THE GREENSHANK. 633 



200, bill 53-59. Primaries : 1st minute. 2nd longest, 3rd 4-6 mm. 

 shorter, 4th 11-15 shorter, 5th 22-26 shorter, 6th 33-39 shorter. 

 Longest inner secondary between 4th and 7th primaries. Tail 

 square, slightly rounded, central pair longest. Bill of medium 

 length and distinctly upturned ; culmen stout with groove extend- 

 ing less than half length. Other structure as in T. flavipes. 



Soft parts. — Bill bluish-slate, tip horn ; legs and feet pale 

 olive -green ; iris brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Distinguished from near allies by 

 slightly upturned bill and white back, rump and upper tail-coverts. 

 Field -characters. — Outside breeding-quarters, a passage -migrant, 

 a few wintering. Occurs, often singly, on coastal marshes, lakes and 

 reservoirs. Recognized by hoary upper-parts — greyest in autumn 

 and winter — long, black and slightly recur ved bill, and long, greenish 

 legs. In flight, which is rapid and erratic, wings uniformly coloured, 

 but lower-back, rump and tail conspicuously white. Doss not 

 probe mud but snatches food after short rushes in shallow water. 

 Love -song similar to Redshank's. Note on rising a loud " tchew, 

 tchew, tchew," less musical than Redshank's " tew, tew tew." Call 

 of passing birds a loud " chee-weet." 



Breeding-habits. — Found on open moorlands interspersed with 

 flows and also in open patches near pine forest. Nest. — Always 

 close to some mark, either a stone on open moor, or fragment of 

 bleached timber near woodland ; a depression in ground lined with 

 a few bents and leaves of moorland plants. Eggs. — Usually 4, 

 sometimes 3 only, rarely 5, pyriform, with warm stone -buff ground 

 and numerous irregular markings of red -brown or chocolate and 

 ashy sheiimarks. Average of 100 British eggs, 51.4x34.8. Max. : 

 59.8x37.7. Mn. : 45.8x35.4 and 50.4x32.4 mm. Breeding* 

 season. — From mid-May as a rule, occasionally 1st week May, in 

 Scotland. Incubation. — Collett ascribes this to male bird, but 

 reliable information is scanty. Period unknown. Single brooded. 

 Food. — Includes insects and larvse ; coleoptera (Phyllopertha, 

 Cneorhinus, Ha? -pains, Dytiscus, Gyrinus, Aphodius, Ilybius, etc.) ; 

 diptera (Tipula) ; also Notonecta glauca and Lestes nympha. Also 

 Crustacea {Palcemon, Hippolyte, Squilla, sandhoppers and minute 

 crabs), lob-worms, mollusca (Planorbis, etc.), tadpoles and young 

 frogs, small fish and fish spawn. 



Distribution. — British Isles. — Resident. Breeds Scotland from 

 Rannoch Moor (Perth) northwards on mainland, and most commonly 

 Inverness, eastern Ross, Caithness, and Sutherland ; in Lewis and 

 Harris (O. Hebrides), rarely in Skye, possibly in Tiree, not in 

 Orkneys, but possibly on a few occasions in Shet lands. Elsewhere 

 passage -migrant throughout British coasts and occasionally inland, 

 chiefly autumn (mid -July to late Nov.), and more rarely spring 

 (mid -April to late May), and only occasionally winter. 

 Distribution. — Abroad. — Summers in northern regions of Europe 

 and Asia, from Scandinavian Mts. to Kamtschatka, passes on 



