202 REDSHANK. 



and having their bright orange legs stretched out, 

 and sometimes dangling behind them. We have 

 several times procured them in the breeding sea- 

 son, and with the young, in a marsh such as we 

 have noticed, on the banks of the Sol way at 

 Southerness, where a few -pairs annually breed. 

 It has also been found breeding in stations in 

 Sutherlandshire, near Lairg, and at the head of 

 Lochnaver. Several broods afterwards join on 

 the shore, and continue together in parties, con- 

 sisting of from a dozen to fifty. They are very 

 wary, and, when taking wing, almost always utter 

 their alarm note; but, if come upon unawares, 

 from behind some rock or other cover, this note or 

 scream is extremely loud and wild, and is always 

 taken as a signal by the other birds feeding 

 around. They feed on the sand banks and shell 

 scalps, and rest at the full tide, assembling on the 

 tops of the first appearing rocks as the waters 

 recede ; frequenting the same places, and follow- 

 ing the same flights, day after day, so that persons 

 may, by a little observation, easily conceal them- 

 selves in a situation which they are certain at a 

 particular time either to pass or alight near. Dur- 

 ing winter their habits are nearly similar, and 

 they are almost always to be met with on our 

 coasts ; but we have never seen them even as strag- 

 glers upon our lochs and rivers, as the Greenshank 

 and some other maritime Totani frequently are. 



The Redshank is also generally distributed over 

 the greater part of Europe. Out of Europe, Japan 



