THE TRUE TATTLERS. 297 



Characters. — The Dusky Red-shank can always be recognised 

 by its white lower back and rump. It is the largest of all the 

 genus Totanus, with white lower back and rump, and it may 

 be distinguished from the Common Red-shank by having the 

 secondaries regularly barred with white and dusky-blackish, 

 none of them being entirely white. 



Range in Great Britain. — The present species is an occasional 

 visitant on migration, seldom occurring on the western coasts 

 at all, and is decidedly rare in Scotland and Ireland, where but 

 few have been obtained. It is principally met with in the 

 eastern and southern counties, and more often in autumn than 

 in spring. 



Range outside the British Islands. — The Spotted Red-shank nests 

 in the high north, within the Arctic Circle, from Scandinavia to 

 Eastern Siberia. It migrates south in the autumn, and winters 

 in the Mediterranean countries, and apparently in other parts 

 of Europe, as Mr. W. E. De Winton recently presented the 

 Museum with four specimens killed near Harlingen in Hol- 

 land, in December. It also visits, duiing the cold season, the 

 Indian Peninsula, the Burmese Provinces, and China. 



Habits. — I have only once seen the Spotted Red-shank alive, 

 and the specimen which I shot on the 3rd of September at 

 Pagham was a solitary bird which I mistook for an ordinary 

 Red-shank at the time. I am, therefore, obliged once more 

 to quote the observations of Seebohm and other writers. 

 The above-named author writes: — "The Dusky Red-shank 

 is not so much of a shore-bird as the Common Red-shank, and 

 is rarely found upon the coast except at the two seasons of 

 migration. It loves to haunt inland marshes and the vast 

 swampy ground near large rivers, where the water lies in small 

 pools. It is also partial to the low banks and dry parts of the 

 beds of rivers. Its habits do not differ much from those of 

 the other waders. It runs along the marshy shores, or wades 

 into the shallow water, in search of food. It is rather shy, and 

 when alarmed, it generally flies off for some considerable dis- 

 tance. Its flight is rapid, and, as is customary with so many 

 wading birds, it sometimes skims along before it alights. Dur- 

 ing migration it keeps in small parties and flocks, which do not 

 scatter much whilst feeding. It is said to be fond of wading, 



