APPENDIX 1. 



ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS. 



107-2. Western Willet. Catoptrophorus semipalmatus inornatus (Brcwsl.). 



(258a) 



(Omitted from the body of the work by mistake; belongs between Nos. 



107 and 108.) 



Synonyms: Pill-willct, Rill-willie. — Symphemia semipalniata inornata Brewster, 

 1887, A. O. U. Check-list, 1895, and most recent authors. 



Similar in general appearance to the Greater Yellowlegs, but larger, 

 lacks the yellow legs, has a much heavier bill, and has a conspicuous white 

 patch on the wing at the base of the primaries, most conspicuous in flight, 

 but visible when the wing is closed. 



Distribution. — ^Western North America. Breeds from central Oregon, 

 southern Alberta, and southern Manitoba south to northern Cahfornia, 

 central Colorado, southern south Dakota and northern Iowa. 



The Western Willet is a decidedly rare species in Michigan, but there 

 are several well attested records of occurrence. At the "overflow" near 

 Ann Arbor, Prof. Jacob Reighard took several "Willets" (at least five) 

 in May, 1889. Unfortunately no entire specimen was preserved, but 

 wings and heads were identified as Willets by Norman A. Wood and others. 

 That these, or the other Michigan specimens referred to, belonged to the 

 western rather than the eastern subspecies is merely an assumption, 

 based on the supposed range of the two forms, which would seem to make 

 the occurrence of the western form most Ukely. It is perfectly possible, 

 however, that both forms may occur. Dr. Gibbs states that "Two speci- 

 mens are, or were, in the collection of the Kent Scientific Institute at 

 Grand Rapids, which both Gunn and Hughes aver were killed close to 

 Grand Rapids. I am perfectly satisfied that this was the fact" (Manu- 

 script notes). A careful examination of the above collection, by the 

 writer, in 1905, failed to reveal any specimens whatever of Willet. An 

 egg in the Agricultural College collection (No. 4972) is recorded as taken 

 at Saginaw Bay, by Professor A. J. Cook, but no other data are entered. 

 This egg measures 2.23 by 1.54 inches, and is doubtless genuine, but con- 

 siderable uncertainty attaches to its origin. 



The bird occurs in small numbers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, 

 and Ontario, but appears to be decreasing in numbers, like many other 

 waders, and is likely to become extinct in the Great Lake region before 

 many years. 



It formerly nested throughout most of the southern Great Lake region. 

 On its nesting grounds it is described as one of the noisiest of the waders, 

 constantly hovering about the intruder and uttering its loud cries of "pill- 

 willet, piil-willet," from which its common name is derived. It nests on 



