There are three major families of shorebirds: 1  Waders, about 220 species, include sandpipers, lapwings, snipes, plovers, stilts and various other species. These birds inhabit coasts and shorelines, as well as other open habitats. 2  Gulls, terns, skuas, jaegers and skimmers form a group of a little over 100 species.
The compass was probably invented in the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) by Chinese fortune-tellers who used the lodestones to construct their fortune telling boards.
An overview and history of the compass, from its earliest origins in China to its use today for wayfinding and navigation, from the About.com Geography GuideSite. An overview and history of the compass, from its earliest origins in China to its use today for wayfinding and navigation, from the About.com Geography GuideSite.