68 THE GAME BIRDS 
needs especial description, as its small size 
is sufficient to distinguish it from the others, 
although No. 82 is but little larger. 
In habits, this species is but little differ- 
ent from the rest of its tribe, running about 
among the pools of water left by the receding 
tide, picking up the insects and shell-fish. 
They are exceedingly restless, and seldom in 
one spot for more than amoment. They breed 
in the far North, but are so irregular in their 
movements that they are with us nearly every 
month in the summer. 
Tam much in doubt whether to admit these 
birds in the list, but they are so closely asso- 
ciated with others of “ like ilk,” that I am in 
a measure obliged to describe them. It 
would take about a dozen to make a mouth- 
ful, but when that mouthful is obtained, it is 
one of the sweetest morsels that ever titillated 
the palate of an epicure. My mouth waters 
at the thought of ‘ peep-stew,” and I can 
pardon the man who calls them game, though 
they be not larger than sparrows. 
°80. RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 
DUNLIN. FALL-SNIPE. OX-BIRD. 
Tringa alpina pacified. 
In the full summer plumage, the back is a 
reddish-brown, mottled with black and shaded 
with grayish touches; wings, mottled gray 
and brown, shaded with white; the head, 
neck and breast are ashy, marked with elon- 
