326 BULLETIN 142, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



A partial, first prenuptial molt, mainly in March and April, in- 

 volving the body feathers, most scapulars, some wing coverts and 

 usually the tail, produces a first nuptial plumage. Some adult nup- 

 tial plumage is acquired on the head, neck, and breast, but the head 

 and neck are not so heavily streaked and there is less barring in 

 lighter colors on the breast and flanks; but the mantle, back, and 

 scapulars are very different from the adult winter or nuptial plum- 

 ages; these feathers are more or less variegated, barred or spotted 

 with ashy brown and dark sepia, and are notched, edged, or tipped 

 with gray, grayish white or white, producing a rather evenly mot- 

 tled appearance. This is apparently a nonbreeding plumage, for 

 I have seen it only in birds taken far south of the breeding range. 

 At the first postnuptial molt the following summer, which is com- 

 plete, the adult winter plumage is assumed. 



Adults have a partial prenuptial molt of the body plumage, 

 usually the tail, scapulars, some tertials, and most wing coverts be- 

 tween February and May. In the nuptial plumage the crown is 

 nearly all dark sepia ; the mantle and scapulars are very dark sepia, 

 almost black, notched or tipped with white spots; and the breast 

 and flanks are heavily and irregularly barred with dark sepia. The 

 white notches and tips wear away toward the end of the season. 

 The complete postnuptial molt of the body plumage occurs in August 

 and September, but the wings are not molted until winter. In 

 adult winter plumage the crown is streaked with sepia and white 

 about evenly ; the breast and flanks are faintly marked, or peppered, 

 with pale sepia; and the feathers of the back and scapulars are 

 mainly plain " wood brown," with inconspicuous whitish edgings 

 and notches. 



Food. — The greater yellow-legs seems to prefer to feed in shallow 

 water ; its long legs enable it to wade in deeper water than most other 

 waders, and it is often seen using them to their full extent in water up 

 to its body. It moves about nimbly and gracefully, actively engaged 

 in catching small minnows and water insects, delicately balanced on 

 its long legs, bowing or nodding, as if its body were on a pivot, in a 

 very pleasing manner. Much of its food seems to consist of small 

 minnows, in pursuit of which it is very active and lively. Mr. 

 Nichols has sent me the following notes on the subject: 



The greater yellowlegs at times catches killifish up to as large a size as it 

 can swallow, wading in water as deep as it can stand. Having secured a fish, 

 it manipulates same up its long bill and into its mouth. Sometimes it catches 

 a fish tangled in a mass of fine water weed, and in this case may either fiddle 

 with and disengage it, or work it up to its mouth and swallow it before disen- 

 gaging the bill from the weed. I have seen an unusually large fish, probably 

 (Fundulus heteroclitus) , worked up the bird's bill two or three times and turned 

 head first to swallow, stick at the base of the bill, and drop into the water 

 again. Finally, with a great bulging of face and throat, the fish slipped down. 



