SANDERLING PLOVER. 5 



particularly attached to sandy flats, and low, sterile, solitary 

 coasts, divested of vegetation, and perpetually bleached by 

 the access of tides and storms ; in such situations they are 

 often seen in numerous flocks, running along the strand, 

 busily employed in front of the moving waves, gleaning with 

 agility, the shrimps, minute shell-fish, marine insects, and 

 small moluscous animals, which ever recurring accident 

 throws in their way. The numerous flocks, keep a low 

 circling course along the strand, at times, uttering a slender 

 and rather plaintive whistle, nearly like that of the smaller 

 sandpipers. On alighting, the little active troop, waiting the 

 opportunity, scatter themselves about in the rear of the re- 

 tiring surge, the succeeding wave then again urges the busy 

 gleaners before it, when they appear like a little pigmy army 

 passing through their military evolutions ; and at this time 

 the wily sportsman, seizing his opportunity, spreads destruc- 

 tion among their timid ranks : and so little are they aware 

 of the nature of the attack, that, after making a few aerial 

 meanders, the survivers pursue their busy avocations with 

 as little apparent concern as at the first. The breeding 

 place of the Sanderling, in common with many other wad- 

 ing, and aquatic birds, is in the remote and desolate regions 

 of the north, since they appear to be obliged to quit those 

 countries in America a little after the middle of August. 

 According to Mr. Hutchins, they breed on the coast of 

 Hudson's Bay, as low as the 55th parallel : and he remarks 

 that they construct, in the marshes, a rude nest of grass, 

 laying 4 dusky eggs, spotted with black, on which they begin 

 to sit about the middle of June. 



Flemming supposes that those seen in Great Britain breed 

 no farther ofl" than in the bleak Highlands of Scotland, and 

 Mr. Simmonds observed them at the Mull of Cantyre as late 

 as the 2d of June. They are found in the course of the 

 season throughout the whole arctic circle, extending their 



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