CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 263 



bird comes into the inland marshes to breed, whilst 

 in autumn and open winters it is generally to be 

 found on the sea coast and its estuaries ; the latter, 

 owing to the numberless little creeks formed by- 

 incoming and ebb tides, and the many sea pools, 

 marshes, and mud-banks left at low water, are the 

 most favourite resorts for the Redshank, It was in 

 such ground as the last-named that I shot the 

 specimens in the case, in the winter of 1893, at 

 Glenbeigh, co. Kerry. 



These birds are often a great nuisance ; spoiling 

 one's stalk after some other species, which they 

 assuredly will do, if anywhere near, by flying all 

 over the place uttering a screeching, shrill cry. 

 Many a time have the birds sold me, so I don't 

 particularly love them. The nest is often very 

 difficult to find, owing to the artful way in which it 

 is concealed ; the eggs are most eagerly sought after 

 by collectors on account of the great variation in 

 colour and markingfs. 



In regard to nesting-habit, I append an extract 

 from Howard Saunders's Manual: " The Redshank 

 frequently breeds in small communities, the nest 

 being in the centre of a tuft of rushes or of long 

 grass, the entwined blades of which conceal the 

 contents from view ; but in many places the nest is 

 as exposed as that of a Lapwing or of a Golden 

 Plover. The four eggs are of a yellowish-stone 

 colour, blotched with purplish-brown. When the 

 nest is approached the bird is very noisy, and 

 practices many artifices to allure the intruder from 



