SANDERLING in 



(lat. 82' 33'), Greenland, the I^arren Grounds of North America, 

 Alaska, the Taimur Peninsula, the delta of the Yenisei, Novaia 

 Zemlia, and Iceland, and it probably does so near the mouth of the 

 Petchora, on the western side of the Urals. 



Measuring about 7^ inches in total length, the sanderling is 

 specially characterised by the circumstance that while the summer- 

 plumage is mottled chestnut and black, the winter-dress is uniformly 

 grey. 



In summer the ground-colour of the upper-parts is brownish black, 

 with pale chestnut edges and bars to the feathers, giving a mottled 

 appearance ; the neck, throat and upper part of the breast are also of 

 a pale chestnut, relieved by spots and streaks of brownish black, while 

 the rest of the under-parts is white ; across the wing extends a bar 

 formed by white tips to the greater coverts, and white bars to the 

 secondaries, some of the inner webs of which arc pure white, while the 

 outer wing-coverts are brown. In winter the upper-parts are light 

 ash}' grey relieved by fine dusky streaks, specially marked on the wing- 

 coverts and upper tail-coverts ; while the whole of the under-parts is 

 white. Young birds in first plumage are intermediate between the 

 summer and winter plumages of the adult, the upper-parts being black 

 spotted and barred with buff and white, while the lower surface is 

 tinged with buff, fading by exposure to white. 



On account of breeding so far north, sanderling are compelled to 

 travel south very early, and they reach the British coasts on their 

 southern journey during the latter part of July or early in August, 

 the advance parties consisting of both adult and immature birds. 

 From April to June is the period of the northern journe}', by which 

 time the birds have assumed their summer breeding-plumage ; but 

 the species is less commonly seen at this season in Great Britain than 

 it is in autumn. On sandy shores it may be met with all round 

 Ireland, alike in spring and autumn ; and it is believed that, as in 

 Great Britain, a few individuals ma}' occasionally remain for the winter. 

 On the sandy flats from which it takes its name the sanderling ma}' be 

 seen, either singly or in flocks, in association with sandpipers and dun- 

 lins ; and in winter may easily be mistaken for the latter species, although 

 distinguishable by its generally lighter tone of colouring, more especi- 

 ally the pure white breast and shorter beak. The extreme edge of the 

 tide forms the favourite hunting-ground of this bird, where it is con- 

 stantly running in and out of the water in search of the shrimps, worms, 

 and shell-fish which form its food. On the breeding-grounds its food 

 consists, on the other hand, largely of insects, together with the buds 



