202 
REDSHANK. 
and having their bright orange legs stretched out, 
and sometimes dangling behind them. We have 
several times procured them in the breeding sea- 
son, and with the young, in a marsh such as we 
have noticed, on the banks of the Solway at 
Southerness, where a few pairs annually breed. 
It has also been found breeding in stations in 
Sutherlandshire, near Lairg, and at the head of 
Lochnaver. Several broods afterwards join on 
the shore, and continue together in parties, con- 
sisting of from a dozen to fifty. They are very 
wary, and, when taking wing, almost always utter 
their alarm note; but, if come upon unawares, 
from behind some rock or other cover, this note or 
scream is extremely loud and wild, and is always 
taken as a signal by the other birds feeding 
around. They feed on the sand banks and shell 
scalps, and rest at the full tide, assembling on the 
tops of the first appearing rocks as the waters 
recede ; frequenting the same places, and follow- 
ing the same flights, day after day, so that persons 
may, by a little observation, easily conceal them- 
selves in a situation which they are certain at a 
particular time either to pass or alight near. Dur- 
ing winter their habits are nearly similar, and 
they are almost always to be met with on our 
coasts ; but we have never seen them even as strag- 
glers upon our lochs and rivers, as the Greenshank 
and some other maritime Totani frequently are. 
The Redshank is also generally distributed over 
the greater part of Europe. Out of Europe, Japan 
