48 



AN AUSTRALIAN BIRD BOOK. 



1 100 SanderUng, Calidris arenaria (leucophoca, Am.O.U.), 



1 COS. exc. Pacific Is. Mig, v.r. sandy shores, swa^nps 1.^ 



Crown, back gray; wtiite band on wing; sides, lower-bacli 



white; eyebrow, forehead, face, under white; no hind 



toe; brighter in far north; f., sim. Sand-hoppers, 



insects. "Wick." 



remarkable of such organs. The Australian Avocet is one 

 species of a cosmopolitan genus. 



Some of the Dottrels live on the dry, open plains of the interior; 

 others frequent the beaches and shores. 



When a bird of prey appears, these plain-living birds squat quite 

 flat, placing even the head flat on the ground. They thus escape 

 detection, for the protective coloring of these birds and of their 

 eggs is marvellous. The story of how a photograph of a Dottrel's 

 nest was obtained is of value to teachers, for it will remind us that 

 it is not well to neglect the three R's, and that Nature-study alone 

 will not give a complete education. Three bird-lovers spent some 

 time trying to find this nest, while the parent birds flew noisily 

 around. Suspecting at last that the birds' knowledge of num- 

 bers was probably deficient, the three hid behind a log. Two 

 then walked away. The birds immediately returned to the nest. 

 and a valuable photograph was the result. A training in Nature- 

 study, valuable as it undoubtedly is, is thus not all of our work. 



The Painted Snipe breeds in Australia, but tne Australian Snipe 

 breeds in Japan, so it, properly speaking, is not an Australian 



