GREENSHANK. 13 



GRALLATORES, SCOLOPACIDJE. 



PLATE CLXXXIV. 



GREENSHANK. 



TOTANUS GLOTTIS. 



The Greenshank is a summer visitant in Britain, and 

 most numerous during its spring and autumn migration, al- 

 though at no time common. Its distribution extends over 

 portions of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. In Europe 

 it is seen in every part ; in Asia, from Siberia southward to 

 Bengal : in Africa it is most frequent in Egypt and Nubia ; 

 and in America it is found from North to South : but there 

 also occurs a species (Totanus melanoleucos} much resembling 

 the present, in South America, with which it has been some- 

 times confused. The Greenshank appears to give no ex- 

 clusive preference to flat countries, since it is frequently met 

 with on the borders of the lakes of Switzerland, as well as of 

 Scotland. In the fiat parts of Holland it is very frequent. 

 The most likely locality for the Greenshank to be met with 

 is on the soft muddy banks of lakes, ponds, rivers, and bogs, 

 at no great distance from the sea, and also on the flat sea- 

 shore itself; but, owing to its generally giving the pre- 

 ference to sweet water above salt water, this species, as soon 

 as it alights on our sea-shores, begins to work its way inland. 



The birds that visit us are most probably stragglers from 

 the flocks which pass over the Continent in a north-easterly 

 direction in the spring of the year; some few, however, 



vol. v. c 



