235 



CALIDRIS. SANDERLING. 



This genus is formed of a single species, which in all 

 respects agrees precisely with the genus Tringa, and might 

 stand next to the Dunlin, had it not "been deprived of its 

 hind toe. The presence or absence of this member seems to 

 be of very little importance in the economy of the Waders, 

 as no appreciable difference exists in the mode of walking of 

 the Sanderling and Dunlin, or of the Golden and Grey 

 Plovers. 



Bill of the length of the head, straight, slender, soft and 

 somewhat flexible ; upper mandible with the dorsal line 

 straight, the ridge narrow, towards the end flattened, the tip 

 a little enlarged, obtuse, and somewhat exceeding that of the 

 lower, the nasal groove extending nearly to the end, and 

 filled by a concave bare membrane ; lower mandible with 

 the angle very long and narrow, the sides grooved, the tip a 

 little enlarged and obtuse. Tongue very long, slender, tri- 

 gonal, channelled above, pointed. Upper mandible within 

 concave, with a double row of reversed pointed papilla) ; 

 lower deeply concave. Fauces extremely small. (Esophagus 

 narrow, without dilatation ; proventriculus small, its glands 

 oblong ; gizzard large and muscular ; its cuticular lining 

 rugous ; intestine long ; coeca moderate, cylindrical. 



Nostrils small, linear, pervious, basal, close to the margin. 

 Eyes small ; both eyelids feathered. Aperture of ear rather 

 large, roundish. Feet rather short, very slender ; tibia bare 

 at its lower part ; tarsus with numerous anterior scutella ; 

 toes small, first wanting, second a little shorter than fourth, 

 third not much longer, all with numerous scutella above, 

 laterally marginate. Claws small, curved, compressed, obtuse. 



Plumage moderately full, soft, and blended ; but on the 

 back and wings rather compact. Wings very long, pointed ; 



