52 



those mentioned would sit too high upon the water, and be too 

 light in weight, and their legs be too long and not offer sufficient 

 resistance to the water, to be expert swimmers and divers even 

 in times of danger. C. M. A., (Newcastle-upon-Tyne). P.S. 

 Whilst writing the above I received a Grey Plover in its summer 

 plumage, much in the same state as the Sanderlings are when 

 they first arrive; the young birds generally arrive about the 

 second week in September. Probably the breeding stations of the 

 two species may not be far apart ; as also those of the Common 

 Godwit, Knot, Pigmy Curlew, and Little Stint. Little or nothing 

 seems to be yet known respecting them. 



SPOTTED REDSHANK, EARED GREBES, ETC. 

 Reprinted from "The Field," May 24*7i, 1862. 



ON reading The Field, I observe a notice of two Spotted Red- 

 shanks having been killed lately near Yarmouth, in the summer 

 plumage. The appearance of this bird in any plumage in England 

 is of rare occurrence, particularly so in the plumage assumed by 

 the bird at this season. To persons interested in observing the 

 habits of birds, it would be interesting to know something more 

 about those mentioned whether they were killed at the sea-side 

 or at an inland marsh, and whether from a flock ; or, if only the 

 two were seen, how it happened the person who shot them was 

 so fortunate as to procure both, birds of this tribe being generally 

 BO difficult to approach. Two pairs of Greenshanks are also 

 noticed as having been killed. The appearance of the latter bird 

 on the South-Eastern coast during its spring migration is much 

 more common than the former ; but it is naturally a very wary 

 bird, and it seems strange that the two "pairs" should have been 

 obtained. Probably they may have been killed from small flocks ; 

 at any rate, it would be satisfactory to know how they were ob- 

 tained. The mention of pairs leads me to suppose the two birds 

 in each case were paired ; but do these birds ever pair till they 

 arrive at their breeding grounds? On the 21st April, 1842, I 

 got in Leadenhall-market a fresh-killed Spotted Redshank, about 



