336 BULLETIN 142,, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



bus, December 11, and Youngstown, November 12; Indiana, Lafay- 

 ette, October 21 ; Illinois, Addison, October 22, and La Grange, Octo- 

 ber 28; Missouri, Independence, November 7; Kentucky, Bowling 

 Green, November 22; Franklin, Arctic Island, Cumberland Sound, 

 September 14; Quebec, Montreal, October 25; Maine, Skowhegan, 

 October 24, and Scarboro, November 5; Massachusetts, Dennis, No- 

 vember 1, Monomoy Island, November 12, and Marthas Vineyard, 

 November 20; Rhode Island, Newport, November 4; Connecticut, 

 Fairfield, October 31, and Portland, December 11; New York, 

 Orient, November 12, Montauk Point, November 20, and Branch- 

 port, November 20; New Jersey, Elizabeth, October 30, and Five- 

 mile Beach, November 7 ; Pennsylvania, Beaver, November 6 ; League 

 Island, November 9, and State College, November 14; Maryland, 

 Back River, November 13; District of Columbia, Washington, No- 

 vember 2; and Bermuda, November 10. 



Casual records. — The greater yellow-legs has been detected outside 

 of the range above outlined on but one occasion, a specimen taken at 

 Tresco Abbey, Scilla Islands, England, on September 16, 1906. 



Egg dates. — Newfoundland and Labrador: 9 records, June 9 to 

 20. British Columbia : 2 records, May 20 and 21. 



TOTANUS FLAVIPES (Gmelin) 

 LESSER YELLOW-LEGS 



HABITS 



The lesser or " summer " yellow-legs is a smaller edition of the 

 greater or " winter " yellow-legs, and both are quite similar in 

 behavior. The lesser is more abundant and less shy, hence rather 

 better known. The seasonal names, applied to them by gunners, 

 have been well chosen, as the lesser comes to us in summer and the 

 greater lingers with us almost into winter. Both have the exasperat- 

 ing telltale habit of arousing the neighborhood by their loud cries 

 of alarm. 



/Spring. — The lesser yellow-legs is a rare bird in New England in 

 the spring. The main flight from South America passes through 

 the West Indies to the Southern States and then northward through 

 the Mississippi Valley to the breeding grounds in central Canada, 

 I have seen birds in Florida as early as February 27 ; these may have 

 been wintering birds, for the main flight there comes during the 

 latter part of March. I have seen birds in Texas as late as May 17. 

 C. J. Pennock's migration dates for Delaware run from April 23 to 

 May 29, where it is a regular spring migrant. Long Island marks 

 about its northern limit on the Atlantic coast in spring. It usually 

 arrives in southern Manitoba about the middle or last of April; 



