The Zoologist — March, 1866. 125 



engaged are they with the dog that sometimes as many as three are 

 killed before the others take themselves off. Should the sportsman (if 

 he may be so called), however, show himself during the process, the 

 birds would quickly be off. This mode of shooting them can only be 

 practised when they are in small parties of four or five; when in large 

 flocks they do not take the slightest notice of the dog or of the 

 "curlew whistle," which is also used to attract them. What is the 

 cause of their attacking the dog in this manner? Is it aversion, 

 curiosity or fascination ? The fishermen account for it by supposing 

 that foxes are common in the places where they are bred, and that 

 they therefore have good cause for their apparent anger and aversion. 



Whimbrel. — I noticed that whimbrels became more numerous 

 towards the latter end of April and beginning of May. They did not 

 stay long, however, soon leaving us for their breeding-grounds : they 

 returned again in the autumn rather before the curlews, viz. about the 

 end of July, when they became very common till towards October, 

 when the greater number left us. A few, however, generally remain 

 during the winter. 



Redshank. — Local name, "tooke." A number of these birds breed 

 annually on a large piece of marsh called " Rainham Saltings:" this 

 consists of about one hundred acres of irreclaimable marsh-land, inter- 

 sected in every direction by creeks and dykes : it is traversed by means 

 of a "stray-way," a path that doubles and turns about in every direc- 

 tion to avoid the larger creeks, giving to a person following it the 

 appearance of a man demented, — at one minute leading straight out 

 from land, the next apparently walking back again, — now turning to 

 the right hand, now to the left, occasionally disappearing altogether 

 from view in a dyke. During spring-tides the greater part of the 

 marsh is submerged, the higher hillocks only remaining uncovered. 

 The redshanks pair about the middle or end of April, and at this time 

 are constantly on the move, flying round and round in circles, inces- 

 santly uttering their note with great animation, occasionally rising and 

 falling in the air with a tremulous motion of the wings, and at the same 

 time making a trilling noise. It appears to me that these birds never 

 rest ; I have heard them at all hours of the day, and on a still night 

 their cry sounds particularly wild and pleasing: besides their note 

 uttered when on the wing, they are in the night in the habit of joining 

 in a chorus (if I may so term it), one bird beginning and others 

 chiming in one after another, much in the same manner as a flock of 

 ducks assist the old drake in his clamorous quacking. It is by no 



