J Bias am

rT Yeeere ae Lees

 

 

PELIDNA CINCLUS.

Dualin,

Tringa Schinzii, Brehm ?

alpina, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 64.

cinclus, Linn. Syst. Nat., tom. i. De2olk

variabilis, Meyer, Taschenb, Deutschl. Vog., tom. ii. p- 397.
Numenius variabilis, Bechst. Naturg. Deutschl., tom. IN [Do UL,
Pelidna variabilis, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gene Zoolesvoleet p. 98.

cinclus, Bonap. Geog. and Comp. List of Birds of Eur. and N. Amer., p. 50.

 

Durine the months of autumn and winter the sea-shores of most parts of our island are constantly
enlivened by flocks of Dunlins, which at one moment are winging their Way out to sea, and at the next
sweeping round towards the beach, showing their grey-brown backs as they go away, and their silvery-white
breasts as they approach ; at another time the oozy mud-flats are covered by these little birds of elegant form,
sprightly actions, and a disposition at once tame and unsuspecting. Flocks of the like kind are also to be seen
in all similar situations on our larger tidal rivers ; and every one who has been fortunate enough to tread
in summer the blooming heather, aud inhale the invigorating air of our northern hills (the Cheviots and
the Grampians), must have seen a little restless black-breasted bird flying towards him, or endeavouring to
entice him from one part of the moor to another. This is the same bird in a different state of plumage. What
wonderful transformations are the Sandpipers and Plovers subject to! How differently are they clothed at
opposite seasons of the year! and how well does the dress of each season accord with the colouring
of the objects by which the bird is surrounded! How charmingly do their rich summer dresses har-
monize with the hues of the flowering heaths and other gaily-coloured plants of their alpine home, when all
nature seems to exult in what she has accomplished even in those lonely wastes, the stillness of which is only
broken by the plaintive pipe of the Golden Plover and its « page,” as the subject of the present paper has
been called! and at this period it has also received the trivial names of Purre, and Redbacked Sandpiper,
while at the opposite one it is known as the Dunlin, Ox-bird, and Stint. A glance at the accompanying
Plates, on which the bird is figured in its summer and in its winter dress, will at once enable the
reader to see how greatly it differs, and how different is the kind of situation it Fer at those opposite
periods of the year. In the former they will not fail to observe the scattered flock hurrying off from one of
their natural enemies, the Merlin: the two birds in the foreground are scarcely awake to their danger; and
one is in the act of stretching its wing, in case its pinions need be called into play. It vel be unnecessary
to state that the second Plate represents the bird in its summer dress; for the ae neully ed and
interesting young of a few days old, and the elegant plant known by the name of Pinguicula, both indicate
the season it is intended to illustrate.

Speaking of the vast numbers of Dunlins occasionally seen at one ane, the late -Mr. ate ae
says, “On the 27th of January, 1847, I saw a os not less than 2500, aud abouy 300 ae S sae : ae
another of 1500. The larger body rising into the air, and going through thew peuliant ee - ie
the attention of every one on the adjacent highway, most of ie people standing oF in pen
Descending from on wing, they all swept down in the same direction, and covered an extent o

| a manner as to remind me of grain thrown from the hands of the sower, until it reaches the ground and is
ic Cc

1 i ighting mov > St moderate pace
scattered over its surface. Every bird of the multitude, on alighting moved at the seu od : pace,
i. i I idistant from each other; and their heads being all similarly ele-
between walking and running, about equidistan é 3
; f land singular appearance. All, too, were, as usual when congregating at any
é ormal and s ar ¢ : !
Ge cone «i f sing ical. ‘The voices of a host of Dunlins ocea-
season, uttering their notes, which sounded most pleasingly musical. nee
Rei: é itudi as Ie yell imagine n the 24th of Decem-
i i ‘ood an illustrati iltitudinous sound as I can we gine. O
é rives as good an illustration of mt 7
ee i - a considerable way; I saw more Dunlins close to the road before Fort
ber, 1840, after the tide had ebbed for a considere orl ee
i ‘ved in so small a space. There could not have been less than 3
William than I had ever previously observed in so small a s] thrilling concert—like grey linnets
: She Cx any as oe up a thr — g
As many as 3000 were in a dense flock, busily feeding and ae 4 a ; ae pe a
re scattere i reat body first 2 é g
j i "s were somewhat more scattered. le gre
roosting ; the others were somewha ag :
a a ene i fell in the air like molten silver. One of the
i i é ‘ks, which rose and fell in B
»s hen it broke up into a dozen flocks, | : oy cu gaan
Ae ee ae is wl ‘ background is so dark that the birds are only to be seen in silvery whiteness,
nest effects 1s when the backg

flas } g their u ide I l S Th ncer ain y as to vl ore h ) I ay nex appear—li ce that of
1 1 fF umage upon us. cel ert t t where they m | t | as

: ' i ie ‘ . I} ft | : --cloud—adds much to the ffect. Only or a space brief as
lightning from an extensive mass of thunder e f

. ”?
ar such circumstances.
j ine i i ight’ » observed under such circu
the lightning in the collied night’ can they be o