SOME HOLIDAY NOTES FROM BBEYDON. 365 



who reckoned himself a sportsman made common cause against 

 them. Scores were slain ere the remnant took the hint to go 

 south ; those killed were eventually thrown in the refuse-box as 

 useless. 



I was sufficiently interested in some plump young Herrings 

 we captured one day in the watcher's Smelt-net to dissect them, 

 and found their stomachs packed with Opossum Shrimps. 



The Greenshank very much interested me this summer, and 

 hardly a day passed but its clear ringing notes were heard on 

 Breydon. Mostly in twos and threes this species haunts the 

 rond-corners, where little pools and small runs afford easy cap- 

 tures of small crustaceans and worms. The Greenshank is a 

 restless, impulsive creature, and runs its sturdy mandibles in 

 quick zigzag fashion in the shallow water, forming a con- 

 tinuous series of figure 8's without a break, differing in these 

 respects from the Eedshanks, which prefer usually to keep to 

 the ooze and probe for mudworms, forming also figure 8's, but 

 separate and complete. The Eedshanks also like to pick up 

 with dainty action crustaceans stranded among the semi-marine 

 vegetation. 



One afternoon I observed a Greenshank feeding, hopping on 

 one leg as it proceeded. Watching it for some time, I naturally 

 came to the conclusion that it had lost one leg by accident — by 

 a gun-shot perhaps ; but suddenly the hitherto hidden leg shot 

 out, and the bird industriously scratched its head ! It flew 

 towards another of the same species, which itself was actually 

 hopping on one leg ; and they hopped in concert ! From sub- 

 sequent observations made, I feel safe in saying, I think, that it 

 is a feature with the Greenshank, and practised more from 

 caprice than necessity. Herring-syle, which this species might 

 easily have captured this season, was not sought for by it. On 

 one occasion I observed a Greenshank playing with a small 

 Herring, finally dropping it as if half-reluctantly, and resuming 

 its worming. 



Curlews visited us in some numbers late in August, and one 

 evening, at closing-in time, fully two hundred came to an adjoin- 

 ing flat. I wish this noble bird could be absolutely and entirely 

 protected. We have lost the Avocet, and some other erstwhile 

 British -breeding birds. Why not make sure to preserve this 



