270 CHAKADRIIDyE. 



These birds feed on insects, Crustacea, worms, &c., and also on rice 

 and other grain, and when in good condition are excellent eating. 

 They arrive in India as a rule about September, but some come 

 much earlier, and they leave in. April, having partially assumed 

 the summer garb. They breed in June, and at this time the males 

 assemble on small selected dry spots in a marsh, where they fight 

 and show off. The eggs, usually four in number, resemble those 

 of a Snipe, but are larger. 



Genus CALIDRIS, CJuvier, 1800. 



The Sanderling resembles Trinr/a in almost all respects, but is 

 generically distinguished by the absence of a hind toe. There is 

 a single species only. 



1469. Calidris arenaria. The Sanderling. 

 renaria, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 251 (1766) ; Seebol 



Calidris arenaria, Illiger, Prod. p. 249 ; Blyth, Cat. p. 270 ; Jr.rdon, 

 B. I. iii, p. 694 ; Hume, S. F. i, p. 244 ; Le Messurier, S. F. iii, 



Trinpra arenaria, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 251 (1766) ; Seebohm, Cliaradr. 

 p. 431. 



Birds Bom. p. 356 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. xxiv, p. 526. 



Coloration in winter. Forehead, lores, face, and whole under 

 plumage, including axillaries, white ; upper plumage light brownish 

 grey, the feathers with dark shafts and pale edges ; greater coverts 

 blackish brown, with broad white ends ; smaller coverts and all 

 onter coverts, primaries, and secondaries blackish brown ; inner 

 webs of all quills towards base and basal portion of outer web of 

 inner primaries white ; all shafts of quills pure white ; rump 

 coloured like back in the middle, white at the sides ; middle upper 

 tail-coverts dark brown ; tail-feathers greyish brown, middle pair 

 blackish near tips, all more or less edged with white, and the outer 

 rectrices with white inner webs except at the end. 



In summer the upper parts become blackish with rufous edges 

 to the feathers and rufous spots ; fore neck and breast rufous buff, 

 with spots and imperfect bars of brown. 



Young birds have the upper parts blackish, the feathers of the 

 crown and back with pale grey edges ; scapulars, tertiaries, and 

 wing-coverts with whitish broken borders, forming spots ; lower 

 parts pure white. 



Bill black ; irides deep brown ; legs black (Jerdon) legs dusky 

 grey ( Vidal). 



Length 7*5 ; tail 2 ; wing 4'75 ; tarsus 1 ; bill from gape I'l. 



Distribution. Nearly cosmopolitan, breeding in the Arctic regions, 

 and migrating to the South in winter : at which season this bird 

 is common on the coast of Sind and Baluchistan. It has also 

 been recorded from, several scattered localities in India and Burma, 



