa agocephala (Linn.), Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 269 (1852) ;
Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 211, pi. 574 (1872); B. O. U. List
Brit. B. p. 178 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii.
p. 488 (1883); Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxvii.
(1893).
Totanus melanurus, Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 162 (1885).
Limosa belgica (Gm.), Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 609 (1889).
Livwsa limosa, Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 381 (1896).
(Plate XCf.)
Adult Male in Winter Plumage. General colour above ashy-
brown, with slightly paler edges to the feathers ; lower back
and rump blackish-brown ; upper tail-coverts white, the long
ones tipped with black ; lesser wing-coverts darker brown than
the back ; median coverts dusky-brown, lighter brown exter-
nally, and fringed with white ; greater coverts broadly tipped
with white, forming a wing-band ; bastard-wing blackish ; pri-
mary-coverts also blackish, the inner ones broadly tipped with
white ; primaries blackish, with white shafts, the greater part
of the inner webs white, and then sub-terminally brown, the
white extending to the base of the outer web on all but the first
primary, and increasing in extent on the inner primaries and
secondaries, the latter being white, with a broad blackish tip,
which gradually diminishes in size on the inner secondaries ;
the innermost secondaries brown like the back tail white at
314 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
the base, with, a broad black terminal band, gradually decreasing
in size towards the outer feathers, which are edged with white
at the tip, the centre feathers brownish at the tip ; head ashy-
brown, the forehead more hoary; an indistinct whitish eyebrow
extending from the base of the nostril to behind the eye ; lores
dusky-grey ; below the eye a whitish spot ; sides of face, sides
of neck, throat, and chest light ashy-brown, a little darker on
the sides of the body ; fore-part of cheeks and upper throat
white, as well as the whole of the centre of the breast, abdo-
men, under tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axillaries ; the
edge of the wing mottled with dark brown bases to the feathers;
quill-lining white; bill pale fleshy, blackish-brown at the tip;
feet olivaceous-green, toes blackish-brown ; iris brown. Total
length, 16-5 inches ; culmen, 4/4 ; wing, 8*8 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus,
3'2-
Adult Female in Winter Plumage. Similar to the male in colour,
but rather larger ; bill livid pink, blackish-horny at the tip ;
feet blackish-plumbeous, toes brownish ; iris brown. Total
length, 17-5 inches; culmen, 5; wing, 8-5; tail, 3; tarsus,
3*35-
Adult Male in Summer Plumage. Differs in having the back
more or less mottled with rufous and black, the crown of the
head rufous, with short broad streaks of black, the sides of the
face and entire neck all round rufous, the fore-neck and breast
overshaded with rufous, and barred with dusky-blackish, these
bars also developed on the abdomen and on the sides of the
body.
Adult Female in Summer Plumage. Similar to the male, but with
less rufous, and distinguished by the larger size.
Young. Distinguished from the adults by being darker brown
above, with broad sandy-rufous edges to the feathers of the
upper surface, the innermost secondaries banded with blackish-
brown and sandy-rufous ; the head rufous, streaked with dark
brown, but indistinctly ; sides of face buffy-white, with very fine
streaks of brown ; throat white ; lower throat, sides of neck,
and chest reddish-buff, slightly mottled with dusky bases to the
feathers of the side of the breast ; remainder of under surface
white, suffused with rufescent buff, and shaded with ashy-brown
on the sides of the body.
THE GODWITS. 315
Range in Great Britain. The Black-tailed Godwit is now only
a migrant to Great Britain, occurring more or less locally on all
our coasts, and appearing principally in our eastern and southern
counties. It still breeds in Holland, and used to do so in
England less than fifty years ago. The fens of Lincolnshire
and the Isle of Ely were its habitat, and one of the last
recorded nests was taken in Norfolk in 1847.
Range outside the British Islands. From Belgium and Holland
to Northern Germany, Poland, and Silesia, the present species
nests, as well as in Scandinavia up to 65 N. lat. It also
breeds in the Faeroes, and in the south-east of Iceland. It
ranges to Western Siberia as far as the valley of the Ob, and
migrates south in winter to North-western India. At the same
time of year it visits the Mediterranean, and also North-eastern
Africa.
Habits. The traveller by the train from Rotterdam to Am
sterdam in May may often see Black-tailed Godwits standing
in pairs by the muddy dykes, taking no notice of the rushing
locomotive, and placidly standing on one leg by the side of
the water, or dozing, with the bill tucked under the shoulder-
feathers. Like that of the Bar-tailed Godwit, its nest is very
difficult to find, as related by Seebohm in his " History of
British Birds," where he tells of the toils af searching for the
nests in the marshes of Jutland. Mr. A C. Chapman has
given a vivid account of the finding of the aests of the Black-
tailed Godwit in West Jutland by his brother, Mr. Abel Chap-
man, and himself. He writes : " The marshes, as distinct
from the islets and salt-grass promontories, are areas of squashy
moss, grass, rush, and bog-plants, difficult, if not dangerous,
to explore ; but in most cases there are creeks of water which
intersect these marshes in various directions, and enable a
flat-bottomed boat to be pushed about, so as to give access to
their interiors. Then it becomes necessary, in the search for
eggs, to traverse on foot their squashy surfaces, where, at every
step, the ground quakes for yards around in a most unpleasant
fashion, and the water oozes out of the moss well over one's
boot-tops. Such are the places most loved by the Black-tailed
Godwit, and, on approaching, the wailing cry will soon be
followed by the note of a bird high in air. That bird has
316 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
left its nest perhaps a thousand yards ahead, nor will it usually
return thereto until it has made itself pretty confident that the
danger has disappeared. To find the nest, therefore, is no
easy matter. Indeed, after considerable experience, I may
say that few birds are so cautious at their nests as Godwits,
and even after the nest has, after long search, been luckily dis-
covered, still the old birds never come within range of ordinary
gun-shot. The general cry of these waders, when not dis-
tressed, may be syllabled as * tu-ee-tdooj often repeated ; but
they have a variety of cries, their distress-call being a clamorous
wail, not unlike that of a Common Buzzard, though, of course,
not so loud." In food and general habits the present species
resembles the Bar-tailed Godwit.
Nest. Those found by Mr. Chapman were mere depressions
in the moss, without any special lining material. " The date
of laying," he writes, " seems to vary considerably, for on May
loth we found our first nest, containing four very hard-set
eggs, which must have been laid about the last week in April.
Then, on May i3th we not only found a nest containing four
fresh eggs, but we were also fortunate enough to discover a brood
of young ones, perhaps two days old. It should be mentioned,
in explanation, that we had thrice tried to find this last nest ;
but the bird always rose from a different part of the marsh,
which led us to believe that she must have young, and it was
while making, after a long watch, a final effort to find the eggs,
that we accidentally stumbled on the young birds in the long
grass. On one occasion, after we had been lying for some
time pretty well concealed, we noticed, through the binoculars,
a Godwit walking and running towards us, until it eventually
disappeared quite suddenly. We thought that it might have
sat down on the nest, so we marked the place carefully, and
then stood up ; the bird instantly rose about 150 yards from
us, and on walking straight to the spot, we were delighted to
find the nest with four olive-green eggs. In another instance
we observed two birds playing together in the air, over a certain
part of the bog, in such a manner, that our suspicions were
sufficiently aroused to cause us to cross the quaking surface,
until we actually walked right on to the nest and its four eggs."
Eggs. Four in number, very similar to those of L. lappoirica.
/
THE CURLEWS. 317
but sometimes darker olive-brown than the latter. Axis,
2-05-2-3 inches; diam., 1-45-1-55.
THE CURLEWS. GENUS NUMENIUS.
NumtniuS) Briss. Orn. v. p. 311 (1760).
Type, N. arquatus (Linn.).
Nine species of Curlews are admitted by ornithologists, of
which four may be considered to be true Curlews, viz., N. arcna-
tus, N. tenuirostris of the Mediterranean region, N. cyanopus of
Australia, and N. longirostris of North America. All of these
have the head marked like the back, and do not show a pale
median stripe along the crown like the other species of the
genus, viz., the Whimbrels. Taking our common species of
Whimbrel as the type of the second section, we find five species,
all of which have the sides of the crown dark, with a broad pale
band down the centre. The Whimbrels are : our own species
and its eastern race N. variegatus, N. hudsoniais and N. borea-
lis of North America, and N. tahitiensis of the Pacific Islands.
Thus it will be seen that the genus Numenius is well nigh
cosmopolitan in its range.
I. THE COMMON CURLEW. NUMENIUS ARQUATUS.
Scolopax arquata, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 242 (1766).
Aumenius arquatus, Macgill. Brit. B. iv. p. 243 (1852); Dres-
ser, B. Eur. viii. p. 243, pi. 578 (1873); B. O. U. List
Brit. B. p. 179 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii.
p. 499 (1883) ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 94 (1885);
Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 611 (1889); Lilford, Col.
Fig. Brit. B. part xix. (189.1); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxiv. p. 341 (1896).
(Plate XCIL \ad.\ Plate XCIII., Fig. 3 [>//.].)
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage General colour above brown,
with longitudinal black centres to the feathers imparting a
broadly striped appearance, the feathers of the upper surface
being notched with ashy or rufous, giving to many of the
scapulars a somewhat barred appearance ; wing-coverts dark
LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORV.
brown, edged with whity-brown, the median and greater series
also chequered with the latter colour, imparting a somewhat
barred appearance to this part of the wing ; bastard-wing,
primary-coverts, and primaries blackish, externally glossed
with bottle-green, the primary-coverts slightly tipped with
white, the shafts of the outer primaries white, those of the
inner ones brown ; the primaries notched or barred, on the
inner web only, with sandy-buff or whitish, the inner primaries
being thus marked on both webs, the secondaries distinctly
barred with brown and white, both webs being deeply notched
with ashy-whitish, the innermost secondaries ashy-brown with
dusky-brown cross-bars, the centre of the feathers being also
dusky-brown ; lower back and rump pure white with black
longitudinal spots or streaks, a little more distinct on the rump;
the upper tail-coverts barred with black and white or with
sagittate sub-terminal spots, the longer ones tinged with sandy-
buff and the brown bars often not co-terminous ; tail white or
slightly tinged with sandy-buff, or shaded with ashy-brown, and
crossed with nine or ten rather broad bars of blackish- brown ;
head dark brown, the feathers edged with sandy-buff, giving a
streaked appearance ; the neck more ashy, streaked with
brown ; over the eye a white streak, narrowly lined with black ;
sides of face and sides of neck, throat, and chest pale sandy-
buff streaked with blackish-brown, more narrowly on the sides
of the face ; chin and upper throat white ; breast, abdomen,
sides of body, thighs, and under tail-coverts white, streaked
with dark brown on the breast, and very narrowly on the
abdomen and under tail-coverts ; thighs unstreaked ; sides of
body with distinct bars or sagittate markings of dark brown ;
under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white, mottled with
blackish centres to the feathers, the axillaries more or less
regularly barred with blackish cir with a sub-terminal heart-
shaped spot ; lower primary-coverts and quills below ashy-
grey with white notches to the inner webs ; bill fleshy-brown,
shading into dark brown towards the tip; feet dusky; iris
brown. Total length, 21 inches; culmen, 4*75; wing, n ; tail,
4*25 ; tarsus, 2*9.
The Curlew begins to put on its breeding plumage very
early in the year, and I have examined a male bird procured
in Ireland by Colonel Irby in January, which was so small
THE ClJRLfcWS. 319
and so heavily striped, when compared with others in the
British Museum, that I was for a long time doubtful as to
whether there was not a smaller race of Curlew to be dis-
tinguished. I am, however, now convinced that the specimen
is nothing but a male, with the summer plumage unusually
advanced.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Similar to the male, but
larger, and with a longer bill. Total length, 24 inches ; cul-
men, 6'i ; wing, 12; tail, 57 ; tarsus, 3*2.
Adults in Winter Plumage. Very similar to the breeding-
plumage, but paler, and much less heavily striped, especially
on the uncer surface of the body; the black spots and streaks
on the rump scarcely apparent, and concealed by the white
plumage ; upper tail-coverts white, with very few brown cross-
bars ; tail white, barred with brown ; feet pale leaden-grey,
claws blackish ; bill blackish-brown, flesh-colour at the base of
the lower mandible.
Young. Differs from the adult in being much more tawny,
and, as Seebohm has pointed out, young birds may always be
distinguished from old ones by the much lighter pattern of
the notches and bars on the innermost secondaries, these
markings being tawny-buff, and the black centres to the feathers
being much broader. The nestling is figured below. (Plate
XCIIL Fig. 3.)
Kange in Great Britain. The Curlew is a resident species in
the British Islands, breeding throughout Scotland, the north of
England, and also in Wales, as well as on the high moor-lands of
Southern England, from Wiltshire and Hampshire to Cornwall.
Mr. Ussher records it as breeding in nearly every county in
Ireland, on the bogs and moors. In the autumn and winter
numbers of immature Curlews frequent the coasts of Great
Britain, and many of them do not breed, but remain through-
out the whole summer, and examples have often been found
inland when any sudden floods cause a wide expanse of water.
Eange outside the British Islands. Throughout Scandinavia the
Curlew nests, as well as in Northern Europe, generally from
Brittany to Northern Germany, Poland, and Russia, and as far
east asLakeBaikal; forlam unable to find anyspecific difference
between the so called -A 7 , lineatus^ which occurs on the shores
320 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISIORY.
of the Indian Peninsula in winter. The absence of the black
stripes on the lower back and rump is simply caused by the
fact that the birds are killed in winter plumage before the
black stripes, which are part of the summer dress, have begun
to develop. In winter the Curlew also visits the countries of
the Mediterranean, Africa, and Madagascar.
HaMts. The following excellent account of the Curlew has
been given by the late Mr. Seebohm: " In summer, when it has
retired to the heaths and mountain-marshes, it rises, screaming
in the air at the least alarm, arousing all its companions in the
vicinity, so that soon the whole swamp or heath resounds with
their wild impressive cries. The Curlew flies with great quick-
ness, flapping its long wings with regular beats, or sometimes
holding them motionless and expanded as it glides along
for a few yards ere alighting. The wings are bent at a con-
siderable angle, the neck outstretched, the bill slightly de-
pressed, but the legs are extended straight, and show beyond
the tail. As a rule the Curlew flies high ; when flushed it soon
mounts into the air, and at times performs various graceful evo-
lutions above its marshy haunts. Upon the ground the Curlew
wa'ks about in a solemn Heron-like manner, only occasionally
running, as if such a mode of progression were beneath its
dignity. It often wades on the little pools on the marshes or
sea-shore, and bathes frequently. It is very fond of basking
in the sun on some exposed sand-bank, where it can easily
detect the approach of danger. It is very seldom that the
actions of the Curlew on the ground can be watched in sum-
mer, when the bird is in its breeding haunts ; it is so excessively
wary that it generally takes wing long before it is observed, and
it so much resembles the colour of its surroundings that it is
almost invisible until it takes wing. Its feeding-grounds on the
moors are in marshy spots, near the dark brown peaty pools,
where rushes grow so thickly as to hide it from view, or by the
side of the little trout-streams that dance and dash along over
the heath. Here its actions and mode of progression are very
similar to those on the shore ; it probes the soil in search of
food, and explores the surrounding herbage for a similar
purpose. Every now and then it raises its long neck above the
vegetation, looking warily around, as if scenting danger from
afar, ready at the least alarm to fly hastily away to safer
THE CURLEWS. 321
quarters. The distant alarm-note of another Curlew puts it on
the alert, and generally it rises at once, with startling cries,
warning in its turn all its kindred that may happen to be in
hearing of its call. In the course of feeding, either on the up-
Jand marshes or on the shore, the bill is often thrust for a con-
siderable distance into the ground ; and this long bill, ill-adapted
as it may seem for the purpose, can readily secure a passing
insect, or pick one adroitly from the water or from a grass-
:tem.
" In summer the food of the Curlew is principally composed
of worms, insects and their larvae ; and on the moors the birds
vary their diet with the fruit of the whortle-berry and crow-berry.
In winter its food is more varied, and consists of sand-worms,
small crustaceans and shells, little crabs, &c. In the stomachs
of birds shot at their winter quarters the shoots of grasses and
fragments of leaves have been found. At the nest the Curlew
has two perfectly distinct notes or whistles. The well-known
kerr-lee is the call-note ; and the other, which may be expressed
as wiw-i-wiw-i-wiw t is as unquestionably the alarm-note. It is
said that it has a third note, resembling wha-up, whence its trivial
name of ' Whaup ' ; but that is a note with which I am entirely
unacquainted."
Nest. A slight depression in the ground or in a tuft of grass,
lined with a few dead leaves or dead grass. Mr. Robert Read
writes to me : " The Curlew usually nests in wild open moor-
lands, but I have also found its eggs in a grass meadow. It
is also fond of nesting on tree-less islands covered with grass
and heather."
Eggs. Four in number, somewhat large for the size of the
bird. Mr. Read says : " The eggs are usually of the well-
known pyriform shape common to the Limicofa, but some-
times one gets them quite round, and at others very much
elongated, like those of the Colymbidce. The colour varies from
an olive stone-grey to a light olive-brown, or even greenish-
olive. The markings are brown, nearly always prominent,
sometimes distributed over the entire egg, and mixed with
light grey underlying markings, while at other times the mark-
ings become confluent and form blotches, continuous round
the larger end of the egg. More rarely the markings con*
ii
322 LLOYDS NATURAL HISTORY.
gregate at the smaller end. Axis, 2-65-2-9 inches; diam.,
1-8-2-0.
II. THE WHIMBREL. NUMENIUS PH^EOPUS.
Scolopax phaopuS) Linn. Syst Nat. i.p. 243 (1766).
Numenius phaopus, Macgill. Brit. B. iv.p. 253 (1852) ; Dresser,
B. Eur. viii. p. 227, pi. 576 (1873) ; B. O. U. List Brit. B.
p. 179 (1883) ; Saunders, ed. YarrelPs Brit. B. iii. p. 507
(1883); Seebohm, Hist. B. iii. p. 100 (1885); Saunders,
Man. Brit. B. p. 613 (1889); Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus.
xxiv. p. 355 (1896).
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. General colour above nearly
uniform dark brown, excepting for the broad ashy-brown mark-
ings on the feathers of the mantle and upper back ; the wing-
coverts like the back, but the margins paler and more whitish,
the greater series with whitish notches on both webs ; bastard-
wing and primary-coverts dark brown, fringed with white at the
ends ; primaries blackish-brown, notched with white on the
inner webs, which have a barred appearance along the edge of
the latter, the inner primaries notched with white, also on the
outer webs ; secondaries brown, notched on the outer web and
barred on the inner web with white, the innermost secondaries
nearly uniform brown like the back ; the shafts of the outer pri-
mary white, of the second whity-brown, and of the rest pale
brown; lower back and rump white, slightly mottled with longi-
tudinal spots of blackish-brown, more or less concealed on the
back, but larger and more distinct on the rump ; upper tail-
coverts barred with brown and whitish, the brown bars some-
what irregular and not co-terminous; tail-feathers ashy-brown
and tipped with white, and crossed by regular bars of dark
brown, about nine in number; centre of crown whitish and
streaked with brown, the remainder of the crown dark brown,
forming two broad bands, and followed by a broad eyebrow of
dull white, and narrowly streake.d with small lines of blackish ;
lores and upper margin of ear-coverts dark brown ; remainder
of sides of face and neck all round pale brown, streaked with
darker brown, the cheeks somewhat whiter ; chin and upper
throat white, with scarcely any brown spots ; lower throat,
bre ist, and sides of body pale rufescent-buff, thickly clouded
THE CURLEWS. 323
with longitudinal streaks of dark brown on the throat and
breast, and with bars of dark brown, of a more or less sagittate
shape, on the sides of the body and flanks ; abdomen and
under tail-coverts white, the latter with streaks and bars of dark
brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white, with dusky-
brown bars, very distinct on the latter ; quills dusky-brown
below, notched with white ; bill black, the base of the under
mandible pale brown; feet light greyish-blue, claws black; iris
brown. Total length, 15 inches ; culmen, 3*4; wing, 9*5; tail,
37; tarsus, 2-5.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Similar to the male in plu-
mage, and scarcely differing in size. Total length, 15 inches;
culmen, 3-3; wing, 9-8; tail, 3-9; tarsus, 2-25.
Adults in Winter Plumage. Similar to the summer plumage,
but with the lower back perfectly white, the black streaks being
concealed ; the under parts less distinctly streaked, and the
flanks less distinctly barred than in the summer plumage.
Young Birds. May always be distinguished by the more mottled
appearance of the upper surface, most of the feathers being
spotted on both webs with whitish or pale rufescent-buff ; the
lower back and rump are plentifully mottled with spots of dusky-
brown, and the innermost secondaries very distinctly notched
with rufescent-buff; the streaks on the throat and breast, and
the bars on the flanks, almost as plentifully developed as in the
adults ; the bars on the axillaries are often very incomplete, anc
are, in rare instances, entirely absent.
Range in Great Britain. The Whimbrel is chiefly known as a
migrant, but it breeds sparingly in the Orkneys and Shetlands,
as well as in North Ronay in the Outer Hebrides. A certain
number remain during the winter, especially on the west coast
of Ireland, but the species is for the most part migratory in Great
Britain, coming north in April and May, and returning in August
and September. The first heralds in autumn migration are the
young birds returning south in July.
Range outside the British Islands. From Iceland and the Faeroes
to Scandinavia and Northern Russia, as far as the Valley of the
Petchora, the Whimbrel breeds above the limit of forest growth.
The exact eastern limit of the breeding-range is at preset un-
324 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
known, as in Eastern Siberia the Whimbrel is replaced by an
allied species, N. variegatus, which breeds in Eastern Siberia,
and passes through Japan and China to the Malayan Archi-
pelago and Australia in winter. The ranges of the two species
coalesce in their winter quarters in Burma and the Malayan
Peninsula, but, as already noticed, information as to the exact
division of the summer ranges of the two species is still want-
ing. The Whimbrel wanders occasionally to Greenland, but
is not known to breed there. In winter it goes south to the
Mediterranean, and passes to South Africa. It is also found
at that season on the shores of the Persian Gulf and many parts
of the Indian Peninsula, occurring in the islands of the Bay of
Bengal and on the shores of the Burmese Provinces and the
Malayan Peninsula. In the last-named localities N. variegatus,
coming from the east, inhabits the same winter quarters.
Habits. The quivering note of the Whimbrel gains for it, on
some of our southern coasts, the common name of " Titterel."
In the autumn it is found in small flocks which are, as a rule,
remarkably shy. They feed out on the mud-flats or on the
margin of the sea at low water, and, as the tide begins to flow,
they gradually retrace their steps towards the shore, until, when
the tide has made good head-way, they rise and seek the in-
land pastures, after the manner of the Godwits in spring. Thus
I found them somewhat difficult to obtain in autumn, as the
birds flew high in the air, keeping up their " tittering " note,
and carefully avoided the point of concealment which I
selected. Occasionally a young bird will be found singly on
the mud-flats and may be procured without difficulty, but I
have known the wariness of the Whimbrel to be circumvented
at night-time, for have I not often listened to the tale of my
old shore-shooting companion, Alfred Grant of Sidlesham, of
how he shot twenty-one Whimbrel on the sand-spit of the
"Dobbin" in the Pagham Harbour of yore. On one of my
old collecting trips for the British Museum I also procured
from the little embankment which he had erected for the shoot-
ing of the Whimbrel the largest number of shore-birds which
it was my lot to procure in my life. He had noticed that at
night time the Whimbrel instead of going outside the harbour
on to the sand beyond, were wont to Collect on the " Dobbin,"
THE CURLEWS. 325
but more especially on the sand-spit above mentioned. Havirg
ascertained that this point of the " Dobbin" was their favourite
resting-place at night-time, he double-shotted his great Bir-
mingham gun, and tied a string to the trigger, the charge
being too heavy to fire from the shoulder. He directed the point
of the muzzle on to the end of the sand-spit and covered the
single barrel of the gun with a huge heap of stones ; then, in
the dark, judging the time when the Whimbrel would congre-
gate, he crossed a mile of mud-flats, forded the creek, and
crept up towards the unsuspecting birds. By dint of crawling
over the shingle of the " Dobbin" he gained possession of the
string attached to the gun ; listening for the " tittering " of the
Whimbrel to announce their nightly assemblage. When the
whistling notes of the birds had assured him that a goodly
number were present, he discharged his gun. It did not burst,
as he had fully expected, but, as a reward of his enterprise, he
picked up twenty-one Whimbrel.
On the spring migration I have found the Whimbrel much
more easy to procure. They are then generally met with
singly, and I have obtained several birds in full breeding
plumage on the saltings of Romney Hoy, where by a careful
stalk they could be approached within distance. Although in
many respects resembling the Curlew, there are many points of
difference in the habits of the two birds, and I have never seen
the Whimbrel distributed singly over the mud-flats as is often
the case with the Curlew, nor is their call-note so often heard.
Curlew likewise do not go in close flocks like the Whimbrel.
Nest. Seebohm writes: "The favourite breeding-grounds
of the Whimbrel are the moors and heaths in close proximity
to the sea. When the vicinity of their nest is intruded
upon, the Whimbrels fly into the air and circle round and
round. The nest is very slight, a little hollow amongst the
heath, or under the shelter of a tuft of coarse grass, in a dry
part of the swamp, and is lined with a few scraps of dry
herbage."
Eggs. Four in number, laid at the end of May, pyriform in
shape, and resembling those of the Curlew, but smaller.
Axis, 2-05-2-45 inches; diam., 1-6-175.
326 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY.
III. THE ESKIMO CURLEW. NUMENIUS BOREALIS.
Numemus borealis, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 712 (1790); Dresser,
B. Eur. viii. p. 221, pi. 575 (1873); B. O. U. List Brit.
B. p. 178 (1883); Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii.
p. 512 (1883); Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 94 (1885);
Saunders, Man. Brit. B. p. 615 (1889); Sharpe, Cat. B.
Brit. Mus. xxiv. p. 368 (1896).
Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. May easily be distinguished
by its smaller size from the two preceding species. It has a
longitudinal pale band down the crown like the Whimbrel, but
from this bird it is easily recognised by its uniform primaries,
which have no pale notches on the inner web, but sometimes
show slight indications of frecklings along the inner margin ;
the lower back and rump dark like the upper back ; the lower
throat and chest streaked with blackish, the latter having
numerous sagittate markings, very distinct on the flanks , the
axillaries and under wing-coverts cinnamon-rufous, barred
with dark brown; bill brownish-black, the lower mandible
flesh-colour at the base ; feet greyish-blue, claws black ; iris
dark brown. Total length, 13*5 inches; culmen, 2-5; wing,
8*6; tail, 3*2; tarsus, r8.
Adult Female in Breeding Plumage. Similar to the male. Total
length, 14 inches; wing, 87.
Young. Recognised by the spotted character of the upper
surface, which is uniform brown, with scattered spots and
notches of rufous-buff on the plumage, especially on the inner-
most secondaries ; the streaks plentiful on the throat and neck ;
the chest and breast with irregular and sagittate markings of
dusky-brown, which are also very distinct on the sides of the
body.
Range in Great Britain. The Eskimo Curlew has occurred as
an accidental visitor in all three kingdoms, and the record
of British-killed examples amounts to some half-a-dozen
individuals.
Range outside the British Islands. The Eskimo Curlew nests
in Arctic America and migrates south in winter through South
America, even to Patagonia.
THE CURLEWS. 327
Mr. D. G. Elliot writes : When feeding about in such
large flocks, they keep up a constant low chattering noise,
as if indulging in an uninterrupted flow of conversation.
They frequent the open flats in the vicinity of the sea-
shore, feed on insects, worms, &c., and are shy birds, and
in the autumn become very fat, and their flesh is highly
esteemed. It is known as Doe Bird, Futes, Small Curlew, &c.
It flies with great rapidity, is easily alarmed and difficult to
approach, unless when feeding quietly among other waders ;
but is more readily shot when flying to and from its feeding-
grounds, when, if one stations himself on their route, as they
generally pass at no great height, many can be secured. In
Labrador this Curlew is seen in flocks of various sizes ; some-
times several thousands of the birds are gathered together, and
their flight is swiftly performed by regular beat of the wings,
and they often execute many beautiful evolutions, frequently
massing together in compact ranks. On alighting, the wings
are raised over the back, as is the habit of many Snipes and
Plovers, and then folded carefully and with deliberation into
the accustomed place. The note is a soft, clear whistle, and
the birds come readily to the gunner (if he can imitate their
call cleverly), dropping the legs and curving the wings as they
sail unsuspectingly to the decoys. They feed on grasshoppers,
berries of various kinds, and small snails, which they detach
from the rocks.
Mr. E. W. Nelson writes : " Small flocks of this Curlew
will follow a single Hudsonian Curlew all over the country in
the same manner as smaller species of Snipe will follow one of a
larger kind." He imagines that it is on account of the superior
watchfulness of the larger bird, and that a greater degree of
protection is thereby secured.
Nest. Merely a depression in the ground, lined with a few
decayed leaves and dried grass.
Eggs. Four in number. The solitary specimen in the
British Museum, is of a light olive-brown, with distinct grey
underlying spots distributed over its surface, the overlying
spots being brown and chiefly congregated about the larger
end, where some of them are confluent. Axis, 2-25 inches;
diam, 1-55.
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
Actiturus longicaudus. 267.
acuminata, Heteropygia. 244.
Totanus. 244.
Tringa. 244.
^Egialitis. 150, 152, 158.
alexandrina. 166, 168.
asiatica. 150.
cantianus. 166, 175.
curonicus. 162, 175.
dealbatus. 168.
dubia. 162.
hiaticola. 158, 163, 165.
interpres. 176.
meloda. 294.
minutus. 168.
vocifera. 155.
oegocephala, Limosa. 313.
iegyptius, Pluvianus. 130.
sethiopica, Ibis. 103.
affinis, Fuligula. 1 8.
africana, Nyroca. 9.
Ajaja ajaja. 107.
alba, Ardea. 74.
Ciconia. 97.
Egretta. 74.
Herodias. 73, 74.
Platalea. 107.
albellus, Mergus. 51, 52.
albeola, Anas. 24.
Charitonetta. 24.
Clangula. 22, 24.
Fuligula. 24.
alexandrina, .^Egialitis. 166, 168.
alexandrinus, Charadrius. 166.
alpina, Pelidna, 227, 228.
alpina, Tringa. 228.
American Bittern. 95.
Stint. 255.
americanus, Merganser. 59.
Anas albeola. 24.
clangula. 20.
ferina. 5.
fuligula. 12.
fusca. 46.
glacialis. 26.
glaucion. 20.
histrionica. 31.
marila. 16.
mollissima. 37.
nigra. 43.
nyroca. 9.
perspicillata. 48.
rufina. 2.
spectabilis. 41.
stelleri. 34.
Anatidae. I, 43, 51.
Ancylochilus. 227, 239.
subarcuatus. 239, 240.
Anseriformes. I.
Anthropoides. 114.
virgo. 114.
Archasopteryx. 51.
arcuatus, Numenius. 317*
Ardea. 69.
alba. 74.
bubulcus. 86.
ciconia. 97.
cinerea. 69.
comata. 84.
garzetta. 77,
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
3 2 9
Ardea grus. ill
lentiginosa. 95.
lucida. 86.
minuta. 88.
nigra. 100.
nycticorax. So.
purpurea. 66.
ralloides. 83.
stellaris. 92.
Ardece. 65.
Arc! cola. 83.
idw. 84.
minuta. 89.
ralloides. 83, 84.
ardeola, Dromas. 130.
Ardetta. 88.
minuta. 88, 90.
podicipes. 90.
Arenaria. 1 76.
arenaria, Calidris. 260.
Tringa. 260.
arquata, Scolopax. 317.
Arquatella. 236
maritima. 236.
arquatus, Numenius. 317.
Asiatic Dotterel. 150.
asiatica, ^Egialitis. 150.
asiaticus, Charadrius. 150.
Ochthodromus. 150.
Attagis. 115, 150.
aurea, Pluvialis. 143.
australis, Merganser. 58.
avocetta, Himantopus. 185.
Recurvi rostra. 184, 185.
Avocets. 37, 184, 185.
Aythya ferina. 5.
rufina. 2.
Balearica pavonina. 1 14.
Baleeniceps. 65.
Balcenicipitidse. 65.
Bar-tailed Godwit. 309.
bartrami, Totanus. 267.
Bartramia. 267.
longicauda. 267.
Bartram's Tattler. 267.
belgica, Limosa. 313.
bernieri, Ibis. 103.
bifrontatus, Oxyechus. 155.
Bittern, American. 95.
Common. 92.
Little. 88.
Black-and-Grey Courser. 130.
Black-breasted Dotterels. 152.
Black Oyster-catchers. 180.
Black Stork. 100.
Black-tailed Godwit. 313.
Black Turn-stone. 176.
Black-winged Stilt. 188.
Bonaparte's Sandpiper. 242.
bonapartii, Tringa. 243.
borealis, Numenius. 326.
Somateria. 39.
Botaurus. 91.
capensis. 92.
comatus. 84.
lentiginosus. 92, 95.
minutus. 88.
pinnatus. 92
poecilopterus. 92.
stellaris. 91, 92.
boyciana, Ciconia. 98.
brasilianus, Merganser. 58.
Broad-billed Sandpipers. 223.
bubulcus, Ardea. 86.
Bubulcus. 86.
lucidus. 86.
Buff-backed Cattle Egret. 86.
Buff- breasted Sandpipers. 264.
Buffel-heads. 24.
Burhinus. 127.
Bustard. 115.
Great. 115, 116.
Lesser. 119.
Little. 115, 116, 120.
Macqueen's. 115, 123.
Ruffed. 123.
Calidris. 260.
arenaria. 260.
calidris, Scolopax. 299.
Totanus. 295, 299.
canescens, Totanus. 280.
cantianus, yEgialitis. 166, 775.
Charadrius. 166.
canutus, Tringa. 231, 232.
capensis, Botaurus. 92.
castor, Merganser. 58.
33
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
caudidus, Himantopus. 188.
Choetusia. 173.
gregaria. 173.
Charadrii. 137.
Charadriidae. 137, 148.
Charadriiformes. 115.
Charadriince. 137.
Charadrius. 143.
alexandrinus. 166.
asiaticus. 150.
cantianus. 166.
dominicus. 147, 148.
dubius. 162.
fulvus. 147.
gallicus. 131.
gregarius. 173.
helveticus. 138.
hiaticola. 158.
hiaticola major. 158.
himantopus. 188.
interpres. 176.
minor. 162.
cedienemus. 127.
pluvialis. 143, 147.
vociferus. 155.
Charitonetta. 24.
albeola. 24.
Chettusia gregaria. 173.
Chionis. 115.
chrysophthalma, Clangula. 2O.
Ciconia. 97.
alba. 97.
boyciana. 98.
ciconia. 97.
nigra. 100.
ciconia, Ardea. 97.
Ciconii. 97.
Ciconiidoe. 65.
cinclus, Tringa. 228.
cinerea, Ardea. 69.
Grus. in.
Squatarola. 138.
Cladorhynchus. iSS.
Clangula. 19.
albeola. 22, 24.
chrysophthalma. 20.
clangula. 19, 20.
glaucion. 20.
histrionica. 31.
Clangula islandica. 22.
clangula, Anas, 20.
Clangula. 19, 20.
Fuligula. 20.
coelestis, Gallinago. 215.
collaris, Fuligula. 18.
Colymbidae. 321.
comata, Ardea. 84.
comatus, Botaurus. 84.
Merganser. 59.
Common Bittern. 92.
Crane, in.
Eider Duck. 39.
Heron. 69.
Night-Heron. 80.
Red-shank. 299.
Scoter. 43.
Snipe. 215.
communis, Grus. in.
coromandelicus, Cursorius. 131.
Cosmonetta. 30.
histrionica. 30, 31.
Coursers. 130.
Courser, Black-and-Grey. 130.
Cream-coloured. 131, 132.
Crab- Plover. 130.
Crane, Common, in.
Crowned. 1 14.
Crane-like Birds, no.
Cranes, Demoiselle. 114.
True. in.
crassirostris, Tringa. 231.
Cream-coloured Courser. 131, 132.
crepitans, CEdicnemus. 127.
Crestless Lapwing. 173.
cristata, Fuligula. 13.
cristatus, Vanellus. i/o.
Crowned Crane. 1 14.
Crymophilus. 193.
fulicarius. 193.
cucullatus, Lophodytes. 52, 56.
Merganser. 56.
Mergus. 56.
Curlew. 317.
Eskimo. 326.
Stone-. 126, 127.
Curlew-Sandpipers. 239, 240.
curonicus, /Egialitis. 162, 175.
Cursorii. 130,
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
331
Cursorius. 130, 131.
coromandelicus. 131.
europaeus. 131.
gallicus. 130.
cyanocephalus, Nycticorax. 82.
dealbatus, ^Egialitis. 168.
Demoiselle Cranes. 114.
dispar, Stelleria. 34.
Diving Ducks. I.
dominions, Charadrius. 147, 148.
Dotterel. 152.
Asiatic. 150.
Kill-Deer. 155.
Dotterels, Black-breasted. 152.
Red-breasted. 150.
Sharp-tailed. 155.
dresseri, Somateria. 37.
Dromas ardeola. 130.
dubia, ^Kgialitis. 162.
dubius, Charadrius. 162.
Ducks, Diving, i.
Golden-eyed. 19, 20.
Harlequin, 30, 31.
Long-tailed. 26.
Rosy-billed. 3.
Scaup. 12, 16.
Soft-tailed Diving. I.
Stiff-tailed Diving, i.
Torrent, i, 51.
Tufted Scaup. 12.
Dunlins. 227, 228.
dybowskii, Otis. 116, 118.
Egret, Buff-backed Cattle. 86.
Little. 76, 77.
Egretta alba. 74.
garzetta. 77.
russata. 86.
egretta, Herodias. 73.
Eider Ducks, Common. 39.
King. 41.
Rufous-breasted. 34.
Steller's. 34.
True. 37.
Eniconetta. 34.
Ereunetes griseus. 306.
Erismatura. 51.
Erismaturinoe. I.
Esacus. 127.
Eskimo Curlew. 326.
Eudromias. 152.
morinellus. 152.
europoeus, Cursorius. 131.
falcinellus, Ibis. 104.
Plegadis. 103, 104.
Tantalus. 104.
fedoa, Limosa. 309.
ferina, Anas. 5.
Aythya. 5.
Fuligula. 5.
Nyroca. 5.
ferruginea, Nyroca. 9.
flavipes, Scolopax. 303.
Totanus. 295, 303.
forbesi, Oxyechus. 155.
fuerteventurne, Otis. 125.
fulicaria, Tringa. 193.
fulicarius, Crymophilus. 193.
Phalaropus. 193.
Fuligula. 5, 12.
affinis. 1 8.
albeola. 24.
clangula. 20.
collaris. 18.
cristata. 13.
ferina. 5.
fuligula. 12, 13.
fusca. 46.
glacialis. 26.
histrionica. 31.
marila. 16.
nigra. 43.
nyroca. 9.
perspicillata. 49.
rufina. 2.
fuligula, Anas. 12.
Fuligula. 12, 13.
Fuligulinae. I.
fulvus, Charadrius. 147.
fusca, Anas. 46.
Fuligula. 46.
Melanonetta. 47.
CEdemia. 46, 49.
Scolopax. 295.
fuscicollis, Heteropygia. 242.
Tringa. 242.
fuscus, Totanus. 295.
332
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
gallicus, Charadrius. 131.
Cursorius. 1 30.
Gallinago. 210.
coelestis. 215.
gallinago. 215.
gallinula. 220.
major. 210, 211.
gallinago, Gallinago. 215.
Scolopax. 215.
gallinula, Gallinago. 220.
Limnocryptes. 220.
Scolopax. 220.
gardeni, Nycticorax. 80.
Garzetta. 76.
garzetta. 76, 77.
garzetta, Ardea. 77.
Egretta. 77.
Garzetta. 76, 77.
glacialis, Anas. 26.
Fuligula. 26.
Ilarelda. 26.
Glareola. 133.
melanoptera. 135.
pratincola. 133.
glareola, Rhyacophilus. 275.
Tetanus. 275.
glaucion, Anas. 20.
Clangula. 20.
Glossy Ibises. 103, 104.
Glottis chloropus. 280.
nebularius. 280.
glottis, Totanus. 280.
Godwit, Bar-tailed. 309.
Black-tailed. 313.
Golden-eyed Duck. 19, 20.
Golden Plover. 143.
Goosander. 58.
Great Bustard. 115,116.
Snipe. 211.
White Heron. 73, 74.
Green-legged Tattlers. 289.
Green Sandpiper. 289.
Green-shank. 279, 280.
Marsh. 302.
gregaria, Chgetusia, 173.
Chettusia. 173.
gregarius, Charadrius. 273.
Vanellus. 173.
Grey Phalarope. 193.
Grey Herons. 69.
Plovers. 138.
grisea, Scolopax. 306.
griseus, Ereunetes. 306.
Macrorhamphus. 305, 306, 308.
Nycticorax. 80.
Grues. in.
Gruiformes. 1 10.
Grus cinerea. in.
communis. ill.
grus. ill.
Hlfordi. 112.
gms, Ardea. in.
Grus. ill.
guarauna, Plegadis. 104, 105.
Hcematopodinse. 137, 180.
Ilcematopus. 180.
moquini. 180.
niger. 180.
ostralegus. 180, 181.
Hammer-heads. 65.
Ilarelda. 26.
glacialis. 26.
Harlequin Ducks. 30, 31.
Helodromas. 289.
ochropus. 289, 290.
solitarius. 292, 293.
helvetica, Squatarola. 138, 143.
Tringa. 138.
helveticus, Charadrius. 138.
Heniconetta. 34.
stelleri. 34.
Herodias. 73.
alba. 73, 74.
egretta. 73.
timoriensis. 73, 74.
Herons. 65.
Common. 69.
Great White. 73, 74.
Grey. 69.
Night-. 80.
Squacco. 83.
True. 65.
Hesperornis. 51.
Heteropygia. 242.
acuminata. 244.
fuscicollis. 242.
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
333
Ileteropygia maculata. 247.
hiaticola, ^igialitis. 158, 163,
165.
Charadrius. 158.
hiaticola major, Charadrius. 158.
llimantopodinse. 137, 184.
Himantopus. 188.
avocetta. 185.
caudidus. 188.
himantopus. 188.
melanopterus. 188.
mexicanus. 188.
himantopus, Charadrius. 188.
Himantopus. 188.
Hirundo pratincola. 133.
histrionica, Anas. 31.
Clangula. 31.
Cosmonetta. 30, 31.
Fuligula. 3 1 .
Histrionicus minutus. 31.
Hooded Mergansers. 55, 56.
Hoplopterus speciosus. 138.
Houbara. 123.
macqueenii. 123.
undulata. 123, 125.
hudsonica, Limosa. 309.
hyperborea, Tringa. 197.
hyperboreus, Lobipes. 197.
Phalaropus. 197.
hypoleucos, Actitis. 283.
Totanus. 283.
Tringa. 283.
Tringoides. 283.
Ibididse. 103.
Ibis. 65, 103.
bernieri. 103.
falcinellus. 104.
melanocephala 103.
oethiopica. 103.
Ibis, Glossy. 103.
Sacred. 103.
idae, Ardeola. 84.
Indian Skimmer. 136
interpres, ^Igialitis. 17 j.
Charadrius. 176.
Strepsilas, 176.
Tringa. 176.
islandica, Clangula. 22.
Jacanas. 115.
Jack-Snipes. 220.
Kentish Sand -Plover. 166.
Kill-Deer Dotterel. 155.
King Eider. 41.
Knots. 231, 232.
lapponica, Limosa. 309.
Scolopax. 309.
Lapwings. 170.
Lapwing, Crestless. 173.
Sociable. 173.
Leimonites. 250.
lentiginosa, Ardea. 95.
lentiginosus, Botaurus. 92, 95.
Lesser Bustards. 1 19.
Golden Plover. 147.
leucerodia, Platalea. 107.
leucorodia, Platea. 107
Platea. 107.
lilfordi, Grus. 112.
Limicola. 223, 227.
platyrhyncha. 223, 224.
Limicolge. 321.
Limnocryptes. 220.
gallinula. 220.
Limonites. 250.
minuta. 250.
minutilla. 255.
ruficollis. 252.
temmincki. 257.
Limosa. 309.
regocephala. 313.
belgica. 313.
fedoa. 309.
hudsonica. 309.
lapponica. 309.
limosa. 309, 313.
novae zealandiie. 309.
rufa. 309.
uropygialis. 312.
limosa, Limosa. 309, 313.
Scolopax. 313.
Little Egrets. 76, 77.
Bitterns. 88.
Bustard. 115, 116, 120.
334
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
Little Ringed Sand- Plover. 162.
lobatus, Phalaropus. 193.
Lobipes hyperboreus. 197.
Lobivanellinse. 137.
longicauda, Bartramia. 267.
Tringa. 267.
longicaudus, Actiturus. 267.
Long-billed Phalaropes. 201.
Long-tailed Ducks. 26.
Long-tailed Tattlers. 267.
Lophodytes. 55.
cucullatus. 55, 56.
lucida, Arclea. 86.
lucidus, Bubulcus. 86.
Machetes pugnax. 271.
macqueenii, Houbara. 123.
macqueeni, Otis. 123.
Macqueen's Bustard. 115, 123.
Macrorhamphus. 305.
griseus. 305, 306, 308.
scolopaceus. 308.
macularia, Actitis. 287.
Totanus. 287.
Tringa. 287.
Tringoides. 287.
maculata, Tringa. 247.
Ileteropygia. 247.
major, Gallinago. 210, 21 1.
Scolopax. 211.
marila, Anas. 1 6.
Fuligula. 1 6.
maritima, Arquatella. 236.
Tringa. 236.
Marsh Green-shank. 302.
melanocephala, Ibis. 103.
melanoleucus, Totanus. 295.
Melanonetta fusca. 47.
melanoptera, Glareola. 135.
melanopterus, Himantopus. 188.
melanurus, Totanus. 313.
meloda., ^Egialitis. 294.
Merganetta. 51.
Merganser, Red-breasted. 61.
Merganser americanus. 59.
australis. 58.
brasilianus. 58-
castor. 58.
comatus. 5.
Merganser cucullatus. 56.
merganser. 58.
serrator. 61.
merganser, Merganser. 58
Mergus. 58.
Merginae. 51.
Mergus. 51.
albellus. 51, 52.
cucullatus. 56.
merganser. 58.
serrator. 61.
Metoponiana peposaca. 3.
mexicanus, Himantopus. 1 88.
minor, Charadrius. 162.
Platalea. 107.
minuta, Ardea. 88.
Ardeola. 89.
Ardetta. 88, 90.
Limonites. 250.
Tringa. 250.
minutilla, Limonites. 255.
Tringa. 255.
minutus, ^Egialitis. 168.
Botaurus. 88.
Histrionicus. 31.
mollissima. Anas. 37.
Somateria, 37.
moquini, Hnematopus. 180.
morinellus, Eudromias. 152.
Netta. i, 5.
rufina. 2.
niger, Haematopus. 180.
Night-Heron, Common. 80.
Night- Herons. 80.
nigra, Anas. 43.
Ardea. 100.
Ciconia. 100.
Fuligula. 43.
CEdemia. 43, 49.
Oidemia. 43.
Nile Plover. 138.
Nordmann's Pratincole. 135.
novae zealandioe, Limosa. 309.
Numenius. 127, 317.
arquatus. 317.
borealis. 326.
phreopus. 322.
Nycticorax. 80.
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
335
Nycticorax cyanocephalus. 82.
gardeni. So.
griseus. 80.
nycticorax. 80.
tayazu-guira. 82.
nycticorax, Ardea. 80.
Nyroca. 5, 12.
africana. 9.
ferina. 5.
ferruginea. 9.
nyroca. 5, 9.
nyroca, Anas. 9-
Fuligula. 9.
Nyroca. 5, 9.
ochropus, Helodromas. 280, 290.
Totanus. 289.
Tringa. 289.
Ochthodromus. 150, 152.
asiasticus. 150.
wilsoni. 150.
Oidemia. 43.
fusca. 46, 49.
perspicillata. 48.
nigra. 43, 49.
CEdicnemi. 126.
Oldicnemus. 127.
crepitans. 127.
oedicnemus. 127.
scolopax. 127.
nedicnemus, Charadrius. 127.
(Edicnemus. 127.
Oidemia. 43.
nigra. 43.
perspicillata. 48.
orientalis, Tringa. 252.
Orthorhamphus. 127.
ostralegus, Hcematopus. 180, 181.
Glides. 115.
Otis. 115.
dybowskii. 116, 118.
fuerteventune. 125.
macqueeni. 123.
tarda. 115, 116, 118.
tetrax. I2O.
Oxycchus. 152, 155.
bifrontatus. 155.
forbesi. 155-
tricollaris. 155.
Oxyechus vociferus. 155.
Oyster-catchers. 137, 180, 181.
Black. 1 80.
Pied. 180.
Parrse. 115.
Pavoncella. 270.
pugnax. 270, 271.
pavonina, Balearica. 114.
Pectoral Sandpipers. 242, 247.
Peewit. 170.
Pelidna. 227, 239.
alpina. 227, 228.
Pelionetta. 49.
peposaca, Metoponiana. 3.
perspicillata, Anas. 48.
Fuligula. 49.
Oidemia. 48.
Oidemia. 48.
phceopus, Numenius. 322.
Scolopax. 322.
Phalaropes. 137, 192, 193.
Grey. 193.
Long-billed. 201.
Red. 196.
Red-necked. 197.
True. 193.
Wilson's. 202.
Phalaropinre. 137, 192.
Phalaropus. 197.
fulicarius. 193.
hyperboreus. 197.
lobatus. 193.
wilsoni. 202.
Phoyx. 66.
purpurea. 66.
Pied Oyster-catchers. 180.
pinnatus, Botaurus. 92.
Piping Sand- Plover. 294.
Platalea. 106, 107.
alba. 107.
leucerodia. 107.
minor. 107.
regia. 107.
Plataleze. 103, 106.
Plataleidae. 103.
Platea leucoroclia. 107.
Platibis. 106, 107.
platyrhyncha, Limicola. 223, 224
33*
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
platyrhyncha, Tringa. 223.
Plegadis. 103.
falcinellus. 103, 104.
guarauna. 104, 105.
Plovers. 115, 137.
Plover, Crab-. 130.
Plovers, Golden. 143.
Grey. 138.
Lesser Golden. 147.
Nile. 138.
Ringed Sand-. 158,170.
Sand. 158.
Spurred. 138.
True. 137.
Wattled. 137.
Pluvialis aurea. 143.
squatarola. 138.
pluvialis, Charadrius. 143, 147.
Pluvianus aegyptius. 130.
pratincola, Glareola. 133.
Hirundo. 133.
Pratincole, Nordmann's. 135.
Pratincoles. 133.
Pochards. 5.
Red-crested. I, 2.
White-eyed. 9.
podicipes, Ardetta. 90.
poecilopterus, Botaurus. 92.
pugnax, Machetes. 271.
Pavoncella. 270, 271.
Totanus. 271.
Tringa. 270.
Purple Herons. 66.
Purple Sandpipers. 236.
purpurea, Ardea. 66.
Phoyx. 66.
ralloides, Ardea. 83.
Ardeola. 83, 84.
Recur virostra. 184.
avocetta. 184, 185.
Red-breasted Dotterels. 150.
Red-breasted Merganser. 61.
Red breasted Snipe-Tattler. 306.
Red-crested Pochards, i, 2.
Red-necked Phalaropes. 197.
Red Phalaropes. 196.
Red-shank, Common. 299.
Spotted. 295.
regia, Platalea. 107.
Ringed Sand-Plover. 158, 170.
Rosy-billed Duck. 3.
rufa, Limosa. 309.
rufa, Totanus. 310.
rufescens, Tringa. 264.
Tringites. 264.
Ruffs. 270.
Ruffed Bustards. 123.
ruficollis, Limonites. 252.
rufina, Anas. 2.
rufina, Aythya. 2.
rufina, Fuligula. 2.
rufina, Netta. 2.
Rufous-breasted Eider Ducks. 3;.
russata, Egretta. 86.
Rusticola sylvestris. 205.
rusticula, Scolopax. 205.
Sacred Ibis. 103.
Sanderlings. 260.
Sandpipers. 137.
Bonaparte's. 242.
Broad-billed. 223.
Buff-breasted. 264.
Common. 283.
Curlew. 239.
Green. 289.
Pectoral. 240, 247.
Purple. 236.
Sharp-tailed Pectoral. 244.
Sand-Plover, Kentish. 166.
Little ringed. 162.
Piping. 294.
Sand-Plovers. 158.
Scaup Duck. 12, 16.
schinzii, Tringa. 243.
scolapaceus, Macrorhamphus. 3 )S
Scolopacinoe. 137, 205.
Scolopax. 205.
arquata. 317.
calidris. 299.
flavipes. 303.
fusca. 295.
gallinago. 215.
gallinula. 220.
grisea. 306.
lapponica. 309.
limosa. 313.
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
337
Scolopnx major. 21 1.
nebularius. 280.
phoeopus. 322.
rusticola. 205.
subarquata. 240.
scolopax, CEdicnemus. 127.
Scopid?e. 65.
Scopus. 65.
Scoter, Common. 43,
Surf. 48.
Velvet-. 46.
Scoters. 43.
Seed-Snipes. 115.
serrator, Merganser. 61.
Mergus. 61.
Sharp-tailed Dotterels, 155.
Pectoral Sandpiper. 244.
Sheath-bills. 115.
Shoe-bills. 65.
Skimmer, Indian. 136.
Smews. 51, 52.
Snipes. 137, 205.
Common. 215.
Great. 211.
Jack-. 220.
Snipe-Tattlers, 305.
Red-Breasted. 306.
Sociable Lapwing. 173.
Soft-tailed Diving Ducks. I.
solitaria, Tringa. 292.
solitarius, Helodromas. 292, 293.
Totanus. 292.
Solitary Tattler. 292.
Somateria. 37.
borealis. 39.
dresseri. 37.
mollissima. 37.
spectabilis. 37, 41.
stelleri. 34.
speciosus, Hoplopterus. 138.
spectabilis, Anas. 41.
Somateria. 37> 41-
Spoon-Bills. 103, 106, 107.
Spotted Red-shank. 295.
Spurred Plovers. 138.
Squacco Herons. 83.
Squatarola. 138.
cinerea. 138.
helvetica. 138, 143.
II
squntnrola, Pluvialis. 138.
stagnatilis, Totanus. 295, 302.
Steganopus. 201.
tricolor. 201, 202.
stellaris, Ardea. 92.
Botaurus. 91, 92.
stelleri, Anas. 34.
Heniconetta. 34.
Somateria. 34.
Stelleria dispar. 34.
Steller's Eider Duck. 34.
Stiff-tailed Diving Ducks. I.
Stilt. 37, 184, 188.
Stilt, Black-winged. 188.
Stint. 250.
Stint, American. 255.
Temminck's. 257.
Stone-Curlews. 126, 127.
Stork, Black. 100.
True. 97.
White. 97.
Strepsilas interpres. 176.
striata, Tringa. 236.
subarcuatus, Ancylochilus. 239,
240.
subarquata, Scolopax. 240.
Tringa. 240.
subruficollis, Tringa. 264.
Tringites. 264.
Summer-Snipe, American. 287.
Common. 283.
Surf Scotter. 48.
sylvestris, Rusticola. 205.
Tantalus falcinellus. 104.
tarda, Otis. 115, 116, 118.
tayazu-guira, Nycticorax. 82.
temmincki, Limonites. 257.
Tringa. 257.
Temminck's Stint. 257.
Tetrax. 119.
tetrax. 116, 119, 120.
tetrax, Otis. 120.
Tetrax. 116, 119, 120.
Thick-knees. 115, 126.
timoriensis, Herodias. 73, 74.
Torrent -Ducks, I, 51.
Totaninae. 137, 266.
Totanus. 295.
333
ALPHABETICAL INDEX.
Totanus acuminatus. 244.
bartrami. 267.
calidris. 295, 299.
flavipes. 295, 303.
fuscus. 295.
melanoleucus, 295.
melanurus, 313.
ochropus. 289.
pugnax. 271.
rufus. 310.
solitarius. 292.
stagnatilis. 295, 302.
tricollaris, Oxyechus. 155.
tricolor, Steganopus. 201, CC2.
Tringa. 227, 231.
arenaria. 260.
acuminata. 244.
alpina. 228.
bonaparti. 243.
canutus. 231, 232.
cinclus. 228.
crassirostris. 231.
fulicaria. 193.
fuscicollis. 242.
helvetica. 138.
hyperborea. 197.
interpres. 176.
longicauda. 267.
maculata. 247.
maritima. 236.
minuta. 250.
minutilla. 255.
ochropus. 289.
orientalis. 252.
platyrhyncha. 223.
pugnax. 270.
rufescens. 264.
schinzii. 243.
solitaria. 292.
striata. 236.
subarquata. 240.
subruficollis. 264.
temmincki. 257.
vanellus. 170.
Tringites. 264.
Tringites rufescens. 264.
subruficollis. 264.
Tattlers. 266.
Bartram's. 267.
Green-legged. 289.
Long-tailed. 267.
Snipe. 305.
Solitary. 292.
True. 295.
Tringoides. 282.
Tufted Scaup Duck. i~.
Turn-stone, Black. 176.
Turn-stones. 137, 176.
undulata, Houbara. 123, 125.
uropygialis, Limosa, 312.
Vanellus. 170.
cristatus. 170.
gregarius. 173.
vanellus. 170.
vulgaris. 170.
vanellus, Tringa. 170.
Vanellus. 170.
Velvet -Scoter. 46.
virgo, Anthropoides. 114.
vocifera, ^igialitis. 155.
vociferns, Charadrius. 155.
Oxyechus. 155.
vulgaris, Vanellus. 170.
Waders. 136.
Wattled Plovers. 137.
Whimbrel. 322.
White-eyed Pochard. 9.
White Stork. 97.
Wilson's Phalarope. 202.
wilsoni, Ochthodromus. 150.
vvilsoni, Phalaropus. 202.
Wood-cock. 205.
Wood-Sandpiper. 275.
Wood-Tattler. 275.
Yellow-shank. 303.
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