DOUGLAS S SANDPIPER. 



333 



roreTS are ready to give the alarm. At first a slender peep is hearo, 

 which is then followed bj two or three otliers, and presently peei ^pip 

 pip ^p'p murmurs in a lisping whistle through the quailing ranks, aa 

 Jiey rise swarming on the wing, and inevitably entice with them their 

 larger but less watchful associates. 



Douglas's stilt sandpiper. 



According to Dr. Kichardson, this species is not uncommon in th 

 fur countries of 

 Upper Canada, to 

 the 60th parallel, 

 and perhaps still 

 further north. It 

 exhibits the usual 

 habits of the genus 

 2Vinga, frequents 

 the interior marshes 

 in the breeding 

 season, and in the 

 autumn resorts in 

 flociis to the flat 

 ahorep of Hudson's 

 Bay. previous to 

 taking its departure 

 for tiia south. 



MDSLAS'S BTILf SANDPIPER. 



OF THE PLOVERS IN GENERAL. 



The Plovers have a straight, somewhat cylindrical and obtuse bilL 

 seldom longer than the head. The feet are formed for running, wi;a 

 three toes, all placed forward. 



The Plovers generally associate in small flocks, and the wh-/ia 

 emigrate in companies of greater or less extent ; the young colJt-:4 

 together, pursuing their route apart from the old, and after their dd- 

 parture. They live principally upon small worms, and aquatic insects. 

 The common species, and the Ouignard, frequent the marshes and 

 muddy borders of the larger and smaller rivers, and rarely frequent 

 sea shores; the other species live more habitually upon the coasts, ami 

 near the outlets of streams. The moult in most of the species ia 

 double, and the sexes are scarcely distinguishable by any exterior 

 jiarkiugs, except in the G. cantianus, in which the moult is only 

 annual, and the sexes distinguishable by their livery. Some exotio 

 species of the genus bear spines upon the shoulders of the wings, 

 being, in fact, an approach towards the development of claws on the 

 anterior extremities I several other species have fleshy excresceuoea 

 upon the head or mandibles. 



