THE COMMON REDSHANK. 

 (Totanus cdlidris.) 



THE Redshank enlivens whatever place in the reed- 

 land or marsh it happens to nest in by its voice and its 

 varied plumage. It is a beautiful sight when it spreads 

 out its wings, rises into the air and stretches out its long 

 legs. Its resounding whistle is pleasant to the ear. It 

 runs well, w r ades in water, and in case of need can swim. 

 When the young ones are hatched, anyone approaching 

 the nest should be moved by the wailing cry which it 

 utters in anxiety for its young, though it has a thousand 

 ways of luring people away from the nest and of mis- 

 leading them, when it takes the trouble to do so. With 

 a plaintive cry it settles on the ground, makes all. kinds 

 of bows and curtseys, utters its flute-like note, then 

 begins to run, as if to say, " Follow me, man !" When 

 it has come out of the immediate neighbourhood of the 

 nest it settles on a branch or a stake, or even attempts 

 to perch on a telegraph wire. Then its voice becomes 

 more plaintive even than that of the Lapwing. Even a 

 shot does not scare it away. It moves away, disappears, 

 but in a very short time it is back in the same place 

 to continue its bitter lamentations ; its note sounds like 

 " Dlue, dlue, dlue, dlue-dee-dee-deedle-dee." 



Like all the waders of the marshlands, the Redshank 

 is very voracious, and has an excellent stomach. It 

 devours beetles, grasshoppers and snails with great 



