BIRDS MET WITH BY THE WILDFOWLER 345 
to ditches filled and emptied at every tide than a broad, flat 
expanse of mud, and by walking quickly along a ditch he may 
often be closely approached and watched as he probes the soft 
ooze for worms, shrimps, sand-hoppers, or anything that may 
come handy. At the least sign of danger, however, he is off, 
calling out as he rises and displaying a very conspicuous white 
rump. Although fond of the society of others of his kind, his 
wild flight soon breaks up the family party, and by the time 
he reaches our shores in August and September it is reduced 
to twos and threes. The abundance of food on the shore has 
not been without its effect, and he is at this time of year 
exceedingly fat—doubtless a wise provision, as both old and 
young are moulting and migrating, which must be a serious 
tax on their system. Their sojourn with us is short, and by 
the beginning of October most of them have gone, and their 
ringing ‘‘tui-tui”’ no longer enlivens the shore. In April they 
will return, but they are then anxious to reach their summer 
home, and brief as is their visit in autumn it is still shorter in 
spring, and we must travel to Scotland or farther north to see 
them in their homes. 
The adult in summer has the back and secondaries black, 
some of the feathers being margined with grey ; rump white ; 
head and neck white, tinged with grey and streaked with dark 
brown. Under parts white, with a few blackish streaks on the 
throat and upper breast. In winter the back is greyer and the 
under parts are pure white. The female has the upper parts 
less conspicuously marked than the male. The young are 
browner on the back, and have the feathers on the back mar- 
gined with tawny, and chest and flanks pencilled finely with 
dark grey. Length about 13 in. 
