SCOLOPACID.E — THE SNIPE FAMILY — TOTANUS. 273 



April and May. It has also been found in the spring and autumn over the whole 

 interior of the country, and quite abundant at those seasons along the entire length 

 of the jMississippi, Ohio, and Missouri rivers, as well as on the Arkansas. This bird 

 congregates in great numbers during the winter in the inland marshes of Florida and 

 along the rivers. Audubon saw them at Eastport as early as the 11th of May, and on 

 the coast of Labrador on the 18th of June. In Newfoundland, on the 11th of August, 

 the young were nearly equal in size to their parents. 



Though found at all seasons in the vicinity of salt water, this species seems to 

 prefer fresh-water ponds where the shores are muddy and the water shallow ; and in 

 these places it frequently wades to such a depth as to present the appearance of 

 swimming. When just alighted it always holds up its Avings, as if doubtful of its 

 footing. It feeds on small lislies, snails, insects, and worms, which it catches and 

 devours with great rapidity. It alights on floating logs on the Mississippi, where it 

 procures shrimps and the fry of fishes. 



Audubon found it breeding in Labrador. A female, having been killed, was found 

 to contain a full-formed egg ; this was pyriform, 2.25 inches in length, 1.56 inches in 

 breadth, of a pale greenish yellow, and marked with blotches of umber and pale pur- 

 plish gray. We have had no other knowledge of its eggs than this mention and that 

 of Hutchins, until the Notes of Mr. E. W. Nelson on the Birds of Southeastern Illinois. 

 This writer mentions this bird as not only being a regular migrant to the southern 

 shores of Lake ^Michigan, but also as breeding in that localit}', Avhere it is said to arrive 

 about the middle of April, the greater number going north early in May, returning 

 on the first of September, and then remaining until the last of October. He also met 

 with pairs of this bird in the Calumet marshes ; and on observing their actions, be- 

 came convinced that they were breeding. Mr. Kice, of Evanston, received a set of 

 eggs, which were not identified, but which were attributed to this species. The nest 

 Avas in a slight depression on the edge of a slough, and vras composed of grass-stems 

 and blades. The eggs varied from 1.70 to 1.80 inches in length, and from 1.30 to 1.38 

 in breadth. The ground-color is described as being a deep grayish white, marked on 

 three eggs with spots of dark brown, and on the other egg with spots and well- 

 defined blotches of a considerably lighter shade of the same color. In addition there 

 were shell-markings and obscure spots of lilac. The markings were abundant over 

 the whole surface, but more numerous about the larger end. This description varies 

 materially from that of Mr. Audubon in regard to the size of the egg. 



Totanus flavipes. 



YELLOW-LEGS. 



Scolopax flavipes, Gmel. S. N. I. 1788, 659. — Wils. Am. Orn. VII. 1813, 55, pi. 58, fig. 4. 

 Totanus flavipes, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. VI. 1816, 410. — Sw. & Rich. F. B. A. II. 1831, 390.— 



NuTT. Man. II. 1834, 152. — AuD. Oni. Biog. III. 1835, 573 ; Y. 586, pi. 228 ; Synop. 1839, 243 ; 



B. Am. V. 1842, 313, pi. 344. — Coues, Key, 1872, 259 ; Check List, 1873, no. 433 ; 2<1 ed. 



1882, no. 634 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 497. — Eidgav. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 549. 

 Gamhdta flavipes, Boxap. Compt. Rend. 1856, 597. — Cass, in Baird's B. N.Am. 1858, 732.— 



Baird, Cat. X. Am. B. 1859, no. 540. 

 Totanus natator, Yieill. Xonv. Diet. Yl. 1816, 409. 

 Totanus fuscocajyillus, Yieill. I.e. 

 " Totanus leucopiyga, Illiger., in Mns. Berol." 



Hab. The whole of America, breeding in the cold-temperate and subarctic districts of the 

 northern continent ; migrating south in winter to Buenos Ayres and Chili. Much rarer in the 

 Western than in the Eastern Province of North America. Accidental in Europe. 



VOL. I. — .35 



