GEEEtfSHANK. 
171 
such as the loach and the smelt, insects, worms, shrimps, 
and several crustaceous and molluscous animals. 
The note is uttered both on the wing and when perched 
on the ground or a twig. It sounds like the word ‘tea-ah, 
tea-ah!’ repeated two or three times in quick succession: the 
voices of several together are rather melodious. 
The nest is a small hollow, with a few fragments of heath 
or grass placed within it. 
The eggs, of a pear shape, as in the kindred species, are 
four in number, of a very pale yellowish green colour, 
sprinkled all over with irregular spots of dark brown and 
blots of light purple grey, with fewest of either on the 
smaller end. 
Male; weight, about six ounces; length, about one foot or 
over, to one foot two; bill, about two inches long, slender, 
and slightly curved upwards. It is nearly black at the tip, 
and bluish green over the base; a dusky streak extends from 
its base to the eye, and spreads over the head on the sides 
in small spots, commingling with those of a larger size on 
the upper part of the breast and the sides; iris, rather dark 
brown. Head on the crown, neck on the sides and back, and 
the nape, dusky, with paler edges to the feathers; in winter 
the ground colour is pale bluish gre} r , the latter-named with 
the shafts and centres of the feathers dusky; chin, white. 
Throat and neck in front, white, slightly streaked with grey; 
breast, white, on the sides streaked with grey; back above, 
greyish brown, the feathers edged, more finely in winter, with 
buff white; in the early summer plumage the ground colour 
assumes a greenish or bluish black tint; below it is white. 
The wings have the first quill feather the longest. Two 
white bands are formed across them by the white tips of the 
greater coverts. They expand to the width of two feet and 
an inch; greater wing coverts, grey brown, glossed with green, 
edged triangularly, and in winter finely pencilled, with buff 
white, the former become towards summer varied with dark 
spots; lesser wing coverts, also greyish brown. Primaries and 
secondaries, uniform dusky black, the inner webs of some 
spotted with white; in winter dusky on the upper edges. 
Tertiaries, also dusky greyish or brownish black, tinged with 
green, edged triangularly, some of them on both webs, with 
buff white. In the breeding plumage they become darkly 
spotted. Tail, white, the middle feathers barred across, and 
the outer one striped longitudinally with greyish white; upper 
