THE REDSHANK 293 



avidity. All for the good of plants, and of men who 

 derive benefits out of the sedge and reed beds. 



This bird is a migrant. 



The Redshank is still to be found breeding in most 

 of the marshy districts in England and here and there 

 in Wales ; it appears inland from the middle of March, 

 and early in autumn it begins to resort to the coast, 

 being joined there by numbers of migrants from the 

 Continent. When the winter is mild, birds are to be 

 found throughout the year, more especially in the south 

 and west. It is abundant as far as the Shetlands in 

 Scotland; in Ireland it is fairly plentiful during the 

 summer, and on the bays of the west it is numerous at 

 other times of the year, wherever there is a sufficient 

 supply of zostera marina left behind by the tide for it to 

 feed amongst. 



" Redshank, pool-snipe, teuke or toak, sandcock, red- 

 leg, redlegged-horseman, all these names are given to 

 him, as well as another, which exactly expresses the 

 main characteristic of the bird the yelper ; and he 

 certainly does yelp. When the tide is up all is level 

 on the flats, even the blite is covered until the tide goes 

 down. To all appearance the blite is left dry; but this 

 is not the case, for thousands of small pools are left at 

 the roots of the blite shrubs. These cannot be seen, 

 because the thick grey-green leaves cover them. Most 

 of the fowl feed in the numerous gullies that run through 

 this salt vegetation. Some of the smaller kinds feed in 

 the pools under it. If any web-footed fowl are about 

 they are sure to pitch in one or other of the gripes and 

 gullies." 



The Common Redshank is eleven inches in length. 



