TRINGA CALIDRIS 779 



arrives at its breeding place in May, and nests in June, the nest 

 being a mere depression in the moss or grass, scantily lined with 

 a few feathers. Its eggs, usually 4, but sometimes 5, in number, 

 are described as being deep cinnamon-buff, sprinkled, speckled, 

 or thickly spotted with bright rusty brown or chestnut, and 

 measure about 1'24 by 0'87. 



CALIDRIS, Cuvier, 1800. 



1078. SANDERLING. 

 CALIDRIS ARENARIA. 



Calidris arenaria (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 251 (1766) ; Audubon, B. of 

 Am. p. 230 ; Naum. vii. p. 353, Taf. 182 ; Gould, B. of E. iv. 

 pi. 335 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. iv. pi. 66 ; Newton, P.Z.S. 1871, pi. iv. 

 fig. 2 (egg) ; Dresser, viii. p. 101, pis. 559, 560 ; Layard, B. of S. Afr. 

 p. 362 ; David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 467 ; (Seebohm), B. Jap, 

 Emp. 336 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxiv. p. 526 ; Tacz. F. O. Sib. 0. 

 p. 841 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. p. 270; Kidgway, p. 162; 

 Satmders, p. 597 ; Lilford, v. p. 97, pi. 42 ; Poynting, p. 175, pi. 37. 



Sanderling variable, French ; Churrilla de tres dedos, Pitillos, 

 Span. ; Piovancllo tredatillo, Ital. ; Ufcr- Sander ling. German ; 

 Drieteenige-Strandlooper, Dutch ; Sandlobcr, Norweg. and Dan. ; 

 Sandlopare, Swed. ; Hieta-sirriaincn, Finn.; Morskoi-SujoJs, 

 Russ. ; Medrouan, Moor. 



(J ad. (England). Crown, nape, and upper parts richly varied black 

 and rusty red ; rump dull ashy grey marked with blackish grey ; quills 

 blackish ; wing-coverts dark ashy grey margined with dull white, and 

 slightly marked with rufous ; middle tail-feathers blackish grey, the 

 rest grey, the outermost nearly white ; sides of head, throat, and upper 

 breast light rufous marked with black ; rest of under parts white ; bill 

 and legs blackish ; iris dark brown. Culmen 1*15, wing 4*85, tail 2*05, 

 tarsus 1 '0 inch ; hind-toe wanting. Female similar but less rufous. In 

 winter both sexes have the upper parts light grey with darker stripes and 

 the under parts white, with no rufous in the plumage. 



Hob. The high northern portions of the Old and New Worlds ; 

 in winter migrating south to South Africa, Burma, India, Ceylon, 

 the Laccadives, China, Japan, Australia, and Chile. 



Frequents the sea coast, associating with other Sandpipers, and 

 is by no means shy. It feeds on small marine insects, worms, 

 and crustaceans, and in the summer to some extent on the buds 

 of Arctic plants. Its note is a shrill but not unpleasant iviek. 



