24 BIRD WATCHING 



by virtue of a smile and fine eyes." Now the male 

 redshank, when courting the female, makes the most 

 of his wings, whilst at the same time moving his legs 

 — which are coloured, as his name implies — in the 

 same manner as does the ringed plover. He did so at 

 any rate in the following instance. " The male bird, 

 walking up to the female, raises his wings gracefully 

 above his back. They are considerably elevated, and 

 for a little he holds them thus aloft merely, but soon, 

 drooping them to about half their former elevation, 

 he flutters them tremulously and gracefully as though 

 to please her. She, however, turned from him, walks 

 on, appearing to be busy in feeding. The male takes, 

 or affects to take, little notice of this repulse. He 

 pecks about, as feeding too, but in a moment or so 

 walks up to the hen again, and now, raising his wings 

 to the fluttering height only, flutters them tremulously 

 as before. She walks on a few steps and stops. He 

 again approaches and, standing beside her (both 

 being turned the same way), with his head and neck 

 as it were curved over her, again trembles his wings, 

 at the same time making a little rapid motion with 

 his red legs on the ground, as though he were walking 

 fast, yet not advancing." Now here (and this, if I 

 remember, was the case with the ringed plovers also) 

 the female did not appear to take much notice of 

 the male bird's behaviour. She was turned away 

 and, for some time, feeding. But it must not be 

 forgotten that the eyes of most birds are not set 

 frontally in the head as are ours, but on each side 

 of it, so that their range of clear vision must be 

 very much wider, probably including all parts except 

 directly behind them. They also turn the head 



