AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 95 



14th, 1888, informed me that he had recently 

 examined a Spotted Redshank in the plumage of the 

 first year which was shot at Canon's Ashby on 

 August 28th ult. Through the courtesy of Sir Henry 

 Dryden this specimen has come into my possession 

 stuffed and very fairly mounted, and is I think 

 without doubt a young male. In Baker's ' History 

 of the County of Northampton,' vol. i. p. 377, I find 

 " Spotted Redshank, ScoIojmx tofanus," recorded as 

 having been met with at or near Fawsley ; but it is 

 more than likely that this may really refer to the 

 Common Redshank, which certainly deserves the 

 epithet "Spotted '' as much as the present species. 

 This bird, never abundant in any part of our Islands, 

 generally appears on our coasts at the seasons of 

 migration in spring and autumn, and a few have 

 been obtained in the winter months, but these latter 

 cases are exceptional, and as a rule the great majority 

 pass on southwards in September. My personal 

 acquaintance with the Spotted Redshank is very 

 small, and almost entirely confined to the shores of 

 the Mediteranean ; I never had the good fortune to 

 meet with one of this species alive in the very 

 remarkable black plumage of summer, but it has 

 occurred in that dress to my knowledge in England 

 on two or three occasions. From the little that I 

 have seen of this bird I am disposed to consider 

 it less gregarious in its habits than its commoner 

 congener, and certainly less noisy, although it 

 appears, from Mr. Wolley's most interesting account 

 of its breeding-habits quoted in Dresser's ' Birds of 

 Europe,' that it can be clamorous enough when 

 its nest is approached ; this account is also quoted 

 in the 4:th ed. of Yarrell, and in the 3rd edition 



