74 
SANDERLING. 
Such are the most common markings of this bird, both of 
males and females, particularly during the winter ; but many others 
occur among them, early in the autumn, thickly marked or spotted 
with black on the crown, back, scapulars and tertials, so as to ap- 
pear much mottled, having as much black as white on those parts. 
In many of these I have observed the plain gray plumage coming 
out about the middle of October ; so that, perhaps, the gray may 
be their winter, and the spotted their summer dress. 
I have also met with many specimens of this bird, not only 
thickly speckled with white and black above, but also on the neck, 
and strongly tinged on both with ferruginous ; in which dress it 
has been mistaken by Mr. Pennant and others for a new speeies ; 
the description of his “ Ruddy Plover” agreeing exactly with this.* 
A figure of the Sanderling in this state of plumage will be intro- 
duced in some part of the present work. This bird is the only 
species of its genus yet discovered. 
^ See Arct. Zool. p. 486, No. 404. 
