TOTANUS CALIDRIS. 855 



On the eastern side Von Heuglin met with it frequently in Eastern Kordofan, on mountain-streams in 

 Abyssinia, and on the Blue and White Nile, from September until March ; and in the summer he found it in 

 pairs on the Red Sea and in Nubia and Egypt. In the latter country he says that it is very abundant in the 

 Nile delta, but rare above Cairo. It has been noticed in Algeria, but not by Mr. Gurney. 



Habits. — This noisy and watchful Sandpiper is found in Ceylon on the muddy banks of river- estuaries, 

 the edges of salt lagoons lined with trees and mangroves, which afford it shelter, on the foreshores of salt 

 lakes, and particularly on salt-water creeks which run through alluvial land and unite with rivers near their 

 mouths. It is of all the Waders which frequent the island the most waiy on the watch, ready to fly away, 

 and rises at the slightest appearance of danger. When alarmed, or when disturbed by hearing the approach 

 of man, it utters its loud call, keeps still, and watches intently till it becomes aware of his proximity, when 

 it is off in an instant, glancing along and beneath the bank, or close by the row of trees which covered it 

 from view, with an arrow-like flight, swerving adroitly in its progress if it happens to pass near any one 

 without having previously seen him ; and when shot at and missed it generally swoops down in its flight and 

 rises instantly again, darting round curves and corners with marvellous speed. It utters its note on the 

 wing as well as at rest ; and when a small flock are disturbed by being fired at they all give vent to their 

 excitement in these loud calls, settling down only for an instant, rising again, darting back, and passing and 

 repassing the place from which they have been driven until the intruder is out of reach. They wade up to 

 the body while feeding, and walk hither and thither, picking up a morsel first on one side and then on the 

 other, and holding themselves with much grace and elegance. It does not associate with other Waders, and 

 is not sociable towards its own kind ; it generally feeds singly ; and if a small troop are found in the same 

 locality, not more than two are usually together, the rest of the company being scattered along the bank at 

 intervals of 10 to 40 yards. These little troops consist of from two to six or seven birds; and when they are 

 disturbed they very often separate, and each one flies its own way. This Redshank may be always recognized 

 on the wing by the large amount of wdiite it shows on the back and wings, as well as by its loud note. Capt. 

 Shelley says that this can be easily imitated, and by so doing the birds are called round within shot. 



I have found its diet to consist of small shells, shell-fish, and aquatic insects. Mr. Dresser has noticed 

 it picking up food on the beach when the surf was breaking on it, and avoiding the waves with apparent ease 

 by running with great swiftness. Its favourite situation in Ceylon among those above mentioned is the tidal 

 expanse to a salt lagoon, where the banks are high enough to conceal it, and above this a tolerable amount of 

 mud left bare by the receding tide. In similar localities I always met with it in Essex, where the network of 

 creeks threading the low land on the coast used to be frequented by scores of these birds. Mr. Cripps 

 mentions the fact of one "hovering" over a small Cormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmmis), which it was trying 

 to annoy, which circumstance reveals a singular trait in its disposition. Col. Irby speaks of seeing a flock of 

 thirty or forty, each one a little in the rear of the other, forming a sort of oblique line, and advancing across 

 a shallow jheel, all with their heads immersed in the water, and moving them from right to left with great 

 rapidity. An abundance of food had here caused these birds to unite in a flock, contrary to their habit. 



Nidification. — The majority of Indian and Ceylonese winter birds probably breed in Turkestan and Kash- 

 garia, though many may go further north. Von Heuglin gives 71° as the limit of their Arctic journey ; but 

 thev evidently do not nest far north in such numbers as other Sandpipers. It is an early breeder both in Asia 

 and Europe. Dr. Scully says of it in Yarkand: — "This species breeds from April to June. On the 22nd April 

 three of its eggs were obtained, which seem very large for the bird; they measure T8 by T23, D78 by T22, 

 and 1"76 by 1*21 inch. In shape they are moderately broad ovals, a good deal compressed and lengthened 

 out at one end. They have a very faint gloss. The ground-colour is grey stone, with spots, a few streaks, and 

 numerous blotches of blackish brown and sepia scattered pretty evenly over the whole surface of the egg, except 

 at the point, where the spots occur only sparingly." 



In 1865-66 I had ample opportunity of observing the nidification of this species on the marshes on 

 the coast of Essex. I found them breeding as early as the first week in April and until the middle of May in 

 pasture-land covered with coarse rye-grass in company with the Common Pewit. The nests were one and all 

 placed in the middle of tufts of grass, some of which wei*e so small that it was difficult to comprehend how 



