854 TOTANUS CALIDRIS. 



shore and the sides of large rivers than to inland waters. At the Sambhur Lake it is rare, but is recorded as 

 returning as early as the 25th July. It remains in the Guzerat district until May, according to Capt. Butler. 

 Eastward of the Bay it is abundant : it occurs in large quantities, writes Dr. Armstrong, between Elephant 

 Point and China Bakccr, and along the margins of the nullahs and creeks in the vicinity. In Tenasserim it is 

 "common throughout the province during the cool season, alike on the coast and in and on every little pool." 

 In the Nicobars it has not been noticed ; but in the Andaman* it is found along the salt-water creeks, is 

 quite common from September till May, and has been killed in June in winter plumage (Hume). It lias been 

 recorded from Singapore, and in Java it was obtained by Herr Kuhl and Van Hassclt. In Borneo it has 

 been obtained in the south at Pagattan, Pontianak, and Sarawak. Forsten procured it in Celebes ; and Lord 

 Tweeddale includes it in his list of the birds of that island ; but Dr. Meyer, during his recent explorations in 

 that island, does not seem to have met with it. According to Swinhoe it winters in China, being generally 

 distributed there ; but I find no mention of its occurrence in Formosa, although he got it in Hainan. Pere 

 David speaks of it as common in the two seasons of passage. In the Philippines it has been obtained by 

 Cuming. It does not appear to have been noticed in Japan ; but on the south coast of the Sea of Okhotsk 

 and in the Shantar Island Yon Middendorff shot it in August. Schrenck did not meet with it in Amurland, 

 nor in the territory of Iakoutsk ; nor does Mr. Seebohm record it from the Yeuesay. It is therefore evident 

 that in Asia, as in Europe, it has not a high northerly summer range, being content to breed in lower lati- 

 tudes than many of its relatives. Prjevalsky writes of it as follows : — " Breeds sparingly in the Hoang-ho 

 valley and about the shores of small rivers in South-east Mongolia, whither it migrates in the end of March, 

 about which time it was also numerous at Koko-nor, and in August, during migration, about the rain-puddles in 

 Gobi. We did not find it in the Ussuri country." In Yarkand Stoliezka noticed it during the first half of the 

 winter, and Scully obtained it as early as March in the same locality ; he writes as follows : — " The first 

 specimen of the Redshank was obtained at Kashgar in November, where it was tolerably common ; and after 

 that it was not met with until March ; and in May and June this species swarmed everywhere near water in 

 the vicinity of Yarkand. The bird was also found in the valley of the Karakash towards the end of August." 

 In Turkestan it occurs on passage, according to Sevcrtzoff, and breeds rarely in grassy steppes and in cultivated 

 districts up to an altitude of 4000 feet. As regards Persia, Mr. Blanford writes : — " The Redshank probably 

 breeds in the Persian highlands at the Lake of Shiraz and other places. De Filippi met with it in July near 

 Sultauiah." In Baluchistan it was occasionally seen by him. Canon Tristram met with it in Palestine in the 

 winter only; and in Asia Minor it is spoken of as being common on marshy ground, and observed until the 

 13th of May (Danford). 



In Europe it is very abundant, and breeds in some countries, notably in Spain. Here Mr. Saunders 

 found it common in the summer and nesting in marshes. Col. Irby states : — " I found the common Red- 

 shank in some numbers at the lakes of Ras Dowra towards the end of April ; and they were then evidentlv 

 beginning to nest. They were not in any thing like the quantity which breed in some parts of the marismas 

 of the Guadalquivir. ... In Andalucia this Redshank is, though frequently seen in winter, chiefly migratory, 

 passing north in great abundance mostly towards the middle of April." In France, Germany, Holland, and 

 England it is resident. In the Low countries Mr. Labouchere says it is the most common Wader after the 

 Lapwing. In many parts of England, but chiefly on the east coast, it is found in considerable numbers, but 

 does not breed so plentifully now as in former days. In North Frisia Mr. Durnford found it breeding 

 in numbers; and Naumann states that it is common on the shores of the Baltic. It migrates as far north as 

 Finland, arriving there in May ; but it does not appear to reach more easterly districts, if we are to judge by 

 its absence from the Petchora, such a notable breeding-place of Waders. In a westerly direction, however, its 

 range extends to Iceland, where it is even resident. 



It wiuters in Morocco, having for the north in March and April, and returning in September, accordhi"- 

 to Favicr. It is common in certain localities on the west coast (Senegambia, Ashantee, &c.) ; and Captain 

 Shelley met with it in numbers at the mouths of rivers on the Gold Coast. It wanders as far south as the 

 Cape, but is not so numerous in South Africa as others of the group. Layard remarks that it is found 

 sparingly about the Knysna estuary and the mouth of the Salt River, near Cape Town ; at a place called Zoe- 

 tendals vley it was abundant in November. He also records it as having been shot by collectors at Lake 

 N garni . 



