THE SANDERLING. 563 



Juvenile. — Fore-head and eye-stripe white, sometimes washed 

 buff, feathers tipped and spotted dusky ; nape greyish-white 

 streaked dusky-brown ; crown, mantle and scapulars black-brown, 

 feathers tipped, and those of mantle and scapulars also notched, 

 creamy-yellow and white ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts ash- 

 brown, feathers with light buff or creamy-yellow tips with a narrow 

 terminal dusky line ; central upper tail-coverts blackish -grey, 

 tipped creamy-yellow ; loral streak dusky ; ear-coverts streaked 

 dark sepia, feathers edged buff at sides ; narrow line in front of 

 and below eye black ; cheeks and sides of neck white (sometimes 

 washed buff) streaked dusky ; sides of breast creamy-yellow, 

 feathers faintly tipped dusky, some with sepia marks towards tip ; 

 remaining upper- and under -parts as adult ; tail-feathers as adult 

 but central pair sepia, darker on inner webs and tipped creamy- 

 yellow or white (sometimes rest of tail-feathers with a small dusky 

 subterminal marking) ; wing as adult but innermost secondaries 

 and coverts as scapulars ; median coverts light sepia shading to 

 creamy-yellow with a terminal line of dusky, sometimes with a 

 subterminal spot or bar of dark sepia ; lesser coverts dark sepia, a 

 few tipped cream. 



First winter. — As adult winter but distinguished by juvenile 

 feathers of rump when not too abraded, one or more worn spear- 

 shaped juvenile scapulars and innermost secondaries and some 

 retained juvenile median coverts. The juvenile body-feathers (not 

 all scapulars, nor all feathers of back and rump), usually tail-feathers, 

 usually some innermost secondaries and coverts, some median and 

 lesser coverts, but not rest of wings are moulted Sept. to Dec. 

 First summer. — Moult as adult, after which can only be distinguished 

 bj faint dusky terminal border to faded creamy edge of innermost 

 median coverts when not too abraded. 



Measurements and structure. — <$ wing 117-130 mm., tail 46-55, 

 tarsus 22-26, bill from feathers 23.5-26.5 (12 measured). $ wing 

 120-130, bill 23-28.5. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd 

 equal or slightly shorter, 4th 6-13 mm. shorter, 5th 14-21 shorter, 

 6th 25-29 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 4th and 6th 

 primaries. Tail fairly square, feathers pointed and central ones 

 elongated and projecting about 5 mm. Tarsus scutellated anteriorly. 

 Three toes not webbed, no hind toe. Bill short, straight and slender, 

 tip slightly enlarged ; nasal groove extending nearly to tip. 



Soft parts. — Bill, legs and feet black ; iris brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies recognized. Absence of hind toe, in 

 winter and juvenile white under -parts, in summer chin, throat and 

 upper -breast pink-cinnamon spotted dusky distinguish Sanderling 

 from its near allies. 



Field -characters. — Slightly larger than Dunlin, its frequent 

 associate on sandy shores and mud -flats. Bill shorter than Dunlin's 

 and straight. In winter entire under -parts pure white, upper -parts 

 hoary — adults look almost white at some distance. In summer 



