OREENSIIANK. 



623 



white, slightly marked longitudinally with ash colour ; 

 breast, belly, vent, and under tail-coverts, pure white ; legs 

 and toes, olive green ; claws, black. The specimen from 

 which our figure was taken was killed at the beginning of 

 May ; the dark streaks and spots on the neck are well 

 defined, and almost black ; the centre of some of the fea- 

 thers on the back, is in change to greenish black, which is 

 the prevailing tint on the upper surface of the body when 

 the plumage of the breeding season is confirmed, and" the 

 light-coloured margins of the greater wing-coverts, and the 

 tertials especially, are varied with dark spots. The more 

 uniform ash grey is the plumage of winter ; the well- 

 defined dark lines and spots assumed in summer, are not 

 produced by any partial moulting, or the production of 

 new feathers, but by an alteration in the colour of the 

 old feather. 



The whole length of the adult Greenshank is about 

 twelve inches ; from the carpal joint to the end of the wing 

 seven inches ; the first quill-feather the longest. 



The representation below is from the skeleton of the Com- 

 mon Sandpiper, and exhibits the form of the breast bone in 

 the species of the genus Totanus. 



