620 GREENSHANK. 
as far as the Stanowoi Mountains; while in winter it ranges 
over the greater part of the eastern hemisphere down to the 
Australian region. On May 28th 1832 Audubon obtained three 
specimens in Florida, but since that date the bird has not been 
noticed in North America, though examples ascribed to Buenos 
Aires and Chile are in the Leiden Museum. The Greenshank is 
well known on the coasts and inland waters of Europe, especially on 
the autumnal passage, and considerable numbers go no further in 
winter than the basin of the Mediterranean and the Canaries. 
The nest is often at some distance from water, or even on dry 
ground among scattered pine-trees, but in Scotland it is generally 
near the edge of a loch or other fresh water. Mr. Buckley mentions 
finding three eggs between two stones on May 24th 1869, and on 
passing the spot on May 26th 1871 a bird was sitting closely 
between the same two stones and did not move until touched with 
the point of a fishing-rod. The eggs, normally 4 in number, are of a 
warm stone-colour, with blotches of purplish-grey and spots of rich 
brown : measurements 1’9 by 1°3 in. The male takes a large share 
in the duties of incubation. When its haunts are approached, and 
especially after the young are hatched, the Greenshank is very 
vociferous, uttering a loud chee-weet, chee-weet, and swooping round 
the head of the intruder ; at other times it has a strong, rapid flight, 
and, like other Sandpipers, it perches on trees. It feeds on small . 
fish, and spawn, crustaceans, molluscs, worms, beetles &c., often 
searching for the last in meadows frequented by cattle. 
The adult male in summer has the head and neck greyish-white 
streaked with blackish-brown ; feathers of the mantle and secondaries 
nearly black, edged with pale.grey ; rump white ; tail-feathers white, 
mottled and barred with brown ; under-parts white, with ash-brown 
streaks and spots on the throat, breast and flanks ; bill slightly 
upcurved and blackish ; legs and feet olivaceous. Length 14 in. 
(bill 2°25), wing 7°25, tarsus 2°25 in. In winter the upper parts are 
greyer and the under surface is pure white. The immature bird has 
tawny margins to the dorsal feathers, while the chest and flanks are 
minutely pencilled with blackish-grey ; tarsi greenish, bluer at the 
joints. 
It is asserted_in Littleboy’s ‘ Birds of Hertfordshire’ that a Marsh- 
Sandpiper, Z: stagnatilis, was shot near Tring Reservoirs in October 
1887, but the bird was not submitted to competent authorities at 
the time, and has since been burned. This Greenshank in miniature 
has been known to visit Heligoland and Northern France. : 
