TUF SWnFRT.TNO. 



531 



Selbv, noticing tlio habits of these birds tlnriiig lliclr winter sojourning on tlve coast, 

 observes : " At tliis season tlie)' are remarkable for tlieir shy and watchful character, and, 

 unless by stratagem, can rarely be approached within gun-shot. During the flowing of 

 the tide, they retire to the fields adjoining the coast, where they remain quietly until the 

 ebb has commenced. No sooner has this taken place, than they are seen returning, to seek 

 in the lately covered sands for a new deposit of food ; and I have often observed with 

 adijiiration by what wonderful instinctive feeling they became immediately acquainted 

 with the fact ; and have watched, when a certain maik on the shore has become A'isible, 

 for their reappearance, without once being disappointed in the result, so well do they 

 know their 'appointed times and seasons.' " The curlew is found in India; but in 

 Anjerica its place is supplied bv a species distinguislied bv the excessive length of the 

 bill. 



THE SANnERUNG.* 



This bird is found at the edge of the water on most of the sandy shores of the seas of 

 Great Eritain and Ireland ; but it is met with in many other countries. It is about 

 eight inches in length. Its plumage in winter on the upper surface of the body is of a 

 light ash-gray ; but when changing on the I'eturn of spring, for its summer attire, it 

 greatly improves in appearance. 



Mr. .Vudubon says : " The Sanderlii-ig obtains its food principally by probing the moist 

 sands of the sea-shores with its bill held in an oblique direction. At every step it inserts 

 this instrument, with surprising quickness, to a greater or less depth, according to the 

 softness of the sand, sometimes introducing it a quarter of an inch, sometimes to the base. 

 The holes thus made may be seen on the borders of beaches, when the tide is fast 

 receding, in rows of twenty, thirty, or more ; in certain spots, less mimerous ; for it 

 appears that when a place is unproductive of the food for which they are searching, they 

 very soon take to their wings and remove to another, now and then in so hurried a 

 manner, that one might suppose they had been suddenly frightened. The contents of 

 the stomachs of those which I shot while thus occupied, were slender sea-worms, about 

 an inch in length, together with minute shell-fish and gravel. At other times, Avhen 

 they were seen following the receding waves, and wading up to the belly in the 

 returning waters, I found in them small shrimps and other Crustacea." They are well 

 known in America, and have been brought from Asia and Africa. 



^lajor Sabine, in the Appendix to Sir Edward Parry's " First Ai'ctic Voyage," says : 

 " The Sanderling breeds in considerable numbers on the North Georgian Islands ; several 

 pairs were killed at diflerent periods of the breeding season, the males and females of 

 which were invariablj' found to differ in their plumage ; tlie general colour of the female 

 being lighter, and having more cinereous and less of black and reddish marking than 

 that of the male ; this is especially the case on the chin, throat, and fore-part of the 

 neck ; which may be described in the female as white, with a very slight sprinkling of 

 dark spots, and scai-cely anj- appearance of red ; whereas, in the male, the dark colours 

 greatly predominate." 



' t'harailrius Caliari'^. — Ptiin. 



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