552 



SCOLOPACID.E. 



land they arc seen chiefly in autumn, but arc of rare occur- 

 rence. Mr. Sclby, when in Sutherlandshire, in June 1834, 

 says of this bird ; " We detected this species breeding in va- 

 rious parts of the country, generally in some swampy marsh, 

 or by the margin of some of its numerous lochs. It is very 

 wild and wary, except when it has tender young, at which 

 time, when first disturbed, it sometimes approaches pretty 

 near, making a rapid stoop like the Redshank at the head of 

 the intruder. If fired and missed, which is frequently the 

 case even by a good marksman, as the stoop is made with re- 

 markable rapidity, it seldom, at least for that day, ventures 

 again within range. A pair which had their nest in a marsh 

 near Tongue, after having been once fired at, could not again 

 be approached ; but we obtained one of the young, apparent- 

 ly about a fortnight old, by means of a water dog. Another 

 pair were shot near Scourie, by the margin of a small loch, 

 where, from their violent outcries and alarm, they evidently 

 had their nest or young, though we were unable to find 

 either." The Greenshank was observed by Mr. Hewitson and 

 his friends when in Norway, and, to their great surprise, was 

 seen more than once seated above their heads on the top of 

 a tall tree. Muller and M. Nilsson include it as a summer 

 visiter to Denmark and Sweden ; and from the state of the 

 plumage of several specimens in the collection of Richard 

 Dann, Esq. obtained in the northern part of Scandinavia, there 

 is no doubt that this species breeds every season as far north 

 as the Arctic circle, in Lapland. 



They feed on small fish, worms, insects, besides crusta- 

 ceous and molluscous animals. 



This bird visits Russia, and has been found in Germany, 

 on the banks of the Rhine ; is occasionally obtained in Hol- 

 land, but only seen on its passage in France, Provence, Swit- 

 zerland, and Italy. Mr. Strickland says it visits Smyrna in 

 winter, and he obtained a specimen, but it was considered 



