182 BRITISH AND EUROPEAN BIRDS. 



Of the Wagtails— the Water — the Yellow — the 

 Grey; 



The first at the stream often sipp'd and away. 



Sand-Pipers ( ,7 ) were many — amongst them were 

 seen, 



The Grey, Black, Common, Spotted, Red, Pur- 

 ple, and Green. 



( i7 ) Order, Grall^, (Liwn.) Sand-Piper, Ruff and ReevEj 

 Lapwing, Turnstone, Phalarope, Knot, Pur, &c. 



The genus Tring a, (Linn.) or Sand-Piper, consists of above 

 seventy species ; their distinguishing characters are a straight 

 slender bill, and exceeding one inch and a half in length ; 

 nostrils small ; tongue slender; toes divided, or very slightly 

 connected. They are found in Europe and America \ a few in 

 Asia ; a great many common to this country ; the following are 

 the chief : 



The Pugnax, or Ruff and Reeve, have the bill and legs 

 rufous; three lateral tail feathers without spots; face with flesh- 

 colour granulations. They are so variable in colour that two 

 are seldom alike, but the long feathers of the neck resembling 

 a ruff, sufficiently characterize the species. It is about a foot 

 long; the Ruffs^ov males, fight with great obstinacy for the fe- 

 male, or Reeves, whence their specific name Pugnax, The 

 Reeve is less than the male ; the upper parts are brown ; beneath 

 white. Eggs four, white, with rusty spots deposited in a tuft of 

 grass. The ruff and the flesh-colour granulations of the face are 

 only seen in the summer; both disappear in the autumn. In 

 the young of the first year, which are called Stags, they are 

 wanting. Inhabits Europe and this country; but here only in 

 the fens of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, East Riding of York- 

 shire, the. Isle of Ely, and the marshes of Norfolk ; they arrive 

 in these districts early in spring, where they breed, and depart 



