COMMON REDSHANK. 213 



little downy things but a few days old, though, not 

 in the nest, which I subsequently found at a short 

 distance, and even then, but for their bright bead- 

 like eyes I might have passed them by unseen.'^ 

 After all my trouble I could not help stopping a few 

 minutes longer to examine these beautiful little creatures 

 in their soft russet coats, barred on the back and wings 

 with two shades of brown, and their legs as strangely 

 disproportioned to their bodies as those of a foal in its 

 earliest stage. Then, with something of regret, as I 

 very much wanted a specimen, I put the youngsters 

 back into their tuft of grass, but was fully repaid by 

 witnessing, from my former vantage ground, the meet- 

 ing between old and young. 



As a further instance, also, of the affectionate solici- 

 tude of the redshank for its progeny, I am enabled, 

 through the kindness of Mr. Rising, of Horsey, to give 

 the following interesting anecdote. " On the 29th of 

 May, 1868, as a marshman was ' quanting ' his boat 

 over Hickling broad, he was suddenly attracted by the 

 peculiar notes of a couple of red-legs [as they are com- 

 monly called in Norfolk], which kept flying slowly and 

 very low over the water, evidently bent upon an onward 

 course, but detained by some peculiar cause of anxiety 

 as they took no notice of him whatever. As he drew 

 closer, he 'observed something swimming in the water, 

 which on a nearer approach proved to be three little 

 redshanks. Still perfectly indifferent to his presence, 

 the old birds proceeded with their labour of love,' 



* Mr. "W. H. Power, in the paper before referred to, describes 

 the capture of a young redshank, which, from a kind of ventrilo- 

 quism in its chirping notes, seemed to be always at a little distance, 

 first in one direction and then in another, but was at length dis- 

 covered, nearly at his feet, when he was about to give up the 

 search as hopeless. 



