The terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. X47 



on in order to bring the chicks on board alive; when I however 

 after a quarter of an hour looked at them again, they were both 

 lying dying in convulsions. 



When the Sanderling wants to protect her young ones against 

 hostile attacks, she executes still more surprising systematic tactics, 

 than she does when brooding. 



Already when at a distance of some 200 to 300 metres from the 

 young ones, the old female would rush towards me and by all 

 kinds of flapping and creeping movements in an opposite direction 

 try to lead me astray; all the while she would now squeak like a 

 young one and now growl angryly striving to draw my attention 

 towards herself only. Now and then she would rise very high in 

 the air in a direct rapid flight to disappear behind a rock on the 

 opposite beach of a lake etc. From quite another direction she 

 soon appeared again just before my feet. 



If I finally retired still farther away from the young ones and 

 for a while kept myself hidden in the field she would fly slowly 

 some times quite low over the earth to the spot, where the young 

 still were lying motionless and mute with their bodies pressed flat 

 against the earth and their neck and head stretched out. When at 

 last the female considers the danger to be over she, flying or run- 

 ning close to the chicks, produces a short chirping song at the tones 

 of which all four young ones suddenly get up and begin to run 

 about. 



Only in this case the Sanderling produces its highly peculiar 

 "Sanderling-song", which is very similar the song of Sijluia curruca. 



As long as the young kept lying quiet on the ground in the 

 before mentioned attitude they were extremely difficult to find, if I 

 had not from my ambush by aid of my field-glass exactly marked 

 down the spot, where they last appeared. The young ones do 

 not seek any real cover as in hollows in the ground, under plants, 

 behind stones or similar natural hiding-places. 



When I had found a single young one, which while I kept it 

 in my hands, began to chirp, it generally happened, that the three 

 other young, which had till then kept quiet, suddenly rose and with 

 the wings raised uttered a quite fine mouse-like squeaking and ha- 

 stily rushed away, while the old female as if paralysed lay down 

 before my feet still squeaking exactly like the chicks. 



In cold nights and in severe weather the old female will on 

 account of the susceptibility of her young ones only leave them for 

 some moments; in such cases I therefore very quickly succeeded in 

 finding the young. 



By continually following the developement of certain broods 



10* 



