THE SANDPIPEE. 
255 
in their flighty and make so many circuits around their 
maimed comrade, that the sportsman has an opportunity of 
making great havoc among them. The various species of 
Totamts have a round, pointed, solid beak, the groove of 
which only extends half its length : during the breeding 
season they show great anxiety and affection for their eggs 
and young ; the eggs of the T, semipalmaUtSj in every in- 
stance which came under the observation of Wilson, were 
placed, during incubation, in an almost upright position, 
with the large end uppermost ; and this appears to be the 
position of the eggs of many other kinds of birds which 
breed in marshes. The Avosets are characterized by their 
beak being curved upwards, a circumstance from which is 
derived their name, Recurvirostra: their feet are also webbed 
nearly to the end of the toes. 
In this family too come the various species of Sandpiper 
[Tringa), in which the tip of the beak is depressed, and 
the nasal furrow is very long j the toes have no w^ebs at the 
base, and the legs are but of moderate length. Closely allied 
to them is the genus containing the Ruff, which has acquired 
its name, generic and specific {Machetes pugnax), from the 
combating propensities of the males in spring. At this 
time the head is covered with red or yellow papillae, and 
