2t)8 PRJiCOCIAL GRALLATORES — LIMICOL^. 



Glottis nutans, Koch, Baier. Zool. I. 1816, 305 (nee Otto, 1797). 



Glottis ftoridanus, Boxap. Conip. List, 1838, 51. — Cass, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 730. — Baird, 



Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 538. 

 Totaniis glottoidcs, ViG. P. Z. S. 1831, 173. 

 Glottis niviguln, Hodgs. in Gray Zool. Misc. II. 1831, 36. 

 Glottis Vigorsii, Gray. — G. Eorsfitldi, Gray. — G. Linnci, Malm. 

 Gveensliank, Yarr. Brit. B. ed. 2, II. 618, fig. ; ed.3, II. 665, tig. ; et AuCT. 

 Cinereous Godwit, Pexn. Brit. Zool. II. 1813, 50, pi. 11. 



Hab. The Palaearctic Region, south to Australia ; accidental in Eastern North America ? 

 (Florida, Audubox). 



Sp. Char. Adult in summer: Head and neck above, grayish white, widely streaked with 

 dusky ; remainder of head and neck, with entire lower parts, \)\\vti white ; the lores, cheeks, malar 

 region, auriculars, sides of neck and foreneck, finely streaked with dusky ; sides of the breast and 

 anterior part of the sides, coarsely and irregularly streaked with dusky, the markings assuming an 

 irregularly sagittate or V-shaped form on the sides. Eyelids, a distinct and rather broad supra- 

 loral stripe, chin, throat, abdomen, crissum, and flanks, immaculate white ; axillars white, irregu- 

 larly marked toward ends witli grayisli ; lining of wing white, with irregular sagittate markings of 

 grayish dusky. Back and scapulars dusky blackish, the feathers eilged with light ash-gra}^ ; wing- 

 coverts nearly uniform brownish slate, the tertials similar, but edged with paler ; primaries uniform 

 dark slate ; entire rumj) and upper tail-coverts immaculate pure white, the longer feathers of the 

 latter, however, narrowly zigzagged with dusky. Tail white, narrowly and incompletely barred 

 with grayish dusky. Winter 'plumage : Similar, but nearly uniform grayish above, the feathers bor- 

 dered with grayish white ; foreneck unstreaked. Young : ^ Above, light brownish gray, the feathers 

 margined with paler, and with a sub-edging of dusky, in the form of an irregular dusky line near 

 the edge and parallel with the border ; these markings changed on the tei'tials into short zigzag, 

 oblique bars along the edge of both webs. Crown, nape, and lores streaked as in the adult : fore- 

 neck, jugulum, and sides immaculate white. " Bill dusky green, black at end ; iris brown ; feet 

 dull greenish gray" (Audubon). 



Wing, 7.00-7.80; culmen, 2.15-2,20; tarsus, 2.25-2.65 ; middle toe, 1.12-1.30. 



The only known instance of the occurrence of this species in North America is 

 recorded by Mr. Audubon, by whom three specimens were taken, May 28, 1832, on 

 Sand Key, Florida, near Cape Sable. They were mistaken for Tell-tale Tattlers as 

 they walked about on the bars or in the shallow water, and upon examination were 

 presumed by Audubon to be the Common Greenshank of Europe. They were all 

 males, and probably stragglers. In the " Pacific Railroad Eeport," Vol. IX., owing 

 to their inferiority in size, these individuals are given as a distinct species ; but it is 

 not probable that this claim can be maintained, and we presume that the specimens 

 noted must have been examples of the common European bird, especially as this bird 

 is known to be a great wanderer, having been taken at Trebizond, in Mauritius, and 

 in various parts of Asia, Java, Sunda, the Moluccas, etc. Montagu, in his " Ornitho- 

 logical Dictionary," mentions this species as occurring in North America, stating that 

 one had been se(?n in the State of ISTcav York. 



The Greenshank is said not to be anywhere found in large numbers. It is a sum- 

 mer visitant to the British Islands, and more frequent about the time of its spring 

 and fall migrations ; a few remaining during the breeding-season, but the greater 

 portion going farther north. These birds are found in the London market, most 

 frequently about the last of April and in May. In Ireland they occur in autumn in 

 small parties or singly. Mr. Selby detected this species breeding in Sutherlandshire, 

 in June, 1834, in various parts of that county — generally in some sw^ampy marsh, 

 or by the margins of the small lakes common in that region. It Avas very wild and 

 wary, except when it had tender young, at which time, when first disturbed, it would 



1 Described fi-om Audubon's specimen, supposed to have been obtained in Florida. 



