486 SANDPIPERS AND RELATED SPECIES 



down of the latest born to dry. They are then conducted by the 

 parent to places of greater security, and where food is more plentiful. 

 As a rule, the nest is no great distance from a fresh-water pond, but 

 some broods were observed to be led a distance of 500 to 600 metres 

 from the nest, within an hour of quitting it. 



The old birds show much anxiety in the care of their young, and, 

 like many other ground-nesting birds, seek to divert attention to them- 

 selves by actions that have the appearance of feigning helplessness. 

 The chicks meanwhile crouch flat and remain motionless, their 

 highly protective coloration saving them from discovery. When the 

 parent considers the danger has passed, she returns to her crouching 

 brood and utters a short chirping song, upon hearing which all four 

 young ones suddenly get up and begin to run about. 



This note or " sanderling-song " is described as being very 

 similar to the song of the lesser-whitethroat, and was only heard when 

 the parent wished to signal "all's well" to her brood. On one 

 occasion a young bird on being held for a short time began to chirp, 

 whereupon the rest of the brood, evidently mistaking this for the 

 mother's signal, rose, and uttering a "mouse-like squeaking, hastily 

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

 squeaking exactly like her chicks." * 



The young birds appeared to be very susceptible to cold ; at 

 night and in severe weather they were closely brooded by the parent. 

 They grew rapidly, and were fully grown and able to fly when Herr 

 Manniche estimated that they were 12 to 14 days old. They were 

 then, for a few days, still tended by the parent, after which the 

 adults, male and female, left the country. The young ones repaired 

 to the salt-water beaches for the first time, and formed flocks. The 

 flocks daily increased in size till they reached their maximum about 

 August 20th, when they were observed to number in some instances 

 as many as three hundred birds. They left the country in 1906 

 in the early days of September, when ice had formed along the 



1 Manniche, op. cit,, p. 147. 



