BIRDS OF ESSEX COUNTY. 1 85 



From old association I always think of the Solitary as a larger edition of 

 the Spotted Sandpiper which it resembles in several ways. Like the latter bird 

 it teters, but in a different manner. The tetering is less free and elastic, the 

 tail movement is less marked, but the head and neck are bobbed up and down 

 vigorously. Its flight, too, is more even, lacking the nervous down-curving of 

 the wings and frequent scaling of the Spotted cousin. It displays a beautiful 

 tail, whose outer feathers are white, barred with black, the two middle feathers 

 alone being dark. Its wings instead of showing a prominent white line are 

 almost black throughout as seen from above. Its call note is sharper and 

 louder. 



116 [258] Symphemia semipalmata (Gmel.). 

 Willet; "Humility." 



Uncommon transient visitor ; May 30 (June 1 7) ; August 4 to Septem- 

 ber 1 1 . 



The June 1 7th record is of a pair of birds seen in the salt marsh at Ipswich 

 by Dr. J. L. Goodale, in 1887, and suggests the possibility of breeding. I have 

 generally seen two or three of these birds every autumn on Ipswich Beach, 

 usually singly, although on one occasion I saw three together. They are often 

 associated with the Black-bellied Plover. Sometimes they alight in the salt 

 marshes. 



Willets are generally very wary like all large shore birds. Their flight is 

 swift and direct. After alighting, they are apt slowly to extend their wings 

 straight up over the back, displaying their markings to great advantage. They 

 run nimbly along the beach. They have a loud call, usually written pill-will- 

 willet, and a single note, loud and rasping, suggestive of a giant Catbird, is also 

 frequently given. 



The Willet is easily distinguished from all other large shore birds by the 

 large amount of white in the wings, the greater part of the secondaries and the 

 basal half of the primaries being white. This is plainly seen as they fly by or 

 overhead, and especially when they raise the wings over the back before folding 

 them. Their general plumage is also very light and their rump is a snowy 

 white. 



