GRALL.E — SCOLOPACID^E — CALIDRIS. 245 



GENUS CALIDRIS. Illiger. 



Characters of the preceding genus, but with three toes only, all divided to the base. Bill 

 straight, short. 



THE SANDERLING. 



Calidris arenaria. 

 plate xci. fig. 205. . . 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Tringa arenaria, Lin. 12 ed. p. 251. Charadrius calidris, Gm. (young). 



Sanderling, and Ruddy Plover. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 480. 



Calidris arenaria. Illiger, Prodromus System. Mamm. et Avium, p. 249. Id. Temminck. 



Charadrius calidris. Wilson, Am. Ofn. Vol. 7, p. 68, pi. 59, fig. 4 (winter) ; rubidus, Id. Vol. 7, p. 129, pi. 63, 



fig. 3 (summer). 

 T. (Calidris) arenaria. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N Y. Vol. 2, p. 320. 

 Sanderling Plover. NuttaLL, Man. Ora. Vol. 2, p. 4. 



C. id. Addobon, B. of Am, Vol. 5, p. 287, pi. 338. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 336. Giraud, Birds of 

 Long island, p. 242. 



Characteristics. Bill straight, shorter than the head. Winter, ash grey above ; beneath 

 white. Summer, reddish mixed with white and black above ; beneath 

 white. Length, 7 inches. 



Description. Bill short, straight, higher than broad at the base, attenuated in the middle 

 and again dilated towards the tip, 1 ' long. Tail short ; the middle and outer feathers 

 longest. Toes with a warty membrane on each side. 



Color. Summer : Bill and feet black. Above black ; the feathers bordered with rusty, 

 and margined with white. Head grey, striate with black and rufous; nape paler. Quills 

 dark brown on the outer webs, with their shafts white. Central tail-feathers acuminate, 

 dark ; the others soiled brown, whitish at their bases. Winter : Above light ash ; . head 

 streaked faintly with brown. Central tail-feathers margined with white. Quills brownish 

 black. All beneath white. Bill and feet black. 



This is another of the Beach-birds, which changes its upper reddish summer plumage for 

 the grey livery of winter. It is said to occur all over the globe. In this country, it has been 

 traced as high as 60° north. Jt occurs on the coast in small numbers in May, on its way to 

 its breeding places in high northern latitudes ; and again in large flocks about the middle of 

 August, on its return south. There is, in fact, but few months in the year in which it may 

 not be met with. I have obtained them from March to November. The Sanderling is 

 chiefly found on the coast near the surf, feeding on small marine worms, and the smaller shell 

 fish and Crustacea. Its eggs are dusky, spotted with black. Although small, it is very fat 

 in the autumn, and much esteemed by epicures.* 



• Here would naturally come the M. pugnax, or Ruffot Europe, which has recently been introduced into our ornithology. I had 

 introduced it in a previous report on the Fauna of this State, and described and figured the identical specimen noted by Messrs. 

 Nuttall and Cooper. (See fig. 217, plate 97, which was inadvertently admitted into this volume.) I have, however, every reason 

 to believe that its supposed occurrence on Long island originated in an unworthy trick played off by a collector now deceased. 



