BIRDS April to the middle of September and occasionally breeding. Mr. Babington mentioned Grace Dieu and Groby Pool as localities for it, and Mr. Bevans reports it as commonly occurring years ago, in spring, in the Abbey Meadow. I have obtained specimens from Aylestone, Belgrave, Saddington, and Thornton Reser- voirs, and Wistow. One which I shot at Aylestone was merely wounded and thereupon swam and dived with ease a little-known habit of this bird. Mr. W. A. Evans reported that in August, 1885, he saw six common sandpipers fly up the new flood-works cutting into Leicester, but of course they turned back immediately. I saw three at the Flood Works, Ayles- stone, 30 July, 1888. Harley recorded that it bred on the banks of Groby Pool, as he learned from Chaplin who found it there. The late Dr. Macaulay stated that it bred at Saddington Reservoir (Mi d.' Nat, 1 88 1, p. 256), but his only ground for this assertion was the fact of his having seen immature birds there during late summer. Mr. H. A. Payne, of Elm House, Enville, wrote in August, 1888 : 'About three years ago I found a sandpiper's nest in the old walled garden adjoining the brook in Bradgate Park. The bird is what is called about there a summer snipe. Another nest was found the same year at Bradgate, the eggs of which I have.' One was shot at Potters Marston in 1892 by Mr. J. Choyce, who presented it to the museum. The Rev. Hugh Parry found a nest containing four fresh eggs on a bank of the Eye Brook near Skef- fington, 26 May, 1906. Mr. W. J. Horn, writing in 1907, gives the following records: 2 May, 1896, two seen near Hinckley ; 20 Sept., 1902, two seen at Saddington Reservoir; 4 May, 1904, one seen on canal, Market Harborough ; 1 7 May, 1 904, one seen on canal, Market Harborough ; 2 May, 1905, one seen on canal, Market Harborough. 1 80. Wood-Sandpiper. Totanus glareo!a(]. F. Gmelin). A rare straggler on migration. Harley characterized this species as more rare and shy than its congener, T. ocfiropus, and stated that it was met with at Groby Pool in 1 840, and also occurred during the winter of 1852-3. 181. Green Sandpiper. Totanus ochnfus (Linn.). A spring and autumn visitant, not common, but sometimes remaining during winter. Mr. Babington (Potter, op. cit. App. 69) recorded its occurrence at Groby Pool. A mounted specimen was presented to the museum, 7 April, 1851, by Mr. Job Glover,
- killed in Leicestershire,' presumably at Bagworth.
This species was noticed by Harley on the Wreak, who also reported that ' it had also been shot on the banks of the Soar and Trent, and had occurred in several instances during the autumn and winter of 1853.' I saw in the possession of Mr. J. S. Bevins, of Ingarsby Old Hall, a specimen shot by his father at Wellesborough, sometime about 186570. The Rev. G. D. Armitage shot one at Broughton Astley on 6 Sept., 1878. The late Dr. Macaulay showed me a specimen shot by Mr. John Peberdy at Smeeton Brook about 1882. He also informed me of two shot by Mr. A. K. Perkins at Saddington, August, 1883, and now in the possession of Mr. Douglass, of Market Harborough. A fine female in the museum was shot at Saddington Reservoir on 19 Aug., 1887, by Mr. A. K. Perkins. Dr. Macaulay also informed me that his son, Mr. T. A. Macaulay, shot one out of the Smeeton Brook on 1 6 Dec., 1889, and there was another with it. Mr. O. Murray-Dixon shot one at Swithland Reservoir at the end of October, 1901. The late Dr. Ogle shot one on the Swift near Lutter- worth in 1902, which he presented to the museum. Mr. G. Frisby saw five on I Aug., 1906, and some every week until I November, at Swithland Reservoir. Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907 : 'I have seen this bird on the Welland in every month of the year except June and July. It wintered on the Welland near the Market Harborough Sewage Farm in 1899, 1900, 1901, and 1902. On 27 Aug., 1898, Mr. W. H. Symington shot one at Ashley which he presented to me. I shot a young bird in the autumn of 1902 ; two were seen on the Welland, near Market Harborough Sewage Farm, on 6, and five on 14 October, 1899; whilst up to 14 April, 1904, I saw eighteen others.' 182. Common Redshank. Totanus calidris (Linn.). This new record for the county I am able to add on the testimony of several competent observers, viz., Mr. A. Dalby of Castle Donington, writing 26 Jan., 1891, says: 'The redshank breeds every year near the Trent, generally several pairs. I have seen a nest and young birds, the latter several times. They come here at the beginning of April and leave in August. One spent several days in our garden three springs ago, feeding on the worms and insects on the grass plots.' Mr. E. L. Ferrall observed it near Market Harborough, 18 May, 1906 ; whilst its nesting is placed beyond dispute by the Rev. Hugh Parry, who found a nest with four incubated eggs in a tuft of grass in a meadow in the Welland Valley between Great Easton and Medbourne, 17 May, 1906. Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907 : ' On 21 April one was seen at Wclham. The Rev. A. W. Pulteney reports it having bred on two occasions in the Welland Valley near Ashley (it certainly breeds several pairs a few miles lower down the valley at Seaton).' 183. Spotted Redshank. Totanus fuscus (Linn.). A rare straggler on migration. Inserted in this list on the authority of Mr. J. Whitaker, of Mansfield, Notts., who informed me that he had a spotted red- shank, shot by Mr. W. Whitaker, in 1880, on the side of Thornton Reservoir. 184. Greenshank. Totanus canescens (J. F. Gmelin). A rare spring and autumn visitant. Harley wrote : ' It has been shot on the banks of Groby Pool and also at Swithland. Yarrell, on the authority of a resident at Melton Mowbray, 10 stated that 'it is not uncommon in the more eastern parts of the county.' I saw a specimen in the hands of Elkington, said to have been shot at Enderby. Writing to Mr. Joseph Burchnall of the Cottage Farm, Enderby, for confirm- ation, he replied : ' I shot the Greenshank some time in August, 1885, in Shenton Meadow, parish of Enderby.' Mr. W. J. Horn writes in 1907 : 'On 29 August, 1898, T. Turner, the postman, and a good naturalist, reported to me that he had seen the Greenshank at Saddington Reservoir (I. think this very probable, as I have seen the bird at the neighbouring reservoir of Naseby, and in the fishing cottage there, a pair is set up which was shot on that water).' 50 Probably the late Mr. Widdowson, who wa often in com- munication with Yarrell.
