GRALLiE — SCOLOPACID.E — CALIDRIS. 
245 
GENUS CALIDRIS. Illiger. 
Characters of the preceding genus, but with three toes only, all divided to the base. Bill 
straight, short. 
THE SANDERLING. 
Calidris arenaria. 
PLATE XCI. FIG. 205. 
(STATE COLLECTION.) 
Tringa arenaria , Lin. 12 ed. p. 251. Charadrius calidiis, Gm. (young). 
Sanderling, and Ruddy Plover. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 4S6. 
Calidris arenaria. Illiger, Prodromus System. Mamin, ct Avium, p. 249. Id. Temminck. 
Charadrius calidris. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 7, p. G8, pi. 59, fig. 4 (winter) ; rubidus , Id. Vol. 7, p. 129, pi. 63, 
fig. 3 (summer). 
T. (Calidris) arenaria. Bonaparte, Ann. Lyc. N Y. Vol. 2, p. 320. 
Sanderling Plover. Nuttall, Man. Om. Vol. 2, p. 4. 
C. id. Audubon, B. of Am. Vol. 5, p. 287, pi. 338. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 336. Giraud, Birds of 
Long island, p. 242. 
Characteristics. Bill straight, shorter than the head. Winter, ash grey above; beneath 
white. Summer, reddish mixed with white and black above ; beneath 
white. Length, 7 inches. 
Description. Bill short, straight, higher than broad at the base, attenuated in the middle 
and again dilated towards the tip, l'O long. Tail short; the middle and outer feathers 
longest. Toes with a warty membrane on each side. 
Color. Summer: Bill and feet black. Above black ; the feathers bordered with rusty, 
and margined with white. Head grey, striate with black and rufous; nape paler. Quills 
dark brown on the outer webs, with their shafts white. Central tail-feathers acuminate, 
dark ; the others soiled brown, whitish at their bases. Winter : Above light ash ; head 
streaked faintly with brown. Central tail-feathers margined with wdiite. Quills brownish 
black. All beneath white. Bill and feet black. 
This is another of the Beach-birds, which changes its upper reddish summer plumage for 
the grey livery of winter. It is said to occur all over the globe. In this country, it has been 
traced as high as 60° north. It occurs on the coast in small numbers in May, on its way to 
its breeding places in high northern latitudes; and again in large flocks about the middle of 
August, on its return south. There is, in fact, but few months in the year in which it may 
not be met with. I have obtained them from March to November. The Sanderling is 
chiefly found on the coast near the surf, feeding on small marine worms, and the smaller shell 
fish and Crustacea. Its eggs are dusky, spotted with black. Although small, it is very fat 
in the autumn, and much esteemed by epicures.* 
* Here would naturally come the 31. pugnax , or Ruff of Europe, which has recently been introduced into our ornithology. I had 
introduced it in a previous report on the Fauna of this State, and described and figured the identical specimen noted by Messrs. 
Nuttall and Cooper. (See fig. 217, plate 97, which was inadvertently admitted into this volume.) I have, however, every reason 
to believe that its supposed occurrence on Long island originated in an unworthy trick played off by a collector now deceased. 
