1 REDSHANK.
through May. Under dote of MIL; 17tli, 1873, I find iu my notes thai several parties of Redlcgs appeared in
company with a few Urconsluinks. The young birds usually arrive on the south coast al an early date A
small Hock wns seen on the muds at Shorchaui Harbour the last week in July 1888.
It is uncertain at what time the summer plumage is assumed or at what age the youag put oil" the
immature dress. The birds that gather at their haunts iu the Norfolk marshes about the middle of March
are all, as far as I was able to judge, iu full breeding-plumage: in order to be certain, a couple were shot
(March 2(Uh, 1873), which proved to be In that state. On March 38th, 1SS3, I killed on the coast of Sussex,
with one barrel, an adult in full winter and a young one in immature plumage On May 1th, 1S5!), two birds
were shot in Rye Nook, in Sussex, showing full adult winter plumage. That this species does not assume the
fall plumage at the age uf one year appears evident. Whether they pair and nest before the age of throe
years is, 1 consider, doubtful.
The eggs of the Redshank arc sent in large numbers to the local markets from the marshes of the east of
Norfolk. Tor the table they can scarcely compare with those of the Peewit, from which they may readily be
distinguished by the warmer tints of the ground and blotches [is well as the gloss on the shell; in size they are
also slightly smaller, 1 have more than once come neross eight eggs in the nest of a Redshank ; but on every
occasion it was evident that two birds had laid iu tho same nest, each set of eggs ditlering materially in the
tone of colouring.
The young shortly after breaking the shell are covered with a light yellowish-brown down, paler about tho
throat, breast, and belly. A few conspicuous black or dark brown markings appear on the back, the head
being mutllcd with dark brown, On the upper portions of the body the down is of a more tawny hue. Tho
legs and beak are of a pale brown or dirty llcsh tint, the ridge of the upjier mandible being somcw hat darker.
• The latter eikil i•.-. 1 lie. 1.' f>T mi ILJI.^I' in [plama„'i> or u.'f-i.r pi in-..!, mid li^- !:..[., imaul nr.• ,|.ii-iiuL't» ul.-.jaivd in autumn.
GREEN SANDPIPER.
TOTJNUS OCHROPUS.
1 CAN give no fresh information regarding the distribution of this species over the British Islands; during the
years spenl shooting and collecliug in the Highlands, and also in the south of Scotland in East Lothian, I
never caught a glimpse of a Green Sandpiper. Gullanc Links aad the glens of several of the larger rivers [such
as the Tay, the Spey, and the IScauly with their tributaries) were haunts that might have been imagined
attractive at one season or another; still these causpicuous birds escaped observation.
The furl best north that I met with Ibis Sandpiper was in the valley of the Psk, a few miles inland from
Whitby iu Yorkshire; parts of the wild glen through which the river flows towards the North Sea were
densely wooded, and these proved to be favourite resorts of the birds. When alarmed they frequently appeared
to fly out from the upper branches of some of the larger trees; being, however, at that time unacquainted
with the breed in g-h alii Is of this species, I made no attempts to search for any nests in which their eggs or
young might he concealed. These observations were taken early iu June 1^02, the time of year al which the
birds might naturally be supposed to be engaged in breeding-operations. It is iU<i recorded in the fourth
edition of Yarroll that the Green Sandpiper was several times shot, iu all ea-es daring ;hc mouth of June, in
the neighbourhood of Huumaiiby near Scarborough, the locality being only a few miles to the south of where
I met with the birds. Iu addition to these remarks the following statement occurs:—" The keeper there says
they breed in old Crows' nests; he has seen them come off front the nests." As I repeatedly watched
them myself in a wooded district at no great distance, and the keeper referred to seems to have been
acquainted with their habits, there can, I am of opinion, be little doubt the birds have now and then bred iu
this country. There are also statements in the third edition of Knox's 'Ornithological Ramble- in Sussex'
that would lead one to believe fhat this species had occasionally remained through the summer near Midhurst
in Sussex, though fur what purpose it would be hazardous to express no opinion.
The only (i recti Sand pi per exhibiting the perfect mature similiter plumage thai I obi a i nod was shot as be
rose from the marsh-dyke surrounding the south side of Hiekling Broad on the 28th of Hay, 1873, During the
latter part of June and throughout July adults may be seen singly or in pairs scattered over several parts of
the Sull'olk marshes near Yarmouth ; these an1 probably birds lately returned to this country front their
breeding-haunts in the far north of Europe. While collecting specimens on two or throe occasions in 1871,
I put up as many as four or live pairs and a few single birds along the dykes or in the damp slades in these
marshes; the feathers of all procured for examination at this time were much frayed and worn, and the gloss
on the plumage, so sinking iu summer, had entirely ilisappi aivd. A few young birds an' oeca-ionally
noticed about Breydon mudllats; this species, however, uppoiirs to prefer a grass-marsh or tho banks of a
watcr-dvkc for a feed in g-g roll ml. On the 28th of August, 1871, 1 shot a very small one, ovidcnlly a bird of
the year, as it How past the punt over the roods on the north side of Breydon; this specimen was iu very
d i nny plumage and in pour e>ndil ii n. giving evidence of having niel with rough u-:ige, w hieli might possibly