402 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



743. TOTANUS CANESCENS. 

 THE GREENSHANK. 



Scolopax totanus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 245. Scolopax canescens, Gm. Syst. 

 Nat. i. p. 668. Totanus glottis * (Linn.), Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 700 j Salvad. 

 Ucc. Born. p. 328 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 155 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 462 ; 

 Hume 8f Dav. S. F. vi. p. 463 ; Cripps, S. F. vii. p. 304 ; Hume } S. F. viii. 

 p. 113 ; Scully, S. F. viii. p. 358 : Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 840 ; Oates, S. F. x. 

 p. 241. Totanus canescens, Dresser, Birds Eur. viii. p. 173, pi. ; Hume, 8. F. 

 i. p. 247, hi. p. 183 ; Armstrong, S. F. iv. p. 344 ; Anders. Yunnan Exped. 

 p. 677. 



Description. Winter plumage. Forehead, crown, nape, lores, sides of 

 the head, back and sides of the neck and the sides of the breast white 

 streaked with dark brown; back, scapulars, median and greater wing- 

 coverts greyish brown, each feather margined with white and with an 

 irregular dusky bar in front of the tipping ; lesser wing-coverts dark 

 brown ; tertiaries greyish brown, with alternating brown and white marks 

 near the edges of the webs ; lower back, rump and upper tail-coverts pure 

 white ; tail white narrowly barred with wavy brown lines, which become 

 reduced towards the outer feathers ; quills brown, narrowly margined with 

 white at the tips and on the inner webs ; a large white patch over the lores ; 

 the whole lower plumage white, the axillaries barred with brown. 



In summer the white margins to the feathers of the back, scapulars and 

 wing-coverts disappear and the subterminal dark bars become larger ; the 

 throat is streaked with brown and the breast is covered with round black 

 spots. 



Bill dark olive-brown, changing to darker brown at the tip ; iris brown ; 

 legs yellowish green ; claws dark horn- colour. 



Length 14 inches, tail 3 '3, wing 7 '5, tarsus 2' 7, bill from gape 2*5 ; the 

 bill is slightly curved upwards. The female is of about the same size. 



This species differs from the other members of this genus in having 

 the bill curved upwards slightly. 



The Greenshank is abundant throughout the Province from September 

 to March or even later. 



It is found throughout Europe, Africa and Asia, extending through the 

 archipelago to Australia. It is also said to occur in portions of both 

 North and South America. In winter it retires to the northern parts of 

 Europe and Asia to breed. 



This Wader is found in small flocks on the banks of streams and less 

 often in marshes and paddy-fields. 



* Scolopax glottis, Linn. (S. N. i. p. 245), is of very doubtful application to this species, 

 and recent writers are almost unanimous in rejecting- this name for the Greenshank. 



