THE GREEN-SHANK. 281 



coverts ashy, with whitish edgings ; quills below ashy, the 

 lateral markings of the secondaries indicated below ; bill and 

 feet light slate-colour; iris dark brown. Total length, 13 

 inches; culmen, 2-2 ; wing, 7-2 ; tail, 2*85; tarsus, 2*15. 



Adult Male in Breeding Plumage. Of a more ruddy-brown than 

 in the winter plumage, and with black centres to the feathers of 

 the upper surface; the head and neck also streaked with black ; 

 sides of face white, narrowly streaked with black ; under surface 

 of body white, the lower throat, fore-neck, and chest with 

 numerous ovate spots of black ; the flanks with a few irregular 

 bars of black; under wing coverts and axillaries white, barred 

 with black, the bars on the latter somewhat interrupted ; 

 lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts white, the lateral 

 coverts barred with black ; two central tail-feathers ashy-grey, 

 slightly freckled with dusky, and notched with black on the 

 margins ; remainder of tail-feathers white, barred with blackish, 

 the bars becoming more irregular on the lateral feathers, which 

 have distinct bars only on the outer webs ; bill blackish-brown 

 lighter brownish -grey towards the base, especially on the lower 

 mandible ; feet yellowish-grey, the joints bluish. Total length, 

 12 inches; culmen, 2'i ; wing, 7-5 ; tail, 3 ; tarsus, 2-2. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male in colour; bill blackish- 

 brown, the basal half lighter, on the upper mandible with a 

 bluish tinge, on the lower one, with a reddish-grey one ; feet 

 dirty olive-grey, the joints darker and more bluish-grey. 



Young after First Moult. Similar to the winter plumage of the 

 adults, but much more tinged with rufous- brown ; the 

 feathers spotted with whity-brown on both webs ; centre tail- 

 feathers white, distinctly barred across with black, the chest 

 also distinctly streaked with dusky; the sides of the breast 

 spotted and mottled with dusky-brown. 



Eange in Great Britain. The Green-shank breeds in the north 

 of Scotland and in the Hebrides, also in the Isle of Skye and 

 some of the other islands off the west of Scotland. In Eng- 

 land it is a migrant only, occurring sparingly in its northward 

 journey, but more frequently during the autumn migration, 

 seldom remaining through the winter. In Ireland, it appears 

 to stay throughout the cold season. 



