YELLOW-SHANKED SANDPIPER. 481 



work. The figure and description here given were taken 

 from this specimen, which is now in the Leeds Museum. 



Another example was stated hy Graham of York (Naturalist, 

 1858, p. 291), without a particle of substantiating evidence, 

 to have been obtained near Tadcaster ; but a second genuine 

 specimen of this straggler was shot by Mr. Edward Viugoe, 

 on the 12th September, 1871, from the margin of a pool in 

 a saltmarsh near Marazion, about two miles from Penzance, 

 as recorded by the late Mr. E. H. Rodd (Zool. 1871, p. 2807), 

 with ample diagnosis and details. 



The Yellow- shanked Sandpiper is a very abundant species 

 in North America, breeding in high latitudes, and migrating 

 southwards in autumn. On passage it is generally distributed 

 throughout the greater part of the United States, with the 

 exception of the Pacific side of the Rocky Mountains, where 

 it is of rare occurrence ; and in winter it goes south to the 

 Bahamas, Mexico, Central and South America as far as the 

 Rio de la Plata on the east, and Peru on the west. 



The nest, according to Dr. Elliott Coues, is a mere de- 

 pression lined with a few dried leaves or grasses, and the 

 eggs, three or four in number, are of a clear clay colour, 

 boldly blotched with umber and chocolate-brown ; they 

 measure about 1*7 by 1-15 in. The food of the Yellow- 

 shanks consists of small fishes, shrimps, worms, aquatic and 

 other insects, and sandhoppers. Its habits are similar to 

 those of other Sandpipers. 



The whole length of the bird is ten inches and three- 

 quarters ; the bill, from the point to the commencement of 

 the feathers on the forehead, one inch and five-eighths ; 

 wing, from the anterior bend to the end of the longest quill- 

 feather, six inches, the first quill-feather the longest in the 

 wing ; the naked part of the leg one inch and a half, thence 

 to the junction of the toes two inches and a quarter ; length 

 of the middle toe one inch and a quarter. The bill black, 

 upper mandible rounded in form towards the point, the point 

 itself projecting slightly beyond the end of the lower man- 

 dible ; irides dark brown ; top of the head, back of the neck, 



VOL. III. 3 Q 



