SCOLOPACIDAE. 379 
I have never heard of its remaining to breed here, 
although it does do so in many counties in England 
and Scotland, and as it is also occasionally killed in 
the winter months it appears to be at all events 
partially resident in England. 
The food of the Redshank consists of worms, 
aquatic and other insects and vegetables,* beetles, 
grasshoppers, and also portions ofweeds and 
mosses ;{ small stones and pebbles are also found 
in the gizzard. 
The nest is placed on the ground, and is generally 
very carefully concealed amongst long grass or rushes, 
the long bents being twisted over it so as to conceal 
the nest. 
The plumage of the Redshank, like that of many 
of the Waders, varies very considerably at different 
periods of the year and ages of the bird. The beak 
is black at the point, dark red towards the base; 
irides brown; from the base of the beak to the eye 
is darkish ash-grey, over this and over the eye is a 
rather indistinct white mark; the top of the head, 
back of the neck, back and scapulars ash-grey, some 
of the feathers slightly margined with white; the 
wing-coverts are ash-grey, spotted on the margins 
with white and dusky; the primary quills are dull 
dusky, nearly black; the tertials are brownish, 
* § Zoologist ’ for 1863, p. 8829. 
Tt Meyer's ‘ British Birds,’ vol. iv., p, 210. 
