ONTARIO 



above varied with black and speckled with whitish, below white, jugulum 

 streaked, and breast, sides and crissum speckled or barred with blackish, 

 these latter marks fewer or wanting in winter and in the young ; upper tail 

 coverts white with dark bars ; tail feathers marbled or barred with ashy or 

 white ; quills blackish. Large ; length, over 12 ; wing, over 7 ; tail, 3 or 

 more ; bill, 2 or more ; tarsus, about 2J ; middle toe and claw, ij ; tibia 

 bare, ij. 



Hab, America in general, breeding in the cold temperate and subarctic 

 portions of North America, and migrating south to Chili and Buenos Ayres. 



In spring even before the ice is quite gone from the lakes 

 and rivers of Ontario, the shrill piercing cry of this bird may- 

 be heard overhead as it circles round in search of some quiet 

 marshy inlet as a temporary resting place. 



At this season but a short stay is made, as it passes quickly 

 on to its breeding place in the far north. As early as the end 

 of August the birds again appear, toned down in dress and 

 manners accompanied by their families, many falling the vic- 

 tims of misplaced confidence by exposing themselves within 

 reach of the ever-ready breech-loader which at this season of 

 the year seems omnipresent in all the marshes. 



Like others of its class this species is an occasional visitor 

 at the Beach near Hamilton, but the visits of all this class of 

 birds at that point are now of less frequent occurrence and of 

 shorter duration than in former years. 



. 102. TOTANUS FLAVIPES (Gmel.). 255. 



Yellow-legs. 



A miniature of the last ; colors precisely the same ; legs comparatively 

 longer ; bill grooved rather further. Length, under 12 ; wing, under 7 ; tail 

 under 2 ; tarsus, about 2 ; middle toe and claw, and bare tibia, each i J. 



Hab. America in general, breeding in the cold temperate and subarctic 

 districts, and migrating south in winter to Southern South America. Less 

 common in the Western than in the Eastern Province of North America. 



Nest a slight depression in the gronnd, lined with dried grass or leaves. 



Eggs 3 to 4 ; variable in color, usually clay-color, blotched or spotted 

 with umber-brown. 



105 



