THE COMMON REDSHANK. 425 



supposed to be 'striped with black and white. Keen- 

 sighted observers can also detect its red legs. Its flight, 

 as accurately described by Macgillivray, " is light, rapid, 

 wavering, and as if undecided, and, being performed by 

 quick jerks of the wings, bears some resemblance to that 

 of a pigeon." During its flight it frequently utters its 

 cry, which is a wild shrill whistle of two or three notes, 

 approaching that of the Einged Plover, but louder and less 

 mellow. At low water, it frequents, in preference to all 

 other places of resort, flat marshes which are intersected 

 by muddy creeks, and in these it bores for food. It is 

 very wary, flying off long before the fowler can come 

 within shot if it happens to be standing exposed; and 

 even if it be concealed under a high bank, where it can 

 neither see nor be seen, it detects his approach by some 

 means, and in most cases is up and away before any but 

 the most expert shot can stop its flight. On these occasions 

 it invariably utters its alarm note, which both proclaims 

 its own escape and gives warning to all other birds feeding 

 in the vicinity. Scattered individuals thus disturbed 

 sometimes unite into flocks, or fly off, still keeping separate, 

 to some distant part of the marsh. On one occasion only 

 have I been enabled to approach near enough to a Red- 

 shank to watch its peculiar movements while feeding, and 

 this observation I was much pleased in making, as it con- 

 firms the account of another observer. A writer in the 

 Naturalist, quoted by Yarrell and Macgillivray, says : " I 

 was very much struck with the curious manner in which 

 they dart their bill into the sand nearly its whole length, 

 by jumping up and thus giving it a sort of impetus, if I 

 may use the word, by the weight of their bodies pressing 

 it downwards." This account Macgillivray, with an un- 

 amiable sneer too common in his writings when he refers 

 to statements made by others of facts which have not 

 fallen within his own observation, considers to be so 

 inaccurate that he pronounces the birds to be not 



