68 



SANDERLING PLOVER. 

 CHARADRIUS CALIDEIS. 

 [Plate LIX.— Fig. 4.] 



liiNN. Syst. 255.~ArcL Zool. p. 486, JVo. 403.--Le Sanderling, Buff. VII, 532*— Bewick, 11, 19.-^ 



Pealb's Museiimf Js'o. 4204. 



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 some^ 

 times considered sufficient to determine the species. The genus 

 Plover is characterized 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 form, &c., by which 

 they are easily distinguished from the former. The present spe- 

 cies, tho possessing the bill, general figure, manners and voice of 

 the Sandpipers, feeding in the same way, and associating with 

 these in particular; yet, wanting the hind toe, has been classed 

 with the Plovers, with whom, this single circumstance excepted, 

 it has no one characteristic in common. Tho we have not, in the 

 present instance, presumed to alter this arrangement, yet it ap- 

 pears both reasonable and natural that where the specific charac- 

 ters in any bird seem to waver between two species, that the figure, 

 voice and habits of the equivocal one should always be taken into 

 consideration, and be allowed finally to determine the class to 

 which it belongs. Had this rule been followed in the present in- 

 stance, the bird we are now about to describe would have undoubt- 

 edly been classed with the Sandpipers. 



The history of this species has little in it to excite our interest 

 or attention. It makes its appearance on our sea coasts early in 



