3 64 SANDERLING PL VER. 



hiaticula, has its inner toes divided to their origin, and the 

 web of the outer toes is much smaller than that of the present 

 article. All my doubts on the subject of our two plovers 

 being now removed, I shall take the liberty of naming that of 

 the fifth volume, the piping plover, Cliaradrius melodies."} 



SANDERLING PLOVER. (Cliaradrius calidris) 



PLATE LIX. -Fig. 4. 



Linn. Syst. 255.— Arct. Zool. p. 486, No. 403.-Le Sanderling, Buff. vii. 532.— 

 Bewick, ii. 19. — Peak's Museum, No. 4204. 



CALIDRIS ARENARIA.— ImiavR* 

 Cliaradrius calidris, Wils. 1st edit. vii. p. 68 ; and Ch. rubidus, Wils. 1st edit. vii. 

 p. 129.— Calidris, ///('.'/. Prod. Mam. et Av. p. 249.— Euddy Plover, Penn. 

 Arct. Zool. ii. p. 486, summer plumage. — Sanderling variable (Calidris 

 arenaria), Temm. Man. d'Oni. ii. 524. — Tringa (Calidris) arenaria, Bonap. 

 Synop. — Calidris arenaria, Flem. Br. Zool. p. 112. — North. Zool. ii. p. 366. 



In this well-known bird we have another proof of the imper- 

 fection of systematic arrangement, where no attention is paid 

 to the general habits, but where one single circumstance is 

 sometimes considered sufficient to determiue the species. The 

 genus plover is characterised by several strong family traits, 

 one of which is that of wanting the hind toe. The sandpipers 

 have also their peculiar external characters of bill, general 



* Calidris was established for this single species, common over the 

 world, and of form intermediate between the plovers and sandpipers. 

 Their make is thicker ; they are less slender than the sandpipers ; the 

 bill stronger, but, as in that group, the feet similar to those of the 

 Characlrii ; and with their manner of running and walking, they 

 possess that peculiar crouch of the head upon the back seen in the 

 common ring plover and its allies. The ruddy plover of the plate 

 represents it in the summer plumage, in which it more resembles the 

 changes exhibited in the knot and pigmy curlew than those of the 

 dunlins. On the shores of Britain, it is generally met with in winter 

 in small flocks, or in spring and autumn when going to or returning 

 from their breeding quarters. 



By Mr Hutchins it is said to make its nest rudely of grass in the 

 marshes, and lays four dusky coloured eggs, spotted with black. — Ed. 



