306 



SANDERLING. 



have ventured, after some hesitation, to place 

 a bird, extremely interesting in form, after the Dot- 

 terels ; in the form of the bill, its seasonal changes, 

 and several of its habits, it is allied to the Scolopa- 

 cidce and to the Sandpipers, while the structure of 

 the feet would place it among the Charadriadce and 

 the Dotterels. On the one side, it may be urged 

 that we ought to have a Tringa with the feet and 

 structure of the Dotterel, while, on the other, it 

 might equally be said, that we should have a Dot- 

 terel with the bill and seasonal changes of the 

 Tringce. In either case it would stand as an oscil- 

 lating form, and perhaps might be placed with equal 

 propriety on the confines of either group. One 

 species only is known. 



ARENARIA, Bechst. Generic characters. Bill 

 straight, compressed; tip, dilated, smooth, hard; 

 wings as in Tringa ; legs of mean length, slen- 

 der, naked for a short space above the tarsal 

 joint ; toes three before, bordered with a nar- 

 row fringe, basal connecting membrane very 

 small. 



Type, A. calidris. -Europe, Afiica, North and 

 Arctic America. 



Note. Breeds in marshes ; the seasonal change 

 of Tringa; maritime except during incubation. 



