50 WADING BIRDS. 



tation and perpetually bleached by the access of tides and 

 storms; in such situations they are often seen in numerous 

 flocks running along the strand, busily employed in front of 

 the moving waves, gleaning with agility the shrimps, minute 

 shell-fish, marine insects, and small moluscous animals which 

 ever-recurring accident throws in their way. The numerous 

 flocks keep a low circling course along the strand, at times 

 uttering a slender and rather plaintive whistle nearly like that 

 of the smaller Sandpipers. On alighting, the little active troop, 

 waiting the opportunity, scatter themselves about in the rear of 

 the retiring surge. The succeeding wave then again urges the 

 busy gleaners before it, when they appear like a little pigmy 

 army passing through their military evolutions ; and at this 

 time the wily sportsman, seizing his opportunity, spreads 

 destruction among their timid ranks; and so little are they 

 aware of the nature of the attack that after making a few aerial 

 meanders the survivors pursue their busy avocations with as 

 Kttle apparent concern as at the first. The breeding-place 

 of the Sanderlings, in common with many other wading and 

 aquatic birds, is in the remote and desolate regions of the 

 North, since they appear to be obliged to quit those countries 

 in America a little after the middle of August. According to 

 Mr. Hutchins, they breed on the coast of Hudson Bay as low 

 as the 55 th parallel ; and he remarks that they construct, in the 

 marshes, a rude nest of grass, laying four dusky eggs, spotted 

 with black, on which they begin to sit about the middle of 

 June. 



Flemming supposes that those seen in Great Britain breed 

 no farther off than in the bleak Highlands of Scotland, and 

 Mr. Simmonds observed them at the Mull of Cantyre as late as 

 the second of June. They are found in the course of the 

 season throughout the whole Arctic circle, extending their 

 migrations also into moderate climates in the winter. They 

 do not, however, in Europe proceed as far south as the capital 

 of Italy, as we learn from the careful and assiduous observa- 

 tions of the Prince of Musignano. According to I^tham the 

 Sanderling is known to be an inhabitant even of the remote 



