SANDPIPER — KNOT — SANDERLING. 185 



The Sand-Pipers Green, and of strong musky smell, 

 Those elegant waders, flew over the dell. 



and America; arrives in this country in September, and con- 

 tinues till April. 



The Hypoleucos, Common Sand-Piper, or Summer-Snipi'^ 

 has the body cinereous, with black stripes, beneath white ; in- 

 habits Europe and America, and common to this country, which 

 it visits in the spring, frequenting our lakes and rivers, on the 

 borders of which it makes its nest. Seven and a half inches 

 long; eggs four or five, dirty yellow, with pale spots. Wags 

 the tail, and, when disturbed, makes a piping noise. 



The Canutus, or Knot, has the body above cinereous, beneath 

 white; inhabits England, Europe generally, and also America ; 

 nine inches long ; eggs flesh colour, with crowded orange spots; 

 flesh delicious. 



Tlie CincluSf Sanderling, Purre^ Pur, Stint, Red-necked 

 Sand-piper, Ox-bird, Ox-eye, Least-snipe, or Wagtail, has the 

 bill and legs black ; body and rump grey and brown ; a second 

 variety with brown legs ; the breast and belly white in both ; 

 inhabits England, Europe generally, and America; nearly 

 eight inches long; flesh eatable. Freqnents the mouths of our 

 saltwater rivers in immense flocks during the winter and spring, 

 and is generally seen in the greatest numbers at or about high 

 water, particularly during the spring tides. They are rarely 

 seen in the summer, retiring to some distant place to breed. 

 Their numbers and compactness of association may be judged 

 of by the fact that a fisherman whom I knew fired at a large 

 body of them when on a bank surrounded with the tide, and 

 killed one hundred and twenty, and nine plovers which were 

 amongst them, at one shot, besides wounding, perhaps, half as 

 many more which he could not obtain. The shots in the gun 

 were large too, and, consequently, not very numerous, so that 

 one shot must have killed several birds ! See the Note, — House- 

 Sparrow's Speech, 



