Tlie terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. 



143 



I only found the nest on places of this type, never on moors 

 or plains entirely uncovered. The larger or smaller extent, the 

 higher or lower position over the level of the sea and the distance 

 from nearest shore of such locality is, according to my experience, 

 of no consequence. It only seems, as if the Sanderling prefers to 

 nest on such places, which are situated not very far from fresh 

 water — a lake or a pond — to the shores of which the young 

 ones are often directed. Some nests found prove however that the 

 birds do not insist upon this. 



Fig. 7. Sanderlings Nest in unusual surroundings. 



The situation of the nest is also extremely constant. 



At the edge — or rarer farther in — of a tuft of Dryas, the 

 bird will form a cup-shaped not very deep nest-hollow, the bottom 

 of which is sparsely lined with withered leaves of Salix arctica or 

 other plants growing in the neighbourhood. In size, and partly in 

 shape the Sanderlings nest resembles that of Tringa alpina. 



The striking likeness in colour to the surroundings and the 

 monotonous character of the landscape makes it extremely difficult 

 to find the nest unless the bird itself shows the way to it. The 

 number of eggs in a clutch is always 4. 



I found 11 nests with eggs and some 50 hatches of downy young 

 ones but none of these differed from the normal number. 



