BIRDS OF KANSAS. 189 



Genus TOTANUS Bechstei>t. 



"Bill usually slender, and slightly upturned terminally, the lateral groove of 

 the maxilla extemling about half way to the tip. No web between the middle 

 and inner toes. Tarsus about twice as long as the middle toe." 



Subgenus GLOTTIS Koch. 

 "Bill a little longer than middle toe with claw. Tarsus over one and one- 

 half times as long as the middle toe without claw." 



Totanus melanoleucus (Gmel.). 



GREATER YELLOW-LEGS. 

 PLATE XI. 



Migratory; common. Arrive the last of March to first of 

 April; return early in August, a few remaining until late in the 

 fall. 



B. 539. K. 548. C. 633. G. 254, 87. U. 254. 



Habitat. Nearly the whole of America; breeding only in 



the more northern portions of North America, occasionally as 



far south as Illinois and Iowa; wintering from California and 



the Gulf States southward. 



Sp. Char. "Adult, summer plumage: Above, variegated with slate black, 

 pale gray and white, the former predominating, the latter in the form of spots 

 along the edge of the feathers, including the wing coverts and tertials; crown 

 and nape grayish white, widely streaked with dusky; upper tail coverts white, 

 irregularly barred with the same; primaries plain blackish slate; tail white, all 

 the feathers barred with dusky, the middle feathers grayish, barred with dusky, 

 the latter sometimes obsolete. Head, neck and lower parts white, only the 

 abdomen and throat immaculate; lores, cheeks, malar region, auriculars and 

 neck (all round) streaked with dusky; breast, sides and flanks barred or trans- 

 versely spotted with dusky, the bars more sagittate on the crissum. Winter 

 plumage: Above, rather light ash gray, without the black, but with the white 

 spotting of the summer dress; foreneck and jugulum more narrowly streaked; 

 breast nearly or quite immaculate; and sides and flanks faintly and irregularly 

 marked with grayish. Young, first plumage: Similar to the winter dress, but 

 darker and more brownish above, the white spotting tinged with light brownish 

 buff; lower parts similar; iris brown; legs and feet deep yellow ( tinged with 

 olive lu young)." 



stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 14.75 25.25 7.75 3.30 2.60 2.30 



Female... 14.25 25.00 7.70 3.25 2.60 2.30 



Bill dark brown, with edge of base greenish yellow; claws 

 dark brown. 



This common and well-known species frequent the marshes, 

 muddy flats and shores, where they wade about in the mud and 



