20S SOLITARY TATTLER. 



closely iuid when driven from the nest, Avill often feign lameness. The young appear dur* 

 ing the latter part of June and follow their parents as soon as hatched. Later in the sea- 

 son, little groups gather on the banks of the ri\x'rs, or may be seen with the southward-going, 

 shore birds on the coast, in company with wh'ch they depart early in September. 



GENUS XI. TOTANUS. THE TATTLERS. 



(Jen. Cii. Bill , much lonijer than head, slender, bill nol I'xpanded a( tip. Hind (oc, present. Marginal indentations^ 

 four 



Tilt' sternum is naiTuw, abiiut a-; wiile a« lieinlit of Ueel whicii docs uot exceeil the length of thecoraeoids. Tlie outer 

 niargiiiiil imlentatinns i'.re at least twice a.s deep as inner. Legs, long and .^lender, witli tibia feathered for less than half 

 its lcni;tli. The st::macli isuval or cuboid in f.;rm, ([uite muscular, and lined with a hard, finely rugose meuibrane. The 

 pvoTontriculus isl irge. The inte9tine.s are sliort and lavge, and ihe eocca short, or rather long, with blind ends dilated. 

 The stcrnii-treachealis is quite st.iutaud there is a weak bronihialis, but no other larj'ngeal muscles. Tjmpaniform mem- 

 brane, present but there is no os transversale. Soxes, simUir. There are four species within our limits. 



TOTAKUS SOIiITAEIUS. 



Solitary Tattler. 

 Tutanus solitarius Aud. Syn.; 1839, 249. 



DESCFJPTION. 



Se. Cii. Form, slender. Size, small. Tcjngue very long, thin, ami gradually tapering toward tip which is pointed. 

 Membrane between toes, '^uiall. Inner marginal indcntati .ns, small, inclosed in adult. Cicca, 1-30 lung. 



CoLoii. Adult. Ab.ive, dark-brown, streaked on he:'. d and neek, sjiotted on back, and widely banded on tail, with 

 white. Beneat'i, whit •, streaked on neik and lat-ast, and banded on sides, under wing coverts, aUlomen, and under tail 

 coverts, wit'i dark-hown. 



Ynunu. Similar, but iiiore ashy, and t'le head and neck are spotted, not streaked. There is a white line from bill to 

 tyo, r.nil the neck aiid hrca<t are linged in i.liseuivly defined spots of ashy." Bill, black, iris and feet, brown, in all stages. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readiy kn.wu from the preceding by the large size and absence of spots below, am' f.om the succeeding by t':e smtill- 

 er siz.; and broad blinding.; iin tail. Distributed, in summer, from Massaciiusetts. n-. ..iward; wintering suuth of the Uni- 

 ted States. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average uietisurements of spechuens from Eastern N(a'th Ameridl.. Length, 9'00; stretch, 17'00; wing, 5-00; tail.SJ-OO; 

 bill, 1-12; tarsus, 1-35. Longe-t specimen, lll-OO: greatcf ,.^cent of wing, 18-()0; longest wing, 5-i;5; tail, 2-25; bill, 1-25; 

 tarsus, 110. Shortest specimen, 8 00; smallest estentoi wing, 16-00; .shortest wing,4'7.5; tail, 1 75; bill, 100; tarsus, 1'30. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGUS. 

 Eyys, [ilaccd on the ground in a slight depression of tlie soil on a little grass, etc.; from two to four in number, vary- 

 ing from creamy to pale liuti'in color, spotted and lilotched with uniber-brown of varying shades, with the usual pale shell 

 markings. Dimensions from '95 s lo.'j to TOOs 140. 



HABITS. 



The Solitary Tattlers are rightly named, for it is quite rare to see more than two to- 

 gether, especially in spring; aud in autumn, single individuals are frequently met with, 

 feeding along the border of some pool in the interior. They are always unsuspicious and 

 will sit and gaze at the intruder, until he approaches within a few feet, when they will rise 

 with .a shrill cry, lly a shtnl distance, and leisurely settle down again to resume their a,vo- 

 (^ations. On the sea shore, where they are very common in fall, they selduin mingle with 

 other shore birds, but feed by themselves, either by the borders of pools or on the beaches. 



There are few birds, the eggs of which have remained so long unknown, as the pres- 

 ent species. At first (U'nithologists were inclined to believe that these birds would be found 

 breeding in the deserted nests of Crows or Hiwks, after the manner of the closely allied. 



