BRITISH BIRDS 



Key to North American Birds, the eggs are "greyish or deep buff, irregularly 

 spotted with rich dark brown." 



The specimen shown in the plate, kindly lent by Lord Rothschild, was obtained 

 at Buenos Aires, Argentina, and represents a male in winter plumage. In summer 

 the upper parts are more strongly marked with black, whilst the under parts are 

 whiter. 



THE YELLOWSHANK. 



Totanus flavipes (J. F. Gmelin). 



This species has occurred thrice in the British Islands, the first having been 

 obtained in Nottinghamshire about 1854, the second in Cornwall in September 

 1 87 1, and the last on Fair Isle, Shetlands, in September 191 o. 



In the breeding season the Yellowshank inhabits the greater part of North 

 America, where it is a common bird, and in winter ranges southwards to the West 

 Indian Islands and South America as far as Patagonia. The nest is a slight 

 depression in the ground, sometimes with, sometimes without a scanty lining of 

 grasses, etc., and contains four eggs, in ground-colour pale cream or pale drab, 

 blotched with deep reddish-brown. 



The habits in general of the Yellowshank appear to be much like those of its 

 congeners. 



In summer the head and neck are dull white with dark streaks, the upper parts 

 greyish-brown, blotched and marked with black and spotted with white, tail dull 

 grey and white with dusky bars, under parts white, flanks darkly barred. The 

 axillaries, which are also white, are marked with greyish-brown. Legs and feet 

 yellow. In winter the plumage is less distinctly marked. 



THE REDSHANK. 



Totanus calidris (Linnaeus). 

 Plate 68. 



This well-known bird is a common resident in the British Islands, breeding 

 abundantly in many localities and haunting the coast and mudflats of the estuaries 

 in autumn and winter. It breeds throughout Europe from Scandinavia south- 



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