BRITISH BIRDS 



(see Hewitson's Eggs of British Birds, 3rd ed. pp. 326-328, and Dresser's Birds of 

 Europe). He found the birds nesting in dry places near the tops of long hills 

 amongst forests, far away from marshes, and often, curiously enough, on black 

 ground where the trees had been burnt, which made it difficult to see the bird when 

 sitting on her nest amidst these surroundings. 



The four eggs are laid in some small depression in the ground — those found by 

 Wooley being bedded with a few needles of the Scotch fir — and in colour vary from 

 a delicate green to a pale brownish tint, blotched and spotted with deep brown and 

 having shell-markings of purplish-grey. 



Like the Redshank, this species is very alert and wary, and lives on much the 

 same kind of food, though it shows more partiality for fresh water than the other. 

 When its breeding ground is invaded the bird utters loud cries, but the late Lord 

 Lilford considered it less noisy on ordinary occasions than our Common Redshank. 

 The remarkable difference between the dark nuptial plumage and the white and 

 silvery grey of winter is shown in the plate. 



THE GREENSHANK. 

 Totanus canescens (J. F. Gmelin). 

 Plate 68. 



This species, which is a good deal larger than the Redshank, visits the British 

 Islands in autumn and spring, occasionally staying during the winter months, 

 especially in Ireland. It has long been known to breed on the moorlands and 

 hillsides of Scotland and the western islands, where the bird is found in summer in 

 many localities. It also breeds in Northern Europe and Asia, migrating south- 

 wards in winter to Africa, the warmer parts of Asia, the Malay Archipelago, and 

 even down to Australia. 



The nest is placed on the ground, sometimes on a hillside among heather or by 

 a fresh-water loch, and is merely a slight hollow lined with pieces of heath, dry 

 grass, etc. The four eggs are pale buff or stone-colour, blotched with pale purplish- 

 grey, and dotted with dark brown. 



In April I have seen the Greenshank by the River Ewe in Ross-shire feeding 

 among the stones and mud on the margin of the stream, when its loud musical 

 whistle could frequently be heard. The food consists of worms, insects, molluscs, 

 tiny fishes, etc. 



48 



