182 BRITISH AND EUROPEAN BIRDS. 



Of the Wagtails— the Water — the Yellow — the 

 Grey; 



The first at the stream often sipp'd and away. 



Sand-Pipers ('^) were many — amongst them were 

 seen, 



The Grey, Black, Common, Spotted, Red, Pur- 

 ple, and Green. 



(*7) Ori>er, GRALLiE, (LinM.) Sand-Piper, Ruff andRbeve, 

 Lapwing, Turnstone, Phalarope, Knot, Pur, &c. 



The genus Tring a, (Linn.) or Sand-Piper, consists of above 

 seventy species ; tlieir distinguishing characters are a straight 

 slender bill, and exceeding one inch and a half in length ; 

 nostrils small; tongue slender; toes divided, or very slightly 

 connected. They are found in Europe and America ; a few in 

 Asia; a great many common to this country ; the following are 

 the chief : 



The Pugnax, or Ruff and Rebve, have the bill and legs 

 rufous ; three lateral tail feathers without spots; face with flesh- 

 colour granulations. They are so variable in colour that two 

 are seldom alike, but the long feathers of the neck resembling 

 a ruff, sufficiently characterize the species. It is about a foot 

 long ; the Ruffs, or males, fight with great obstinacy for the fe- 

 male, or ReeveSf whence their specific name Pugnax. The 

 Reeve is less than the male ; the upper parts are brown ; beneath 

 white. Eggs four, white, with rusty spots deposited in a tuft of 

 grass. The ruff and the flesh-colour granulations of the face are 

 only seen in the summer; both disappear in the autumn. In 

 the young of the first year, which are called Stags, they are 

 wanting. Inhabits Europe and this country; but here only in 

 the fens of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, East Riding of York- 

 shire, the Isle of Ely, and the marshes of Norfolk ; they arrive 

 in these districts early in spring, where they breed, and depart 



