REDSHANK AND GREENSHANK 511 



horizontally on the legs, and needs a constant jerky adjustment to 

 keep it in place, not that there is anything ungraceful in this or any 

 other action of either species. 



In courting, the male redshank approaches the female with his 

 head erect and his body drawn up tall and straight. As he draws 

 near he raises his wings high above his head for an instant as when 

 alighting on the ground after a flight. Then, allowing his wings 

 gradually to droop, he vibrates them, and also his legs, the latter 

 very rapidly, with a motion suggestive of a soldier " marking time." 

 Mr. Selous has described this action, including the vibrating of the 

 wings and legs, as follows : " The male bird, walking up to the female, 

 raises his wings gracefully above his back. They are considerably 

 elevated, and for a little he holds them thus aloft merely ; but soon, 

 drooping them to about half their former elevation, he flutters them 

 tremulously and gracefully as though to please her." The female, 

 as though unimpressed, turned from him and continued to feed, 

 which did not greatly disturb her amorous wooer, as he also 

 commenced to peck about as though feeding. But very soon he 

 again walks up to the female, "and now raising his wings to the 

 fluttering height only, flutters them tremulously as before. He walks 

 on a few steps and stops. He again approaches, and standing beside 

 her both being turned the same way with his head and neck as it 

 were curved over her, again trembles his wings, at the same time 

 making a little rapid motion with his red legs on the ground, as 

 though he were walking fast, yet not advancing." l This action occurs 

 with fair frequency during the period before egg-laying. I have 

 witnessed it several times, having first been attracted by the raised 

 wings of the male, rendered conspicuous by the white secondaries and 

 undersides, without which I should probably not have seen the birds 

 at all. 



Another action of the male, described by Stevenson, and 

 observable also in the common-sandpiper, that of uttering the 



1 Bird Watching, p. 24. 



