630 SCOLOPACID^. 



colnshire. Mr. Selby says it is common in Durham and 

 Northumberland. Several have been killed in Cumber- 

 land. Mr. Don says it breeds on the heaths of Forfarshire. 

 Mr. Selby says, " The Redshank was found breeding on 

 the marshy margin of Loch Doulich, near Lairg, and at 

 the head of Loch Naver, in Sutherlandshire. When dis- 

 turbed from its nest, and as long as the young are unable 

 to fly, the old birds are very vociferous, and wheel around 

 the intruder in circles, making frequent stoops, as if to 

 strike at the head, like the common Lapwing." Redshanks 

 are not numerous, according to Mr. Dunn, either in the 

 islands of Orkney or Shetland. It is found in Denmark, 

 Sweden, and Norway, where it is a summer visitor, appear- 

 ing in April ; and also visits Lapland, the Faroe Islands, 

 and Iceland. Sir John Richardson, in his Fauna Boreali 

 Americana, says there is a Redshank in the British 

 Museum from Hudson's Bay. Pennant says it is found 

 eastward as far as Siberia, it inhabits India, and M. Tem- 

 minck says it is found in Japan. 



In the south of Europe it is found in Provence and 

 Italy, Corfu, Sicily, Malta, and Crete. The Zoological 

 Society have received specimens in winter plumage from 

 Tangiers, and also from Trebizond, and Mr. Strickland 

 says it is a common bird in the marshes of Smyrna. 



The Redshank can swim well, and sometimes perches on 

 trees. Montagu says it makes a slight nest with coarse 

 grass near the moist parts or most boggy places in fens, 

 and begins to lay early in May: the egg is pale reddish 

 white, tinged with green ; blotched, spotted, and speckled 

 with dark red brown ; the length is one inch six lines and 

 a half, by one inch and two lines in breadth. 



In winter the beak is black at the point, dark red at 

 the base ; the irides brown ; from the angle of the mouth 

 to the eye a dusky streak, over that and the eye a white 



