TRINGINJE. CALIDRIS. 
65 
second a little shorter than fourth, all marginate and scu- 
tellate ; claws small, curved, compressed, obtuse. Wings 
very long and pointed, of twenty-five quills ; primaries ta- 
pering, the first longest ; one of the inner secondaries not 
much shorter when the wing is closed ; tail short, of twelve 
narrowed feathers, and somewhat doubly emarginate. 
176. Calidris arenaria. Sanderling. 
This bird varies so much in colour that scarcely two indi- 
viduals can be found precisely alike. In winter the bill is 
black, the iris dusky, the feet greenish-black ; the upper part 
of the head, hind part and sides of the neck, and the back, pale 
grey, each feather with a dark medial streak ; the forehead, 
cheeks, fore part of neck, and all the lower parts pure white ; 
the primary quills and coverts greyish-black, secondary quills 
paler, inner secondaries light grey, primary and secondary 
coverts tipped with white ; all the quills white at the base, 
that colour extending from the first primary to the tenth 
secondary, which is entirely white ; tail-feathers grey, mar- 
gined with white. In summer the upper parts light red, 
spotted with black; cheeks, neck, fore part of breast, and 
sides, greyish-red, streaked with black ; the rest of the lower 
parts white. The young have the upper parts black, varie- 
gated with yellow and white, the lower white. 
Male, 7f, 16, 5,V, 1, lb i%> iV Female, 8, 17. 
The Sanderlings appear on our northern coasts in the be- 
ginning of September, gradually increase, collect into large 
bands, and frequent the sandy shores and muddy estuaries, 
often mingling with Dunlins and other small species. In 
winter they are dispersed over all our shores. They run with 
great celerity, fly with rapidity, often inclining to either side ; 
search the shores, usually along the water’s edge, for small 
mollusca and worms ; become extremely fat in the end of 
autumn, and afford delicate eating. In the end of spring 
they betake themselves to the arctic countries, where they 
breed ; and, although individuals may be seen on various 
parts of the coast in summer, it does not appear that any 
nestle with us. 
Sand Lark. Curwillet. Towilly. Ox-bird. 
Tringa arenaria, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 255.- — Charadrius Ca- 
lidris, Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 741. “Calidris arenaria, Temnu 
Man. d’Ornith. ii. 524. — Calidris arenaria, Sanderling, Mac- 
Gillivray, Brit. Birds, iv. 
R 
