Species YII. SCOLOPAX FLAVIPES. 



YELLOW-SHANKS SNIPE. 



[Plate LVIII. Fig. 4.] 

 Arct. Zool. p. 463, No. 878.— Turt. Syst. 395.* 



Of this species I have but little to say. It inhabits our seacoasts, 

 and salt marshes, during summer ; frequents the flats at low water, and 

 seems particularly fond of walking among the mud, where it doubtless 

 finds its favorite food in abundance. Having never met with its nest, 

 nor with any person acquainted with its particular place or manner of 

 breeding, I must reserve these matters for further observation. It is a 

 plentiful species, and great numbers are brought to market in Boston, 

 New York, and Philadelphia, particularly in autumn. Though these 

 birds do not often penetrate far inland, yet on the fifth of September I 

 shot several dozens of them in the meadows of Schuylkill, below Phila- 

 delphia. There had been a violent north-east storm a day or two pre- 

 vious, and a large flock of these, accompanied by several species of 

 Tringa, and a vast number of the Short-tailed Tern, appeared at once 

 among the meadows. As a bird for the table the Yellow-shanks, when 

 fat, is in considerable repute. Its chief residence is in the vicinity of 

 the sea, where there are extensive mud-flats. It has a sharp whistle, 

 of three or four notes, when about to take wing, and when flying. 

 These birds may be shot down with great facility, if the sportsman, 

 after the first discharge, will only lie close, and permit the wounded 

 birds to flutter about without picking them up ; the flock will generally 

 make a circuit and alight repeatedly, until the greater part of them 

 may be shot down.f 



Length of the Yellow-shanks ten inches, extent twenty ; bill slender, 

 straight, an inch and a half in length, and black ; line over the eye, 

 chin, belly and vent, white ; breast and throat gray ; general color of 

 the plumage above dusky brown olive, inclining to ash, thickly marked 

 with small triangular spots of dull white ; tail coverts white ; tail also 

 white, handsomely barred with dark olive ; wings plain dusky, thr> 



* Gmel. Syst. I., p. 659, No. 31. — Lath. Syn. iii., p. 152, No. 24, — Ind. Orn. p. 

 723, No. 29. 



t These birds are very common, in the early part of May, on the muddy flats of 

 our rivers, particularly in the vicinity of Philadelphia, and are at that period in 

 good condition. 



Vol. II.— 22 (337) 



