220 BIRDS. 



Moodie-Heddle in answer to a question we put to him in 

 reference to the extraordinary tameness of this bird, mentioned 

 in a former letter : 



" I think the Redshanks were attracted to the light of the 

 kitchen window in the storm, and once inside, finding they 

 were not injured, declined to face the gale again. The 

 last occasion one came in was about three months since, 

 when I was from home; the cook took it to the back-door, 

 and it would not go out, but ran back past her to the 

 kitchen. There it kept running about, but quite quiet, till, when 

 she went to bed, fearing its doing damage, she placed a per- 

 forated wire garden-seat over it, which was just like a cage. 

 The morning was fine, and when she let it out it flew away. I 

 saw the same thing here nearly a year ago, and once before at 

 Hobbister, with Eedshanks. In both places they bred near the 

 house, and kept about a stream within twenty-five or thirty 

 yards of the door. The Redshank is knowing, and can look out 

 for itself when shot at ; but it is an intelligent bird, as any one 

 will find out who attempts to stalk seals or plover, etc., near 

 one. It not only sounds an alarm, but will, like the gulls, go 

 and purposely alarm the object of pursuit." 



Mr. Irvine-Fortescue says he has frequently seen small 

 flocks of from three to seven or eight Redshanks alight on the 

 water and swim, especially amongst floating seaweed. 



Once, in February 1888, the same gentleman saw several 

 alight on the water, thirty or forty yards from the beach, and 

 about the same distance from the nearest seaweed, the water at 

 that place being three or four feet deep. They swam about for 

 a minute or so, and then rose easily from the water and flew off. 

 There was a considerable ripple on the water at the time. 



Tetanus fuscus (L.). Spotted Redshank. 



The only note we have of this species is, that one was sent by 

 Strang to Dr. Duguid from Sanday in September 1849. 



Totanus canescens (Gmel). Greenshank, 



From what our correspondents write us, the Greenshank is a fairly 

 common autumn migrant, but very rare in the spring. 



