THE GREENSHANK 271 



of mud close to an embankment. Calculating as nearly as I could 

 how many paces off it was, I cautiously crept along the other side 

 of the embankment ; and when I had reached what I supposed 

 was the right spot, took off my hat and peeped over. Within a few 

 yards of me was an unmistakable Redshank, pegging with his 

 long beak into the mud, and aiding every blow with an impetus of 

 his whole body. In my own mind I compared his movements 

 with those of a Nuthatch, with which I was quite familiar, and, the 

 surface of the mud being frozen hard, I imagined that the laborious 

 effort on the part of the bird was necessitated by the hardness of 

 the ground. Perhaps this may have been the case ; but, whether 

 or not, it is clear enough that the bird does, when occasion requires 

 it, lend the weight of his body to the effort of his beak in searching 

 for food. I should add that I did not know, at the time, that any 

 similar occurrence had been recorded. 



The food of the Redshank consists of worms, marine insects, 

 and any other animal matter which abounds on the seashore. In 

 small communities it buUds its nest of a few blades of grass in 

 the marshes, in a tuft of rushes or long grass, never among the shingle 

 where that of the Ringed Plover is placed, but often under a shrub 

 (popularly known on the coast of Norfolk by the name of ' Rose- 

 mary'), the SucBda fruticosa, Shrubby Sea Elite, of botanists. It 

 lays four eggs, which are considered delicate eating. 



THE GREENSHANK 



TOTANUS CANESCENS 



Bill strong, compressed at the base, slightly curved upwards. Winter — fore- 

 head, all the lower parts, and lower back, white ; head, cheeks, neck and 

 sides of the breast, streaked with ash-brown and white ; rest 

 of the upper feathers mottled with dusky and yellowish white ; tail 

 white, middle feathers barred with brown, outer white with a narrow 

 dusky streak on the outer web ; bill ash-brown ; legs yellowish green, 

 long and slender. Summer — feathers of the back edged with white, 

 breast and adjacent parts white, with oval black spots ; middle tail- 

 feathers ash, barred with brown. Length fourteen inches. Eggs olive- 

 brown, spotted all over with dusky. 



An unusual colour and disproportionate length of leg are characters 

 which sufficiently distinguish the Greenshank and account for its name. 

 It is far less common than the Redshank, but seems to resemble 

 it in many of its habits. It is sociably disposed towards birds of 

 its own kind and allied species, but utterly averse to any familiarity 

 with man, insomuch that fowlers rarely come within sh<st of it. It 

 frequents low muddy or sandy shores and brackish pools, the oozy 

 banks of lakes, ponds, and rivers, preferring such open situations 

 as allow it a clear view of threatening danger while there is plenty 

 of time to decamp. In the course of feeding it wades unconcernedly 



