150 WADING BIRDS. 



their note they are called by the Cree Indians of Hudson^s 

 Bay Sasaslieio, and in this part of New England, they are 

 usually known by the name of the Winter Yellow-Leg. 



The Tell-Tale, after taking up his summer residence in 

 the marshes, is no longer gregarious, until the return of win- 

 ter ; when, with the addition of the young, they rove about in 

 small parties until their final departure for the south. Like 

 most of the species, they frequent watery bogs, and the mud- 

 dy margins of creeks and inlets, where they are often seen 

 in quest of food, or standing in a watchful posture, alter- 

 nately balancing themselves, raising or lowering the head 

 and tail, and on the least appearance of danger or surprise, 

 which they readily perceive, from the elevation of their legs, 

 and the open places in which they feed, their loud whistle 

 is instantly heard, and the timorous and less watchful 

 flocks are again in motion. They sometimes penetrate, 

 singly or in small numbers, some way inland along the mud- 

 dy shores of estuaries and rivers to the extent of tide water. 

 Although they live principally upon the insects and larvae 

 they find in the marshes, at a later period they also pay oc- 

 casional visits to the strand in quest of molusca, small 

 shrimps, and minute shell-fish, the ordinary fare of the true 

 Sandpipers. In the fall, when fat, their flesh is highly es- 

 teemed, and they are frequently brought to market. 



The length of the Tell-Tale is about 14 inches, (the female about 

 an inch and a half longer.) Bill black, the length 2 inches 1 or 2 

 lines measured from above. Tarsus 2 inches 6 to 8 lines. The legs 

 wax-yellow : a short web between the inner and middle toes ; outer 

 web deeply sinuated ; the toes, all furnished with a narrow membrane- 

 ous margin. — Upper jt^umagc blackish-brown, with faint violet 

 reflections, bordered with greyish-white on the head, neck, rump, 

 and two upper rows of lesser wing-coverts ; the fore part of 

 the back, scapulars, lesser quills, intermediate and greater cov- 

 erts, marked with rather large marginal whitish spots. Primaries 

 and their coverts blackish ; shaft of the first quill white. Tail barred 



