and tertials, sooty-black, with well defined triangular spots of pure white along the margin of the web of each feather, which is also tipped with white; the primaries black, with white shafts, but no white spots; breast and belly black, a few of the feathers with white tips; under wing-coverts white, with dusky-grey spots; axillary plumes pure white; under tail-coverts barred black and white; legs and toes dark red; claws black."* In the plumage of the winter, the upper parts are ash-grey, beneath pure white. In a bird before us, the eye-brows, or from the base of the mandible above the eyes, are pure white; the head, back of the neck, back, and tertials, are ash-grey, tinted with brown; on the wings, the ground colour of the feathers is blackish ash-grey, tipped and cut into on the edges with dull white, and the greater and lesser coverts are barred with that colour; lower part of the back and rump are pure white, the upper tail-coverts distinctly barred with black, like the axillary feathers of the snipe; the tail ashgrey, barred with a darker shade, and having the edges paler; the under parts are entirely pure white, dashed with ash-grey on the cheeks, neck and sides of the breast, on the latter, assuming the form of undecided triangular bars.

This Totanus is a rare bird in Britain; Mr. Yarrell records, in all, only seventeen instances of its occurrence, one of which, on the authority of Mr. Thompson, was shot in Belfast Bay. The most * Yarrell, ii. p. 523.

northern English localities, are specimens taken in Cumberland, and recorded by Mr. Heysham. In Scotland we have not lately seen specimens, but several years since we saw two, in a fresh state, immediately after being shot on the Frith of Forth, above Queensferry. Out of Europe it is found in Bengal,* and Mr. Yarrell states Asia, on the authority of Mr. Gould. We possess a single specimen, in winter plumage, from continental India.

Scolopax cali

REDSHANK, TOTANUS CALIDRIS. dris, Linn.-Totanus calidris, Bechstein.-Chevalier gambette, Temm.-Redshank or Pool Snipe, Redlegged Sandpiper or Horseman, Gambet of modern British authors.-This species is one of the most common of the larger British Totani, and although breeding in marshes, is perhaps more decidedly a maritime species than the others. It is also interesting, as showing an intermediate colouring, in the breeding season, between red and dark grey. In a few localities, on the Scottish coasts, it is stationary during the whole year; these are, where some suitable marsh is near for a breeding place; in this the nest is formed on, or sheltered by some tuft or bush of rank aquatic herbage; and the birds, on the approach of any stranger, are very clamorous, flying about with a slow quivering flight, uttering their shrill whistle, to which is now imparted an additional degree of wildness, * Temminck.

and having their bright orange legs stretched out, and sometimes dangling behind them. We have several times procured them in the breeding season, 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, consisting 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 following the same flights, day after day, so that persons may, by a little observation, easily conceal themselves in a situation which they are certain at a particular time either to pass or alight near. During 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 stragglers 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

is given to it.* The Northern Zoology states, that a specimen from "Hudson's Bay exists in the British Museum;" but it is not admitted by the Prince of Canino, to his last comparative list, as an American bird. We possess several birds from continental India, in their winter and young dress, which we refer to the Redshank; they are slightly larger, but present no other material difference.

In the dress of the summer, the Redshank has the prevailing colour of the upper parts (with the exception of the rump) hair-brown, with an olive gloss or reflection, such as is seen in the plumage of T. hypoleucus, each feather being darker along the centre, and many of them being barred with brownish-black and dull rufous; the bird we describe from was killed from the nest, and is therefore in the complete breeding plumage. Some specimens are more or less intensely marked with the dark and rufous colours, but we believe that they never completely and regularly cover the upper plumage as in some of the tringa; lower part of the back and rump, pure white. Underneath, the ground colour is white, the centre of each feather on the throat, neck, and breast, broadly marked with blackish-brown, and tinted with rufous; on the belly, flanks, and under tail-coverts, the markings are equal in intensity, but run more in the form of bars; quills are brownish-black, the shaft of the first white, and the tips of the four or five last * Temminck.

pure white, the pale space longer in extent towards the last quill, and here barred and freckled with greyish-brown; secondary quills pure white, with distant indistinct bars of white towards the ends; the markings towards the base darker, irregular, and more crowded; the upper tail-coverts white, barred with black; the tail white, approaching to grey or hair-brown at the tip, barred with black, and tinted with rufous. Before appearing in the livery of winter, the flocks present many modifications of plumage. Out of a large flock, on the Solway Frith, in the end of August, we were once so fortunate as to procure thirteen specimens at one shot; among these, the upper part had, in the greater part, assumed the uniform hair-brown of winter, but many of the darkly marked and barred feathers were still interspersed; on the lower parts the white was more pure, but there still more or less dotted and barred with blackish-brown; on both, however, and indeed on the whole, all tinge of rufous had disappeared. In the perfect winter dress, the upper parts are of uniform greyish hair-brown; the lower parts pure white, dashed with narrow longitudinal streaks of grey on the throat, neck, and sides of the breast; on the flanks, the markings assume the form of irregular bars; and the centre of the breast and belly, with the vent, are unspotted; in both these states the base of the bill is rich tile-red; the legs and feet bright orange. In the young birds the upper parts are wood-brown, each feather edged on