206 SCOLOPACID.E. 



The Spotted Redshank is nearly twelve inches in length, 

 and the expanse of its wings nearly twice as much ; the wing, 

 from the carpal joint to the tip, seven inches : its tail mea- 

 sures three inches and three lines. The wings, when closed, 

 reach a trifle beyond its tail. The texture of the feathering 

 of its head, neck, and upper parts is silky and soft, but 

 the under parts are downy and close, like those of sea- 

 fowl. 



The beak is long, slender, and a little turned up towards 

 its tip ; the upper mandible projects beyond the lower, and 

 both terminate more or less in a pointed or tapering form ; 

 its sides are compressed, and the beak is rather rounded for 

 more than half its length from the tip. The length of the 

 beak is about two inches and three-quarters, in adult birds ; 

 of a glossy black, except the base of the under mandible, which 

 is flesh-red. 



The legs are long and slender, the unfeathered parts above 

 the knee measure about one inch and a half in length ; the 

 tarsus two inches and eight or nine lines ; the middle toe, in- 

 cluding the claw, one inch eight lines ; the hinder toe about 

 four lines. The colour of the legs in adult birds, in summer 

 plumage, is transparent reddish brown, in young birds yellow- 

 ish red ; and this colouring varies with age and season : the 

 claws are in all stages black. 



The plumage of the adult bird in summer is dusky, with 

 white edges to the feathers, in varying shapes, as represented 

 in our plate ; the head and neck are of a uniform dusky 

 colour, with a bloom of greyish-ash, except the lower eyelid, 

 which is pure white ; the lower part of the back, the rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts are white, transversely barred with 

 dusky ; the tail-feathers cinereous dusky in the centre, and 

 broadly edged with triangular white spots. Between the 

 male and female there is no material difference, either in size 

 or plumage. 



