252 



rR.ECOCIAI, ORAT.LATOnKS - uMiror„E. 



Tcimninck Htnton that tlic Saiuli>rlin(; iH nliumlniit in spriii;; an<l aiitiiiini on ilx' 

 coftHt of IloUaiiil, and that it is fmiiiil nn tht- shuri's of Fiunci' and Italy, occuiTin^ 

 occanionuily at Nice ami (it-noa in fvcrv Hta^ji' <il' plMniaj,'!' ; anil also in tlir inti' 

 I'ior, on tin- shon's of the lUark Sea, ftr. Dr. Middcnilortf iiiclndt's it in Ids Li^i 

 of till! Kirds of Sihi'iia, anioii}^ tiios** that pt to the t-xtn'mc north, and Ilfrr von 

 Il('u;,'lin met witli flocks of tins siicrics in St'jiti'ndKT on \Vai},'at Island, Nova Zrndila, 

 ininj,'i('d witli tlocks of '/'rliii/n nf/ilmi. 



Hfinliardt inclndcs the Sandcrlin^' anxni^' thr liirds of (Srcoidand, wIiim-c he fouml 

 it rare, and hrcodinw "H Disco Island. Colonel Sahini', in the Appendix to I'arry's 

 " l'"ii'st Voyaj,'c," nicntidiis its iin-cdin;,' in considcr.ilili' nnndxTson (lie North (icor^,'iiiu 

 Islands, where several pairs were killed at dilferent periods of the l)reedinj,'-sea.soii. 

 Richardson Htatos that it breeds on the eoast of Hudson's 15ay as far south as the 

 ooth parallel, llutchins is (pioted as statinj; that it makes nests of dry grasses in 

 the marshes, and as <lescriliin|,' the v^^ as liavinj,' a dnsky-eolored t,'r(tnnd s|iotted with 

 black, incubation eouimeneiiiii; in the middle of .June, i'rofessor Newton speaks ol 

 this species us raru in (Sreenland, and as saifl not to breed farther south than latitmlc 

 (W X. ; but its younj; have Im'cu taken at (Jodthaab. It was fouml on the east coa.sl 

 by (Iraah, and by the (iernum K.xpedition on Sabine Island. It is also said to have 

 been found breeding in considerable nundH-rs on the I'arry Islands. 



^fr. Salvin found the Sanderlintj; in consi(h'rable nundiers on the Vaoific eoast 

 of Guatemala, and occasionally veiy abundant; he als(} met with a few amon^ the 

 bays on the coast of Honduras Lite in .\pril. Mr. Kdward Newtoi- procured a sin^ilc 

 individual at St. Croix, Sept. Hi, liSoM. Leotaud includes the Sanderling among the 

 binls of Trinidad, but states that it is only a rare migratory visitant, occurring in 

 small nund)er.s, and only found from .Vugust to October. It always stays about thr 

 borders of the sea, running over and carefully searching the wet saiul and mud fm- 

 small worm.s. Mr. (Jould states that it is plentiful in Brazil, from wheni'i' he has 

 received specinu'iis; and Mr. 11. Durnlord mentions procuring two out of a Hock at 

 Tombo I'oint, on the eoast of Central I'atagonia. 



The Sanderling passes south along the ('oa.st of Massachusetts from the ndddle ol 

 August to the latter i)art of September, and n'turns northward in the latter part 

 of May. It readies Lake Koskonong, Wisconsin, about August lo, and in .some 

 seasons is very abundant there. I'rofessor Snow obtained specinu'ns in Kansas in 

 September. It is very common in the s])ring and f:dl near (!alais. Me. (liraud has 

 never oUserved it in very large nundiers in the sjiriiig im the shores of Long Island ; 

 but, on its return, it arrives in flocks about the midille of August, and by the 1st 

 of Septem1)er has become very ainindant. It generally prefers the more immetliate 

 borders of the ocean, but is often seen occujtying. with other small Sandiiipers, tlic 

 shoals and mud-flats in the shallow j>arts (if estuaries. It .seems to be eminently 

 sociable, searching for food in c<mipany, probing the sand for small bivalve shells ami 

 marine worms, or attending the retiring waves in search of shrimjis. It is very inter- 

 esting to watch its active movements as it feeds along the shore, alternately advancing 

 or retreating with the flow of the water. It is naturally very unwary, and is even 

 less suspicious than the rest of the family of Trinyrv. When a flock is fired into, 

 the survivors rise with a low whistling note, jterform a few evolutions, and ])resently 

 resume their feeding with undiminished confidenic. If wounded, it takes to th>' 

 water, ami swims well. Later in the season it beconu'S very fat, and is excellent 

 eating. 



It is very abundant on the shores of the Southern Atlantic States, excejit duriuLf 

 three or four summer mouths. The greater number of these birds pass north early 



