COMMON REDSHANK. 593 



Northumberland. Several have been killed in Cumberland. 

 Mr. Don says it breeds on the heaths of Forfarshire. Mr. 

 Selby says, "the Redshank was found breeding on the 

 marshy margin of Loch Doulich, near Lairg, and at the 

 head of Loch Naver, in Sutherlandshire. When disturbed 

 from its nest, and as long as the young are unable to fly, 

 the old birds are very vociferous, and wheel around the 

 intruder in circles, making frequent stoops, as if to strike at 

 the head, like the common Lapwing. 1 ' Redshanks are not 

 numerous, according to Mr. Dunn, either in the islands of 

 Orkney or Shetland. It is found in Denmark, Sweden, and 

 Norway, where it is a summer visiter, appearing in April ; 

 and also visits Lapland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland. 

 Dr. Richardson, in his Fauna Boreali Americana, says, 

 there is a Redshank in the British Museum from Hudson's 

 Bay. Pennant says it is found eastward as far as Siberia, 

 it inhabits India, and M. Temminck says it is found in 

 Japan. 



In the south of Europe it is found in Provence and Italy, 

 Corfu, Sicily, Malta and Crete. The Zoological Society 

 have received specimens in winter plumage from Tangiers, 

 and also from Trebizond, and Mr. Strickland says it is a 

 common bird in the marshes of Smyrna. 



The Redshank can swim well, and sometimes perches on 

 trees. Montagu says it makes a slight nest with coarse 

 grass near the moist parts, or most boggy places in fens, 

 and begins to lay early in May : the egg is pale reddish 

 white, tinged with green ; blotched, spotted, and speckled 

 with dark red brown ; the length one inch six lines and a 

 half, by one inch and two lines in breadth. 



In winter the beak is black at the point, dark red at the 

 base ; the irides brown ; from the angle of the mouth to the 

 eye a dusky streak, over that and the eye a white streak ; 



VOL. II. Q Q 



