630 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



tail-coverts more closely barred ; ear-coverts, cheeks, sides of neck 

 and lower -throat white, narrowly streaked and spotted sepia ; 

 breast, belly and vent white with irregular sepia bars and markings, 

 paler on belly and vent ; flanks and under tail-coverts white 

 broadly barred sepia ; tail-feathers sepia narrowly barred white, 

 central pair sometimes pale sepia barred darker and notched white 

 (feathers narrower and more pointed than in adult) ; wing as adult 

 but innermost secondaries and coverts as scapulars ; greater 

 coverts darker sepia ; median coverts sepia notched and edged light 

 buff or white ; lesser coverts sepia edged, and some notched, 

 white. 



First winter. — As adult winter and only to be distinguished by 

 retained worn juvenile greater and median coverts, innermost 

 median with much narrower white tips than adult and by worn 

 juvenile tail-feathers. The juvenile body-feathers, some tail- 

 feathers, usually all innermost secondaries and coverts, some median 

 and lesser coverts are moulted Aug. to Feb. but not rest of wings. 

 First summer. — Moult as in adult. Like adult and only to be dis- 

 tinguished by retained juvenile tail-feathers when not all moulted 

 and wing-coverts. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 158-167.5 mm., tail 60- 

 67.5, tarsus 52.5-59, bill from feathers 53-59 (12 measured). $ 

 wing 166-177, bill 56.5-64. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 

 3rd 2-5 mm. shorter, 4th 9-13 shorter, 5th 16-24 shorter, 6th 26-34 

 shorter. Longest inner secondaries between 3rd and 6th primaries. 

 Bill moderately long, slender and straight, groove in upper mandible 

 extending to one -third length of culmen. Legs long. Other struc- 

 tures as in T. flavipes. 



Soft parts. — Bill dark brown, dusky -red at base of lower 

 mandible ; legs and feet orange -red ; iris brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Pale sepia secondaries, notched and 

 tipped white, white back and rump and barred tail-coverts dis- 

 tinguish this species in all plumages. 



Field -characters. — In summer plumage, sooty black faintly 

 spotted with white, is quite unlike Common Redshank. Ashy-grey 

 winter dress is less distinct, but at all seasons larger size, relatively 

 longer bill, and dull tint and small amount of white in expanded 

 wing distinguish it. Call-note " tchuet, tchuet," too, is unlike 

 musical call of smaller species. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts dry moorlands, partially wooded. 

 Nest. — Often on recently burnt patch of moor with trees at hand, 

 mere depression in ground, with a few pine needles for lining. 

 Eggs. — Normally 4, pyriform, ground-colour usually sea-green, but 

 sometimes ranging to stone-buff, boldly blotched with rich umber- 

 brown and ashy-grey. Average of 100 eggs, 47.2x32.2. Max. : 

 51.5 X 33 and 48 X 34. Min. : 42 X 32.5 and 50 X 30 mm. Breeding- 

 season. — End May and first half June in Lapland. Incubation. — 

 Chiefly by male (S. A. Davies). Period unknown. Single brooded. 



