"236 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS. 



sandy shores, aud are also Euucli addicted to the rock-pools 

 and weed-covered rocks, where they feed on small dog-crabs 

 and other shell-fish. About the •25th of August, the Green- 

 shanks appear, always a scarce bird, though one or two seem 

 every year, at the same date, to return with remarkable per- 

 sistency to the same pool or stream, and this, too, although 

 the particular individuals have been shot each year on 

 arrival. The young of the Common Sandpiper comes down 

 from the moors at the end of July, but only passes a few days 

 ou the rocky shores before proceeding onwards for the south. 

 The larger Curlew- Sandpiper is later in arriving, not being 

 due till September, and moving on within a few days. By 

 September 20th they, and the Greenshanks, have passed 

 risrht on and are gone. The Ruff is also a scarce bird. On 

 August 23rd (my brother writes), we were rowing up a bight 

 in the slakes, when I chanced to see a bird stretch its wing 

 and gently close it again. It was sitting among grey whelk- 

 covered shingle, and, though close at hand, I could not make 

 it out, so fired at the place. Nothing flew away. On 

 coming up, two young Knots and a Reeve lay dead. 



Such, roughly described, are the birds which every 

 summer pass southwards along our shores to the aggregate 

 of many millions. Some of each and all the species named, 

 may be secured any August by those who know where to look 

 for them, for almost every kind has some special resort to 

 which it is more or less confined. But, in order to complete 

 the list of this group, I must mention also the following 

 allied birds, which also pass south at about the same period, 

 but so scarcely or irregularly that one may shoot for years 

 without meeting with any of them. They are the Green 

 aud Wood-Sandpipers, the Little and Temminck's Stints, 

 the Dusky Redshank, and the Phalaropes. 



Coincidcntly with this extensive " through-transit " in 

 August and September, there also occurs the arrival of those 

 hardier members of the same great bird-family which mean 

 to make our shores their winter home. These are chiefly 

 Curlews, Godwits, Knots, Redshanks, Grey Plovers, Turn- 

 stones, Dunlin, Purple Sandpipers, Sea-pyots, and, in a 

 less degree, the Sanderling. The latter might almost be 



