i6 z S A N D P I P E R .
Place ano
Manners.
fides of the neck white : beneath the eye a dreak of black : fore
part of the neck, as far as the bread, black; hind part white and
brown : the back and wings green j the fird glofled with purple,
the lad with blue : quills black j the four fird have a white fpot
at the tip : the bafe half of the fecondaries white: bread and
belly white : upper tail coverts and vent pale rufous: tail white,
for half way next the bafe; the end half black; the outer feathers
almod wholly white: legs brownilh red.
Male and female alike, but the lad is rather fmaller.
This fpecies is pretty common in England, where it remains
the whole year. They lay their eggs on the ground, fcraping
together a little dried grafs for a bed; they are four in number,
of a dirty olive, fpotted with black. The hen fits about three
weeks : the young run within two or three days after they are
hatched. The female has great addrefs in decoying the curious
impertinent from the ned or young, ufing many dratagems of
deceit; flying over the head of any one with great noife : is faid
to be rnofi clamorous when farthed from the ned ; and will even
feign to run along the ground, as if lame, in order to decoy.
Towards winter both young and old coiled! in flocks of four or
five hundred, or more, and are feen on our heaths; and in fome
places are taken in nets, for the ufe of the table *. Their eggs are
alfo thought a delicacy, and fetch a good price d*.
Thefe are alfo common in mod parts of Europe, as far as
* In the provinces of Brie and Champaign, in France, are feen in vaft flocks
of thoufands, and decoyed into the nets by the playing of a mirror, with the
addition of fome fluffed birds, with here and there a live one intermixed.
Hiß. des Oif.
f Three (hillings per dozen.— Br. ZotU
6 Iceland ;
Iceland-, and on the continent. Change place according to the
feafon ; being met with in the winter in Perjia and Egypt. We
have alfo feen a fpecimen from China. The chief food of the
bird in its wild date is worms, which it draws out of the ground
morning and evening. It is frequently kept in gardens, of which
it is a ufeful inhabitant, freeing them from worms and fugs, and
in time becoming tolerably familiar. I have feen this bird approach
a worm cad, turn it afide, and after making two or three
turns about, by way of giving motion to the ground, the worm
came out, and the watchful bird feizing hold of it drew it
forth. During frody and hard weather, this pretty gardener will
feed on bits of pudding, meat, and fuch like ; but ever for fa king
thefe when worms can be had, its mod edeemed food.
he grand Vanneau de Bologne, Sri/. Ora. v. p. 110. 5.
TR IG G E R than a Lapwing. Bill yellowifh, with the tip black:
head and hind part of the neck chefnut: back, wings, fca-
pulars, and rump, black: throat, fore part of the neck, and
bread, white, marked with ferruginous fpots: belly, fides, and
thighs, white: quills and tail black: legs the colour of yellow
oker.
T 1 1 • . TI _ J.. nmol*.
Tringa erythropus, Scop. Ann. i. 146.
"D IG G E R than the Ruff. Bill black : forehead rufous white:
'D the upper parts of the body and wings cinereous brown : the
fecond quills white; thefkdfeven prime ones black: belly foot-
Y 2 colour:
3-
GREATER LAPWING.
D escription.
Place.
4-
RED-LEGGED
SANDPIPER.
Description.