298 ALLENS naturalist's LIBRARY. 



and, when it gets beyond its depth, to swim with ease, silting 

 gracefully on the water, and bowing its head, like a Phalarope, 

 with every stroke of its feet. When wounded it has been 

 known to dive for some distance." 



Nest. — Our best information regarding the breeding of the 

 Spotted Red-shank is derived from the researches of the late 

 John Wolley, from whose account I make a short extract : — 

 " This bird not unfrequently lays its eggs in a part of the forest 

 which has formerly been burnt ; and here is one of its most 

 unexpected singularities — a marsh bird choosing the dryest 

 possible situation, even hills of considerable height, and 

 covered with forest timber. I have myself seen two nests so 

 placed, and one of them at least was on ground which, from 

 the charred wood lying about, had evidently been burnt at 

 some former period. They were nearly at the top of long hills, 

 many hundreds of yards from any marshy places, with good- 

 sized fir-trees on all sides ; but they were not in the thickest 

 part of the forest, and the vegetation on the ground about was 

 very scanty, diminutive heather and such-like plants growing 

 thinly amongst short rein-deer lichen, slight depressions in the 

 ground, placed near some little ancient logs, so nearly buried, 

 however, as to afford no shelter ; the bedding only a few dry 

 leaves of the Scotch fir. The bird sits sometimes so close that 

 one is tempted to try and reach it with the hand. Its while 

 back is conspicuous as it crouches with its neck drawn in ; it 

 either gets up direct, or runs a short way before it rises, and 

 then it flies round, with an occasional ^ tjewty^^ or stands upon 

 the top of a neighbouring tree, showing the full length of its 

 slender legs, neck, and bill. But it is not until it has young 

 that all its powers of eloquence are fully brought into play ; it 

 then comes far to meet any intruder, floating over him with a 

 clear cry that echoes through the forest, or is heard over a great 

 extent of marsh ; or it stands very near one, bowing its head 

 and opening its beak in the energy of its gesticulation." 



Eggs. — Four in number, of a rich green ground-colour, when 

 fresh, according to Wolley ; or sometimes of a bright brown, 

 with reddish-brown blotches and scribblings, which are con- 

 gregated principally at the larger end, while in some they are 

 almost equally distributed over the entire surface. Axis, 175- 

 1*85 • diam., 1*2-1 "3. 



