78 SHORE BIRDS. 



tied with black above and with dusky beneath ; bill and feet, 

 always black. Breeds in the arctic and subarctic regions of 

 both' hemispheres; migrates south in N. A. from the middle 

 of July until the middle of Nov., when it is abundant on sandy 

 beaches all along the coast, occurring singly, in flocks of va- 

 rying sizes, or in company with other beach birds, unsus- 

 picious at this season; winters from the Carolinas south to 

 Patagonia ; goes north in May. 



j. Tatlers. Totanus. 



Slender-bodied birds with large heads, long, slender 

 black bills, with rather wide gape; long greenish or yellow 

 legs, long toes with small basal webs; and long wings, fold- 

 ing beyond tip of slightly rounded tail ; upper tail coverts, 

 white sometimes barred with dusky. Fig. 94. 



1. GREATER YELLOW-LEGS, T. melanoleucus. 

 Largest of our species, 14.00; bill, 2.25; blackish-gray above 

 streaked and spotted with yellowish white; white beneath, 

 streaked on lower neck and breast with dusky and banded 

 on sides, axilliaries, and under wing coverts with the same. 

 Occurs on marshes and mud flats where it makes itself con- 

 spicuous by its loud, clear whistle which is given very fre- 

 quently ; also occurs in fresh waters ; flight steady with long 

 wing beats, varied with intervals of sailing ; in alighting the 

 bird sails, then suddenly alights by dropping its long legs; 

 when down it often raises its wings perpendicularly over its 

 back, as do some other of the shore birds; besides the call 

 note it gives a kind of scream in spring something like that 

 emitted by the Common Tern and a rolling, or scolding note. 

 Common on the coast and not infrequent in the interior near 

 water. Breeds in northern IS. A. ; migrates south from July 

 15 to Nov. 15 ; winters from the Carolinas southward near- 

 ly all overS. A. ; comes north in April and May. 



2. LESSER YELLOW-LEGS, T. flavipes. Generally 

 similar to 1; differs in being much smaller ( 10.25; bill, 

 1.45 ) , in having the head always ashy and with more indig- 



