2454 The Zoologist — February, 1871. 



to the rivers, and triumphantly dwelt on the increase of wheat that 

 must result, I admitted the probability, but I told him my own 

 opinion that his return from milk, butter, cheese, beef and mutton 

 would diminish in proportion. He believed it only the mistake of 

 a cockney writing in a garret, and I left him under the firm con- 

 viction that he could at the same time obtain a shilling a pound 

 for liis beef and a shilling a quartern for his bread — two things 

 that I believe incompatible : but to return to our waders. 



The large number of sanderlings occasionally seen near Hun- 

 stanton is worth noting for a moment. Mr. Dowell found them 

 frequenting the beach " in flocks of from one or two to five hundred 

 together, thousands of them, in fact." Mr. Stevenson could not 

 fail to observe the protective mimetic colouring of this bird's 

 plumage. "I was much struck on one or two occasions with the 

 wonderful similarity in colouring between the plumage of these 

 birds and the shingle of the beach, which, consisting of minute 

 fragments of flint and pebbles mixed with the debris of shells, was 

 as prettily varied with red, while and black as the backs of the 

 sanderlings ; and it was by no means easy to detect a specimen, 

 even when intentionally placed among the smaller stones." Mr. 

 Stevenson considers the pretty sanderling essenlially a bird of the 

 sea-shore, and he says : — 



" I know no locality better suited to its habits and necessities than that 

 where I first met with it on our coast between Holme and Hunstanton. On 

 these flat shores an immense tract of saud is^laid bare at low water, abounding 

 in little pools and streamlets, and teeming with those minute forms of 

 MoUusca, Crustacea, kc, which form the chief food of the smaller waders. 

 Here, with the mussel-scalps on the one hand, and the submerged forest on 

 the other, where huge trunks of trees lie buried iu the dark peaty soil, or a 

 stratum of soft blue clay crops out amidst the sand, a daily renewed banquet 

 is aflbrded to every species of shore bird. On these moist level sands the 

 sanderlings are distinguishable by the whiteness of their breasts, at a great 

 distance, looking at fii-st sight, when feeding towards one, like littie lumps 

 of white chalk dotted over the surface, which however, on a nearer approach, 

 become sti-angely animated, and the hght and dark shades of the upper and 

 under plumage, alternately presented to the eye, have a beautiful effect on a 

 bright sunny day. Although, as compared with dunlins and tunistones, I 

 alwavs found these birds extremely tame, yet, from the very nature of the 

 ground, it was almost impossible to obtain a shot at them on the open sands, 

 as without showuig any particular alarm, they would always manage, by 



