Nest, &c. 
Food. 
General 
descrip- 
tion. 
Winter 
plumage. 
156 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. DwUNLIN. 
the bogs of the upland country.—The nest, merely a depres- 
sion in the ground, lined with a few straws or dried stems of 
grass, and, in appearance, similar to that of the Snipe or Ring 
Dotterel. The eggs, as in the rest of the family, are four in 
number, of an oil or greenish-grey colour, marked all over 
with variously sized spots of hair-brown, and are rather less 
than those of the Common Sandpiper (T'otanus hypoleucos). 
This species feeds on worms, insects, mollusce, and the 
smaller crustaceze, which it usually obtains by probing the 
sand in following the ebb of the tides. It runs with great 
celerity, and has a sprightly carriage and delicate form: 
When in action, it is in the constant habit of moving the 
tail up and down. Its ery, on wing, is a weak scream, but 
when at rest on the ground, or feeding, a softer and more 
pleasing note is used. Its flesh, during the autumn, is 
tender and well flavoured, but in winter it becomes darker 
in colour and fishy, and is always indeed inferior to that of 
the Knot. 
Fig. 1. Represents this bird in the perfect winter plumage. 
Crown of the head, hind part of the neck, back and sca- 
pulars ash-grey, with a tinge of hair-brown; the shaft 
of each feather being darker. Between the bill and 
eyes is an indistinct line of brown. Eye-streak and 
cheeks white, streaked with pale hair-brown. Chin and 
throat white. Lower part of neck and breast grey, 
the shafts of the feathers being hair-brown. Belly, ab- 
domen, vent, and under tail-coverts pure white. Wing- 
coverts hair-brown, margined with pale ash-grey, the 
larger ones having white tips. Rump and _ upper- 
tail-covers deep hair-brown, margined paler. Tail ap- 
proaching to the doubly-forked shape, the two middle 
feathers being the longest, and of a deep hair-brown 
colour, the rest, on each side, grey, with white shafts. 
Bill black, very slightly inclined at the tip. Legs and 
toes blackish-grey. 
