148 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



handsome bird. The entire head, neck, and underparts are very dark slate- 

 grey, barred with white on the flanks, the centre of the belly, and the 

 under tail-coverts ; the axillaries and under wing-coverts are pure white, 

 the latter spotted with brown near the edge of the wing. The rest of the 

 upper parts are slate-grey, spotted and barred with greyish white, except 

 the lesser wing-coverts, outermost primaries, and primary-coverts, which 

 are brown, and the rump, which is white. Bill black, red at the base of 

 the lower mandible ; legs, feet, and claws dark reddish brown ; orbits white, 

 irides hazel. The female very closely resembles the male in colour, but 

 shows more white on the underparts. After the autumn moult the head, 

 hind neck, mantle, scapulars, and innermost secondaries are uniform 

 greyish brown, the margins of the latter having dark brown and white 

 spots ; and a white streak passes over the eye. The wings, wing-coverts, 

 rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail remain as in summer plumage, but the 

 whole of the underparts are pure white, slightly clouded with greyish 

 brown on the breast and flanks. The legs and feet also change colour to 

 orange-red. Young in first plumage closely resemble adults in breeding- 

 plumage, but are browner on the head and neck, duller in colour, and more 

 spotted ; the underparts are greyish white, barred and streaked with brown ; 

 the lores are very dark brown, and a white streak extends over the eye. 

 Birds of the year are intermediate in colour between young in first plumage 

 and adult in winter plumage. Young in down resemble those of the Red- 

 shank, but the ground-colour is somewhat darker. 



At all ages and seasons the Dusky Redshank may be distinguished from 

 the Greenshank and the Redshank by the colour of its secondaries, which 

 are white barred with brown. 



