252 
NATURAL HISTORY 
stance it is named.— -They both feed by the sea shores* 
and sides of large rivers. 
Sandpiper. ( Tringa .) There are at least forty 
varieties of this genus; among which, besides the two 
preceding, are the puno, and the turnstone. 
The sandpiper is a small bird, seldom exceeding the 
size of a thrush, at least in England, and some of them 
are not bigger than a sparrow. In the milder climates 
there are larger species, such as the green, the spotted, 
the red, and the gambol pipers, many of which have been 
seen as large as pigeons. 
The sandpiper of England weighs about two ounces; 
it has a brown head, streaked with a glossy green, and 
„the breast and belly quite white. The bill is straight and 
slender, about an inch and a half long; the nostrils small, 
and the tongue slender. The toes are divided or slightly 
connected at the base by a membrane: the hinder toe is 
short and weak. 
The whole of this tribe have a shrill pipe, or whistle, 
from which they derive their name, and which they 
constantly make use of. 
Water-Hen. ( Gallinula . PI. 43.) This race is con- 
sidered by naturalists as the tribe which unite the 
web-footed kind with those of the crane species; for 
although they have long legs and necks like the lat- 
ter, yet by being furnished with a -.slight membrane 
between their toes, they are enabled to swim like the 
former; the principal of them are the water hen, or gal- 
linule, and the coots; these, though placed in different 
classes by those who are fond of nice distinctions, may 
be said, perfectly to resemble each other in figure, fea- 
thers, and habits; they both have long legs, with thighs 
almost bar& of hair or feathers: their necks are rather 
long in proportion; their wings short, as are their bills, 
which are very weak; their general colour black, and 
their forehead bald and without feathers. Such are their 
similarities; and their slight differences are first in size, 
the water-hen weighing but fifteen ounces and the coot 
twenty-four. The bald part of the forehead in the cocit 
