THE WESTERN WILLET. 673 



or pale salmon on breast and sides, where irregnlarlv barred with (lusk\-; throat 

 ' streaked with dusky : axillars and lining of wing dusky : bill dusk\' : feet and legs 

 dark bluish. Winter plumage: Above ashy gray, lighter on neck: below white 

 unmarked, the fore-neck gray-tinged. Immature: Like adult in winter, but 

 feathers of back edged with pale ochraceous ; below tinged or faintlv mottleil with 

 brownish gray on neck, chest, and sides ; otherwise unmarked. Length about 

 17.00 (431.8) ; wing 8.10 (20S.7) : tail ^.->,o (8^.8) ; bill 2.45 (62.2) ; tarsus 2.65 

 (67.3). 



Recognition Marks. — Crow or Curlew size; extensive white on wing with 

 large size tlistinctive ; semipalmate feet. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in Washington, but probably does so. Nest: 

 on the ground or in grass tussock, of grass and weed-stalks. Eggs: 4. greenish 

 white to dark olive, spotted boldly with various shades of umber-brown, and with 

 obscure purplish shell markings. Av. size, 2.10 x 1.55 ( 53.3 ,x 304). 



General Range. — Western North America north to Latitude 56°, breeding 

 from Alanitiiba and Alberta south to the Gulf coast of Texas; south in winter to 

 Mexico. Casual east of the Mississippi during migrations. 



Range in Washington. — Casual during migrations. Reported from coast 

 line only. 



Authorities. — [C&S. 241. Not a valid Washington record.] ["Willet," 

 Johnson, Rep. Gov. W. T. 1884 (1885), 23.] Hubbard, Zoe, IIL July, 1892, p. 

 143. Two specimens taken off Dungeness, Sept. 1905, by L. R. Reynolds. T. 



PROMINENT wherever found l>y reason of its restlessness and noisi- 

 ness, the Willet has drawn the fire of the country-side, inilil nnw it is quite 

 unknown in sections where it was formerly abundant. It was ne\er common 

 in \\^ashington, however, and oiu- knowledge of its presence is confined to 

 reports from gunners who ha\e encountered it upon the beaches in the seasons 

 of migration. Thus. Mr. L. R. Re}nolds secured two specimens at Dungeness 

 in September, 1905. The range of the species being rather southerly, those 

 which occur here may be looked upon as stragglers and ad\^enturers, rather 

 than as regular migrants. 



The Willet is described as an exceedingly noi.sy bird, filling the air 

 with its shrill cries of pill-iviU-ivilUt. 7viU-7riUit. pUl-wiU-ivUUt . at all hours 

 of the day and often at night. Exce|)t diu-ing the breeding season, it is 

 Cjuite wary, and difficult to approach e\-en Iiy stealth. While nesting, how- 

 ever, it becomes silent and nearly impassi\'e, except when its nest or voung 

 are immediately threatened, in which case it throws reserve to the wind 

 an<l summons its neighbors, who join with it in the boldest denunciation of 

 the intruder. 



