150 
BED SHANK. 
reflections, which are more distinct towards summer; nape in 
winter, grey brown. Chin, white in summer, with a few small 
specks of brown in winter; throat, white, in winter greyish 
white, with narrow brown shaft lines; breast above, white, 
slightly streaked; and in spring more spotted and streaked 
on the sides with brownish black; below white; back above, 
in spring and summer, greyish brown, with some darker 
feathers, and tinged with olive; in winter grey brown, with 
darker shaft streaks; on the lower part in winter, white, or 
with small dusky specks. 
The wings have the first quill feather the longest, they 
expand to the width of one foot nine inches; the greater 
wing coverts are in spring, brownish black, with olive reflec¬ 
tions, margined with white on the edges, more strongly 
marked in summer; in winter, greyish brown, margined with 
white; lesser wing coverts, brownish olive in summer; in 
winter greyish brown; primaries, dusky; in winter almost 
black; secondaries, dusky, tipped with white; tertiaries, dusky 
margined with white; in spring and summer varied with spots 
of brownish black, and more distinctly so in summer. The 
tail, of twelve rounded feathers, the centre ones, which are 
greyish white, being the longest, and giving it somewhat of 
a wedge-shape, is in winter white, barred across with dusky 
grey; the upper tail coverts transversely barred with blackish 
brown and white; under tail coverts, white, in winter with a 
few slight dusky marks along the shafts of the feathers. 
Legs, long, and, as the toes, red, in winter paler; their colour 
is conspicuous both on the ground and in flight; the three 
front ones are partially webbed, the first and second nearly 
to the second joint, the second and third only very slightly; 
claws, black. 
After the young are left to themselves the winter plumage 
begins again to be assumed. 
The female is like the male, but somewhat larger; length, 
about eleven inches. 
The young of the year, previous to the assumption of the 
winter plumage, have between the bill and the eye a large 
patch of brown, the base of the bill yellowish, the eyebrows 
white. ISTeck on the back and nape, grey ash-coloured brown; 
the feathers with yellowish margins; throat, white, with fine 
streaks of grey; breast, cinereous, with narrow brown streaks; 
back, grey ash-coloured brown; the feathers with yellowish 
margins. The tail with the tips reddish. 
