SPOTTED REDSHANK 347 
note as “a peculiar twitter, quite unlike the bold whistle 
of the common species” (‘Irish Naturalist,’ 1894, p. 224). 
The note may be syllabled ¢ti-whéé-té, ti-whee-té, often 
repeated. A two-syllabled call-note is also uttered. 
Food.—This consists of insects (including beetles, which 
are largely consumed), shell-fish, and worms. 
Nest.—According to the observations of Wolley, the 
Spotted Redshank, when nesting, resorts to rather dry 
situations in well-timbered districts, sometimes hilly and 
at a considerable distance from water. The nest is a 
shallow depression in dark, rough soil, ‘‘ often where the 
forest has been burned” (Saunders). The eggs, four in 
number, vary from pale brown to pale green in ground- 
colour, blotched and spotted with brown and _ black. 
Incubation begins about the end of May. 
Geographical distribution. — The Spotted Redshank 
breeds in Arctic and Northern Europe and Asia, journey- 
ing in autumn and winter over Europe to South Africa, 
while its eastern migration extends to Southern Asia and 
Japan. 
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 
PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. — General plumage, 
black, spotted with white; lower back and upper tail- 
coverts, white, transversely barred with black; tail-feathers, 
barred white and brownish ; primaries, blackish. 
Adult female wwptial.—Resembles the male nuptial 
plumage, sometimes the breast and abdomen are brownish- 
black, and more thickly spotted with white than in the 
male; the chin is often white (Saunders). 
Adult winter, male and female.—Top of head, hind- 
neck, back, scapulars, and wings, ash-grey, with white 
mottlings; tail-feathers, dusky, the central ones without 
black and white barring (cf. tail-feathers of Common Red- 
shank); secondaries, thickly barred with white and dusky 
oreyish-brown ; front and sides of neck, greyish; breast and 
abdomen, greyish-white ; axillaries, white. 
Immature, male and female.— Back, scapulars, and 
wings, brownish-grey, spotted with white; throat, breast, 
and abdomen, washed with ash-grey on a white ground ; 
the immature plumage bears a general resemblance to the 
winter adult plumage. 
Beak. Blackish, the base of the lower segment being 
reddish. 
