THE REDSHANK 



wards to the countries of the Mediterranean, and eastwards through Asia Minor to 

 Siberia, ranging in winter to Africa, Southern and Eastern Asia, and the Malay 

 Archipelago. 



The nest is generally well concealed in a tussock of coarse grass or rushes 

 among the marshes or rough pastures the Redshank is so partial to in summer, 

 and contains four eggs, in ground-colour a pale yellowish-olive, blotched and 

 spotted with purplish-brown. The Redshank feeds on worms, water-insects, small 

 crustaceans, and other sea animals, which the bird secures as it probes the bottom 

 of the shallow pools of the sea-shore or marshes. This species is one of the shyest 

 and most wary of our waders, and usually acts as a sentinel to other birds near by, 

 when its clear and clamorous whistle, uttered when rising and often continued as it 

 flies around, serves as a warning signal to its companions. 



Macgillivray, in his work on British Birds, gives the following accurate descrip- 

 tion of the habits of this species : "Its flight is light, rapid, wavering, and as if 

 undecided, and being performed by quick jerks of the wings, bears some resem- 

 blance to that of a pigeon. Alighting again at a great distance, along the edge of 

 the water, it runs a short way, stands, vibrates its body, utters its cry, and thus 

 continues until its alarm has subsided. It runs with great celerity, and is in every 

 way remarkable for its activity, which becomes almost ludicrous when it is picking 

 up its food on a beach washed by a high surf, its movements being then executed 

 with astonishing rapidity, as it follows the retiring and retreats before the advancing 

 waves." 



The bird represented in the plate is in breeding plumage ; in winter the upper 

 parts are of an ashen-grey colour and the under parts lose more or less the dark 

 markings, whilst the neck and breast are only slightly streaked, and the legs of an 

 orange-red. 



THE SPOTTED REDSHANK. 



Totanus fuscus (Linnaeus). 

 Plate 68. 



The Spotted Redshank is rare in the British Islands, only occasionally visiting 

 our shores when passing to and fro between its breeding quarters in Northern 

 Europe and Asia and the warmer regions which it seeks in winter, when it visits 

 Southern Europe, Northern Africa, India, China, and Japan. 



The nesting habits of this species in Finland were first described by Wooley 



47 



