164 BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



with other Waders as the Common Redshank habitually does), or in small parties 

 of three to a dozen, or so, in number. It is particularly wary and difficult of 

 approach. Though silent when it has eggs, it is very noisy when the young are 

 hatched. I have seen very little of it personally nothing whatever in its 

 breeding quarters but am able to say that its ordinary call-note, though equally 

 loud and clear, is very different from the Common Redshank's, it consists of a 

 loud double whistle, approximately rendered by the syllables "ckooee"; besides 

 this a small flock converse together in under-tones, uttering a sort of low 

 chuckle ; its food is of worms, insects, and small mollusca ; on our shores it 

 seems to be very fond of mussel spat. 



Family S COL OP A C/Z>^. 



GREENSHANK. 







Totanus canescens, GMEI,. 



THE Greenshank breeds from the Highlands of Scotland, and the fells of 

 Northern Norway, across Arctic Asia north of lat. 6o 3 . It passes down the 

 West European and East Asiatic coasts on migration, and also across country, 

 wintering on the shores of the Mediterranean, throughout Africa, India, Ceylon, 

 Burmah, Indo- Malaya, and Australasia. It has not been found in Greenland, 

 Iceland, or the Faeroes, and has only occurred in the New World as a rare straggler. 

 With us it breeds, in small numbers, in the Hebrides and the northern counties 

 of Scotland, occurs as a migrant on the coasts in April and May, and also from 

 August to November, rarely remaining to winter. 



It is to be feared that the numbers of this species which breed in Britain 

 are decreasing, owing to the fictitious value attributed to " British-taken" examples 

 of the eggs of this, and other scarce birds. It seems a great pity that collectors 



