622 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



times central pair of tail-feathers, innermost secondaries and coverts, 

 not wing-coverts in those examined, are moulted Aug. to Jan. but 

 not rest of wings. First summer. — Not examined. One March and 

 one June were in worn winter-plumage, former acquiring fresh 

 winter -feathers . 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 151-166 mm., tail 57-64, 

 tarsus 47-54, bill from feathers 35^0 (12 measured). $ wing 156- 

 165, bill 34-39. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd 2.5-6 mm. 

 shorter, 4th 9-14 shorter, 5th 18-24 shorter, 6th 28-38 shorter. 

 Longest inner secondaries between 5th and 7th primaries. Tail square, 

 central pair very slightly longer than rest, 2nd and 3rd pair very 

 slightly shorter than 1st (outer) pair. Bill straight and slender ; 

 groove in upper mandible extending less than half length of culmen. 

 Legs long, lower portion of tibia exposed, tibia and tarsus scutel- 

 lated in front and behind. Four toes, middle and outer ones webbed 

 to about 1st joint, middle and inner ones very slightly webbed at 

 base. 



Soft parts. — Bill black ; legs and feet yellow ; iris dark brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Dark ash-brown back and rump, 

 white upper tail-coverts more or less barred ash-brown, and ash- 

 brown secondaries, distinguish this species from its near allies ; for 

 distinctions from T. melanoleuca see under that species. 



Field -characters. — In flight wings uniform dark grey, unrelieved 

 by any paler stripe or shade. Tail (actually barred) conspicuously 

 spread on alighting makes a bold uniformly white mark. Legs 

 bright yellow. On ground a slender, tall, long-legged bird. Favourite 

 feeding ground stubble on the marsh with standing pools of water. 

 Note in flocks abrupt, " kip " or " keup," when single more often a 

 full whistled " wheu " or " wheu-wheu." One-quarter smaller than 

 Greater Yellowshank. (J. T. Nichols.) 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts barren lands of north-west. Nest. — 

 Mere depression in ground, scantily lined with dead leaves or 

 grasses, usually not far from water. Eggs. — Normally 4, sometimes 

 3 only, pyriform, yellowish -buff in ground, handsomely blotched 

 with chocolate-brown, shading into blackish-brown and ashy-grey 

 shellmarks, chiefly at large end. Occasionally almost unmarked. 

 Average of 5 eggs, 42.6x29.4 mm. Breeding -season. — June. In- 

 cubation. — Apparently chiefly by female but details lacking. Prob- 

 ably single brooded. 



Food. — Insects and their larvae, small Crustacea, worms, and occa- 

 sionally fry of fish (Sicydium.) 



Distribution. — Great Britain. — Six. Misson (Notts.) 1854 (?). 

 Near Marazion (Cornwall) Sept. 12, 1871 (Saunders, p. 613). Fair 

 Isle (Shetlands), Sept. 24, 1910 (W. E. Clarke, Ann. S.N.H., 1911, 

 p. 53). Male and female Camber (Sussex), Aug. 15, 1914 (H. W. 

 Ford-Lindsay, Brit. B., vm, p. 121). One Tresco, Scilly Is., Sept. 2, 

 1920 (H. Langton, Bull. B.O.G., xli, p. 26). 



