306 
SANDERLING. 
We have ventured, after some hesitation, to place 
a bird, extremely interesting in form, after the Dot- 
terels ; in the form of the bill, its seasonal changes, 
and several of its habits, it is allied to the Scolopa- 
cidce and to the Sandpipers, while the structure of 
the feet would place it among the Charadriadas and 
the Dotterels. On the one side, it may be urged 
that we ought to have a Tringa with the feet and 
structure of the Dotterel, while, on the other, it 
might equally be said, that we should have a Dot- 
terel with the bill and seasonal changes of the 
Tringa). In either case it would stand as an oscil- 
lating form, and perhaps might be placed with equal 
propriety on the confines of either group. One 
species only is known. 
Arenabia, Bechst. — Generic characters. — Bill 
straight, compressed; tip, dilated, smooth, hard; 
wings as in 'Tringa, ; legs of mean length, slen- 
der, naked for a short space above the tarsal 
joint ; toes three before, bordered with a nar- 
row fringe, basal connecting membrane very 
small. 
Type, A. calidris. — Europe, Africa, North and 
Arctic America. 
Note. — Breeds in marshes ; the seasonal change 
of Tringa; maritime except during incubation. 
