The terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. 149 



tioning in the colour of the downy young of the same age; neither 

 did I find any other difference. Though the young Sanderlings have 

 now nearly reached the full size of their body and are able to 

 begin to fly, their tails and wings have not by far reached their 

 full developement and plenty of down may still be found on the 

 head of the birds, on a border along the fore-breast, on the thigh 

 on the under tail coverts and on the tail. 



At this phase of development the flight is rather fast and easy, 

 but not enduring. The young are still for a couple of days accom- 

 panied by their mother, after which this bird immediately leaves 

 the country, and the young go just as quickly to the salt water 

 shore. I have at this season never met with females, which did 

 not accompany their young ones either singly or in flocks; this 

 must prove, that they successively leave the country. 



At the end of July the first young Sanderlings can be seen 

 sociably running around seeking food. The birds still carry conspi- 

 cuous remnants of their downy plumage, especially at the root of 

 the bill on both sides of the crown, and on the thigh. 



The young Sanderling, which when guided by its mother is so 

 shy and timid, is suddenly transformed into the most confident and 

 fearless little bird, the charming manners of which are still more 

 pleasing than those of most other small waders. 



The flocks of Sanderlings every day increase in size till they 

 culminate about August 20'i\ 



August 21^' 1906 I met on the shore at Hvalrosodden with a 

 flock numbering at least 300 Sanderlings. I walked there towards 

 evening and, as the weather was unusually fine, the birds were 

 very lively; the imposingly large flock of birds executed evolutions 

 in the air with incredible dexterity, now scattered and then in a 

 compact column, now very high in the air and then close to the 

 glassy level of the sea. Having finished their flying manoeuvres the 

 birds flew to the sandy shore of the firth, and here I could within 

 quite a short distance observe the single birds. 



The flock consisted exclusively of j^ung birds many of them 

 still wore remnants of the downy plumage around the root of the bill. 



At low water crustaceans and worms were abundant on the 

 shore; following a fixed system the Sanderlings with great perseve- 

 rence picked these animals up. The searching began on a certain 

 spot and was continued along the shore in such a manner, that the 

 hindmost birds flew over the others and by this means became 

 foremost. At high water the birds would scatter in small flocks 

 along the shore or by the fresh water ponds Ijùng near this. A few 

 Turnstones and Ringed Plovers would mingle amongst the Sanderlings. 



