Page:The Common Birds of Bombay.djvu/185

Rh all waters and not to be mistaken for any other when once you know it. It seems to fancy itself a Wagtail, and since nature has not given it a tail worth wagging, it wags its whole hinder end, constantly and vigorously, tripping merrily about in its own company, for you never see a flock of Sandpipers. When it is frightened it skims away, just over the surface of the water, holding its wings bent like a bow. It is of a greyish brown colour above, but white on the under parts. On each quill feather there is a round white spot, and when the wing is spread in flight these spots arrange themselves into a white band. Of all our cold season birds the Sandpiper is the first to arrive. I have seen it in July.

The Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis glareola) is quite a distinct bird from the last, not only larger and much darker, but different in its character. I would put it in a different genus if I had the disposal of these matters. It is also solitary, but is seldom found at the seaside, or near any open water. It seeks small ponds and ditches in secluded places. When disturbed it rises into the air and flies clean away, with a shrill note of alarm. It is of a dark, smoky colour on all the upper parts, except the lower back and tail, which are white, with narrow black bars on the tail. The under parts are white, streaked on the neck and breast with dusky brown. The third species, which Jerdon calls the Green Sandpiper and says is the commonest of all, does not appear to be so fond of the sea coast as the others and is not a striking bird in any way, so I need not describe it.

The Greenshanks and Redshanks are very like Sandpipers, but larger. They differ from each other,