GREENSHANK. 
337 
In 1836, Mr. Selby found this species breeding in 
various parts of Sutherland, “generally in some swampy 
marsh, or by the margin of some of its numerous lochs. 
It is very wild and wary, except when it has tender 
young, at which time, when first disturbed, it sometimes 
approaches pretty near, making a rapid stoop, like the 
redshank, at the head of the intruder. If fired at and 
missed, which is frequently the case, even by a good 
marksman, as the stoop is made with remarkable ra¬ 
pidity, it seldom, at least for that day, ventures again 
within range. A pair which had their nest in a marsh 
near Tongue, after being once fired at, could not again 
be approached, but we obtained one of the young, appa¬ 
rently about a fortnight old, by means of a water-dog. 
Another pair were shot near Seourie, by the margin of a 
small loch, where, from their violent outcries and alarm, 
they evidently had their nest or young, though we were 
unable to find either/' 
Mr. Wolley, who has taken many nests of this spe¬ 
cies in Finland, refrained from sending me any notes 
as to its habits during the breeding-season, from a be¬ 
lief that I should obtain this information from Mr. Mil¬ 
ner, M.P. 
In 1847 Mr. Milner took an egg (mature except in 
colour) from a bird which was shot by his brother, near 
Loch Maddie in Sutherlandshire, and though convinced 
that the nest was there, did not succeed in finding it. 
Mr. Milner tells me that the action of the bird was very 
similar to that of the lapwing in endeavouring to draw 
them from its nest; that he has twice since received a 
bird and its four eggs which do not vary much also 
from Sutherlandshire. Mr. Milner says, “I understood 
from the description given me that the eggs were placed 
on the ground in a low marshy meadow near the banks 
