SPOTTED REDSHANK. 635 



the vicinity of their nesting quarters, the species being then 

 represented on the coast by immigrants from more northerly 

 latitudes. 



At Spurn large migratory flocks, often consisting of 

 hundreds of birds, arrive in September, while both there and 

 at the Teesmouth considerable numbers remain throughout 

 the winter ; I have known as many as thirteen killed at one 

 shot on the Tees Marshes in December. The return migration 

 takss place early in April. 



At various other places, both on the coast and inland, 

 too numerous to particularize, the Redshank occurs on 

 migration to and from its nesting grounds. 



The vernacular names are as follows : Pool Snipe (Will. 

 " Orn." 1678, p. 299) ; Reddy and Swat (Teesmouth) ; Red- 

 legs (Sedbergh, and formerly in East Yorkshire) ; and 

 Thrattle is another name which I have heard applied to it 

 by old decoymen in the Tees area. 



SPOTTED REDSHANK. 



Totanus fuscus (L.). 



Bird of passage, of rare occurrence, chiefly at the Tees and Humber 

 estuaries. 



Thomas Allis's Report on the Birds of Yorkshire (1844) 

 contains what is probably the first reference to this as a 

 county species, thus : 



Totanus fuscus. Spotted Snipe H. Reid informs me that sixteen 

 years ago one was killed at Braithwell Grange by Mr. Toone, and 

 came into his possession. Rarely met with at Hebden Bridge ; haft 

 been killed on the moors about Whitby. 



Though generally speaking the Spotted, or Dusky, Red- 

 shank is of rare occurrence, and only on the autumn passage 

 southward, it is considered to be a fairly regular visitant 

 at that period to the Humber, usually singly or in pairs, 



