The Bird Book 



the common Sandpiper runs in search of food, his 

 short tail as constantly on the move as that of the 

 Grey Wagtail near by him. Indeed, to watch 

 him, you might think that the latter half of his 

 body had only a bowing acquaintance with the 

 other part, for the movement seems to commence 

 midway down the spine. His white under- 

 parts alone reveal his presence, for his mottled 

 brown back is practically invisible against the 

 mud. Now he takes flight and skims along just 

 above the water, calling " tee, tee, tee, tee, 

 tee," rapidly to his mate to join him, and she 

 suddenly leaves the mud close by us, where she had 

 hitherto escaped our notice. In the evening they 

 become more noisy, banding together and racing 

 along repeating " tee, tee, tee, tee, tee" at inter- 

 vals indefinitely, the sound being carried to us 

 with faithful exactitude over the water long after 

 the birds have passed out of sight in the deepening 

 twilight. 



72 



