GU EEN8IlAi\ K 
TO TANUS CANKSCEXS. 
In spring and again in autumn, in still greater numbers, tills species is to lie seen in the southern and 
eastern counties of England ivlnle on the passage to and from its breeding-grounds in the far north. 
Tliough the majority cross the sea, a considerable number rear their young in tiie more remote districts of 
sereral counties in the Highlands as well as on some of the IVestern Islands. Those that came under my 
observation during summer in the south were in every instance in immature plumage, plainly indicating 
that the pcifect adult dress is not assumed till after the second or third year. 
1 hough it appears there is undisputable evidence that the nest of this species has been repeatedly 
found close to the edge of a Highland loch, those I met with were invariably placed on tbe driest 
portions of the moors; and although small pools of rain-water might possibly have collected in the 
adjacent peat-holes, the nests were always at a considerable distance from either loch or river never to the 
best of my recollection, nearer than a quarter of a mile, I remarked at a nest in the west of Ross-shire that 
both birds regularly left the moors in company and came down to the sea-shore to feed, frequenting both the 
sandy bays and pools of salt water among the weed-grown slabs of rock. Throughout the inland districts, such 
as the central portions of Sutherland and Caithness, they were usually found searching for food in the 
iieimty of the lochs along the river-sides, or by the pools, either on the floes or the open moorlands. 
igh four IS doubtless the full complement of eggs laid by tlio Greensliank, the first nest I met with 
contamed eigb ; these were arranged with the centre egg balanced upright on the smaller end and the 
0 hers surrounding It, the shape of the shells and the depth of the cradle allowing the formation of a 
she 1 “‘ft 1 't Itave been captured on the nest, as 
allowed her back to be stroked over two or three times before rising on wing and inakinv off In 
many other instances where the nests were frequently passed, the female took not the slightest notice of 
to ivas“f *r^ ‘r OSS* previouslv referred 
erv itrTll‘“ "'”1 “ '“‘or 1 he,;d of another being 
tte I f I T ““t' l“‘ f “0 youngster just released from 
Crask 1 A t t I “ ^ " 0 “ -quainted, on the moors between the 
same nest f la each of these cases a couple of birds must have laid in the 
mv no tie!' I ‘ f '‘odsliank, of which a far greater number have come under 
providerbv tf' I “"f ™ ‘'o‘oo‘o‘l in the humble cradle 
P icled by the lee^Mt for the accommodation of its brood. 
Large numbers of Greenshanks intermixed with Ecdlegs and Shanks* were swarming on the Brevdon 
X “f f ‘•‘O gun aimM at one o/th! 
unfortunately caused more slaughter than was anticipated, as, in addition to the specimen required, 
* 5ames given by tbe Breydon gunners to the Common and Spotted Bedshanks. 
