60 SAXDERLING. 



is a zone of pale cream or yellowish white, which passes into 

 light ash grey upon the upper part of the breast; under parts 

 rof the body white. Crown of the head, black, margined and 

 spotted with pale buff; nape and hind part of the neck, pale 

 ash grey, with darker streaks; mantle and scapulars, black, 

 margined and spotted with white. Tertials, hair brown, 

 margined with greyish white. Quills and tail, as in the winter 

 plumage of the adult bird. Legs, deep grey.' Selby. 



Mr. Yarrell observes 'The appearance of the Sanderling in 

 spring, when in change to the plumage of summer, is prettier 

 than at any other season; each feather on the upper surface 

 of the body exhibits a portion of black in the centre, edged 

 partly with rufous, and partly with the remains of the white 

 peculiar to winter; by degrees the white edging gives place 

 to the red; the neck in front becomes speckled, but the under 

 surface of the body remains white all the year.' 



'A female killed at the end of August, has the upper surface 

 of the body darker than in the spring, but mixed with dull 

 black, some red, and greyish white; almost all the red colour 

 of the breeding-season has disappeared, but the autumn moult 

 having commenced, a few of the greyish white feathers of the 

 winter plumage appear intermixed with the faded remains of 

 the tints of summer.' 



'In winter the plumage on the upper surface of the body 

 is of a very light ash grey, almost white, the shaft of each 

 feather forming a darker streak; carpal portion of the wing 

 and the primary quill feathers almost black. Tail feathers, 

 ash-colour edged with white; chin, throat, and all the under 

 surface of the body, white; beak, legs, toes, and claws, black.' 



The full winter plumage is obtained by the end of October. 

 Previous to that time, the Rev. Leonard Jenyns gives the 

 following as the description of the young bird: 'Feathers on 

 the crown of the head, back, scapulars, and wing coverts, 

 black edged and spotted with yellowish; between the bill and 

 the e^e a cinereous brown streak; nape, sides of the neck, and 

 sides of the breast, pale grey, with fine undulating streaks; 

 forehead, throat, fore part of the neck, and all the under 

 parts, pure white; wings and tail as in the adult.' 



