CHARADRIIDA. 597 
THE SANDERLING. 
CALIDRIS ARENARIA (Linnzeus). 
This species—easily recognisable by the absence of a hind-toe— 
usually arrives on the coasts of the United Kingdom by the middle 
of August, and the early flocks, though chiefly of young, often 
contain many older birds. Throughout the autumn the Sander- 
ling is plentiful on the sandy portions of our shores, though 
less numerous on the mud-flats, while it occasionally visits large 
expanses of water inland ; comparatively few, however, remain on 
any part of our coasts throughout the entire winter. By April the 
return passage—in smaller numbers—commences ; birds in breeding- 
dress being observed through May and even in June. 
To the Feroes the Sanderling is a somewhat rare migrant, but 
it seems to have nested in some districts of Iceland. Ten eggs were 
obtained by the German expedition of 1869-70 on Sabine Island, East 
Greenland ; while on the west side nestlings have been captured near 
Godthaab, as well as in 81° 38’ N. by Dr. Bessels of the ‘ Polaris,’ 
and the Peary Expedition found the bird breeding. On June 24th 
1876 Col. Feilden shot a male from two eggs in lat. 82° 33’ on Smith 
Sound, where the bird was not uncommon ; Sabine recorded it as 
breeding freely on the Parry Islands ; and Mr. MacFarlane killed a 
