224 
BIRDS. 
burnt heather ground, and the young are taken by their 
parents to the nearest marsh as soon as hatched. 
Its local name in the west is " Teoch-vingh," in imitation 
of its cry. 
Mr. WoUey has the following note : — After referring to 
eggs of this bird in Hancock's collection, one in Mr. Ban- 
tock's possession, and four given to him (Mr, Wolley) by 
John Sutherland, and now in the collection, he goes on to 
say : " At this time I believe the collections of eggs just 
mentioned were the only ones in Britain which contained 
the eggs of the greenshank" (WoU. H.-B., in. p. 291). 
A summer visitant, but apparently not so common as in the 
neighbouring county of Sutherland, which is probably its 
greatest breeding haunt in the British Isles (O. MSS., 1868). 
Mr. W. Eeid says that the greenshank does not breed in 
the county regularly, but, as we know it breeds in the 
extreme north-east of the adjoining county, far from uncom- 
monly, as compared with other districts, the north-west of 
Caithness is probably their likeliest distribution. Braemore 
and Shurrery are both given as breeding localities of this 
bird by Mr. MacNicol. 
317. Totanus splitarius {Wils.). Solitary Sandpiper. 
318. Macrorhamphus griscus {Gm.). Red-breasted Snipe. 
319. Limosa iapponica {L.). Bar-tailed Godwit, 
Autumn and winter visitant, occurring on the south-east coast 
in most seasons, in small parties ; has been seen and shot in 
the months of September, November, and December. 
Mr. Osborne records only the occurrence of three of these 
birds in Caithness. They haunted the neighbourhood of 
Sarclet Loch, and one was shot and came into the possession 
of Mr, Shearer, but no date is given (0. MSS., 1868). 
