856 TOTANUS CALIDRIS. 



the birds could conceal themselves ill the middle of them. The centre of the tuft was beaten down, and a 

 little cavity thus made with no other lining than the green standing grass on which the eggs, two, three, and 

 four, were deposited, and not placed with the small ends together, owing probably to the birds disturbing the 

 position of the eggs on leaving them without being able to readjust them. The cud of the blades of grass thus 

 trampled down were arranged round the sides of the space thus formed, and constituted the walls of the nest. 

 There were no entrances to these nests, or, rather, "forms," although there were little tracks in the surrounding 

 grass, showing where the bird approached and left her eggs; but they ceased at the edge of the tuft, 

 and the ways of egress and ingress were carefully closed up. Nothing could be more admirably concealed than 

 these eggs, for above them the tops of the grass-blades were brought together, so that they were entirely 

 hidden from view. They varied but little in colour and marking, being all of a rich ochre ground-colour, 

 beautifully blotched and spotted with rich reddish brown. 



When disturbed the Redshanks flew right away from the ground and settled in the surrounding creeks; 

 but the Pewits Hew round and round their nesting-ground in their accustomed manner. 



A further series which I have examined, in the collection of Mr. Dresser, and taken in Northern Europe, 

 are stone-yellow and olivaceous yellow in ground-colour, marked in some cases with large blotches of dark 

 sepia intermixed with smaller spots overlying specks of bluish grey. Others arc without the larger markings 

 at the obtuse end, and are more thickly covered with small blots. Some measure \'78 by 1' 13 inch, others l - 77 

 by 1*23 and 1G5 by 1*14. They are moderately compressed at the small end and rounded at the large. 



